From 4–6 November Register it is (FREE)
Calf Alive 2025 Set To Deliver Fresh Insights For Northern Beef Producers
Northern beef producers, researchers and industry representatives will come together in Longreach this November for Calf Alive 2025, a free three-day event.
Held from 4–6 November, the conference will showcase the culmination of five years of research aimed at improving calf survival, reproductive efficiency, and productivity in northern cattle herds, while offering practical insights, case studies, and networking opportunities.
The Calf Alive project, led by The University of Queensland and funded by Meat & Livestock Australia, with support from FeedWorks and the Queensland Government, has spent five years investigating one of the industry’s most complex challenges: calf survival and reproductive efficiency in far northern herds.
Associate Professor Luis Prada e Silva.
Project lead Associate Professor Luis Prada e Silva said the research has uncovered practical solutions that producers can apply immediately.
“We found that when pasture conditions are low, strategic prepartum supplementation lifted pregnancy rates by 10–15 per cent, improved calf survival by 5 per cent, and increased weaning weights by 7 kilograms,” Dr Prada e Silva said.
“Small improvements in reproductive efficiency can have significant cumulative impacts on productivity and profitability over time.”
The supplementation program, which included yeast extracts, protein, and other essential nutrients, aimed to improve colostrum quality, milk delivery, and overall cow nutrition during the most demanding phase of reproduction. The project also explored nitrogen isotope testing in tail hair as a low-cost tool to identify cows that efficiently convert feed into milk, giving producers confidence in earlier selection decisions.
Senior Research Assistant Gemma Somerset.
Senior Research Assistant Gemma Somerset highlighted the critical role producers played in the project’s success.
“We worked with 14 properties from Katherine in the Northern Territory to South East Queensland, collaborating closely with families and commercial operations of all sizes,” Ms Somerset said.
“Their willingness to trial supplements and share data has been invaluable, and these partnerships have been the foundation of everything we’ve achieved.”
International perspectives will also feature, with Dr Alison Meyer from the University of Missouri, Columbia, discussing how maternal nutrition influences both cow and calf performance. Her work complements the project’s focus on pre-calving management and its implications for fertility and growth.
The three-day program will include practical talks, producer case studies, and a property tour on the final day, giving attendees a firsthand look at how research findings are being implemented on the ground. Organisers emphasise that the event connects research with practice, providing producers the opportunity to engage directly with scientists and advisors while exploring achievable strategies to improve herd resilience.
With calf survival a long-standing challenge for northern herds, Calf Alive 2025 offers a timely chance to share knowledge, discuss new solutions, and learn how research can translate into tangible productivity gains.
RSVP for this free event.
To Register and see full program (CLICK ON BANNER)
