PhD Student
Sarah Legge
As dairy farms increasingly adopt precision technologies, Sarah Legge’s PhD research explored how data generated from automated calf feeders can be used to improve calf management, productivity, and long-term herd performance. Using data from a large Australian dairy operation, her work examined how early-life calf growth and feeding behaviours influence future milk production, longevity, and retention within the herd.
A key finding was that calf performance in the first weeks of life has lasting impacts on productivity. Sarah identified that milk consumption and feeding behaviours recorded within the first five days on automated calf feeders could predict weaning weight and help identify calves that may benefit from early intervention. Calves with higher weaning weights were more likely to achieve multiple lactations, remain in the herd longer, and produce more milk throughout their lifetime.
Her research demonstrated the untapped value of farm-generated data in supporting proactive, data-driven decision making. By linking calf-rearing performance to lifetime productivity and longevity, Sarah’s work provides practical strategies to improve animal welfare, farm profitability, and the sustainability of intensive dairy production systems.
Read more on Dairy UP’s P2 project
More information:
Prof. Sergio (Yani) Garcia | sergio.garcia@sydney.edu.au
Dr Sarah Legge | s.legge@sydney.edu.au
