Why every season is calving season for calf specialist Katie Tiernan

Having followed her passion for the subject through her studies, Katie now spends her time working hand in hand with farmers across Ireland and is swiftly becoming one of the most promising young talents in the area of calf nutrition.

Having joined Trouw Nutrition Ireland as a Calf Specialist three years ago, Katie lends her insights and advice to farmers as they encounter and ultimately seek to resolve calf related issues through nutritional solutions.

“I had a huge interest in calf rearing since I was a child and as nutrition played such a big part of our family business, I felt drawn to that field of work. I love seeing the results of great genetics and nutrition.”

Working as part of a small dynamic nutritional team, Katie travels across Ireland each week trouble shooting with farmers, sharing her expertise on how to approach nutrition for a calf from birth onwards.

“My job varies day to day, season to season. I may be out on farm one day or training our commercial team the next, I could be formulating milk replacers or forecasting loads for the season ahead. The variety is really enjoyable – but probably my favourite aspect of the work is seeing a farmer make simple changes on farm that will have a big impact on their calves, in terms of growth rates to health status. That’s incredibly rewarding.”

As calving season continues, Katie’s workload is currently at its busiest, “The early stages of a calf’s life are crucial for rearing a healthy, productive dairy cow. My focus is on helping calves have the best possible start to their lives through optimal nutrition and management, particularly focusing on calf milk replacers. Becoming more sustainable for a dairy farmer means the need to produce more milk with fewer animals and an excellent milk replacer like Milkivit sets up the calf to achieve its full potential over a longer lifetime,” Katie continues.

Connecting regularly with the online farming community, Katie shares her nutritional guidance on social media through #KatiesCalfCare on Instagram.

“There’s a vibrant young community throughout the agri sector and, within the Trouw team alone, I’m lucky enough to work alongside some fantastic people who are genuinely passionate about making their mark in the world of agri nutrition.

“Trouw recognises the importance of fresh thinking but at the same time there is a real breadth of experienced people who specialise in nutrition across a wide range of species. I think farmers appreciate the local knowledge we bring as an agri nutrition provider – and in turn we appreciate their trust and partnership, at calving season and year round,” Katie Tiernan said.