Wednesday, 09 June 2021 13:55

Feed calves what they really need

Written by  Staff Reporters
Calves grown faster in the first few weeks of their life lay down better tissue in the developing udder, and milk better as heifers. Calves grown faster in the first few weeks of their life lay down better tissue in the developing udder, and milk better as heifers.

Farmers are being urged to feed more milk to new-born calves.

Chris Collier, Probiotic Revolution, says this is based on research that shows that calves grown faster in the first few weeks of their life lay down better tissue in the developing udder, and milk better as heifers.

In a University of Illinois study, by initially growing calves faster, heifer milk an protein production increased by 10%.

Collier says Probiotic Revolution uses specific probiotics in Calf Xtreme that helps avoid nutritional scours and other health issues at the high rates of milk. Consequently calves just grow faster and with the product spilling into the rumen of calves, farmers are amazed at how much meal, hay or grass they eat after a couple of weeks, says Collier.

He says that one farmer who fed his calves 8 litres once a day, ran his heifers while out grazing with calves from two other family farms. They all had the same genetic base but at each weighing the 100 Calf Xtreme calves were a month ahead in liveweights compared with the other calves. There were no empties in these 100 calves, but 10 empties in the 150 calves not reared on the product.

Sick calves are also a nightmare and farmers know that when a calf is checked at a young age it does not perform well as a heifer.

"In times of stress or a disease challenge such as rotavirus we just doule the dose rate of Calf Xtreme," says Collier.

Crypto is more challenging and in addition to quadrupling the dose rate other control measures are needed. For coccidiosis a coccidiostat is needed.

Collier claims around 70,000 calves were reared on Probiotic Revolution's products last year and demand is expected to increase this year.

More like this

Innovation, probiotic deliver results

In 2018, faced with a Salmonella outbreak among his calves and the effects of the subsequent vaccination, Waikato dairy farmer Cole Townsend turned to social media for a solution.

Probiotics help keep mastitis away

Probiotics can be used to help with mastitis and lameness issues facing flood-ravaged farms, claims Chris Collier, Probiotics Revolution.

Featured

Better animal genetic gain system

A governance group has been formed, following extensive sector consultation, to implement the recommendations from the Industry Working Group's (IWG) final report and is said to be forming a 'road map' for improving New Zealand's animal genetic gain system.

SIDE 2025's new schedule, venue

Annual farmer gathering, the South Island Dairy Event (SIDE), is set to make history as it heads to Timaru for the first time.

Taranaki piggery goes solar

Installing 400 solar panels at their Taranaki piggery and cropping operation will have significant environmental, financial and animal welfare benefits for the Stanley family.

Editorial: Keep FTAs coming

OPINION: The dairy industry will  be a major beneficiary of a new free trade deal between NZ and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC).

National

Organic sector backtracks on GE

Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) says the Government’s new gene editing and genetic modification reforms could leave New Zealand as…

$3b windfall?

Fonterra's proposed sale of its global consumer business could fetch over $3 billion but not all proceeds will end up…

Machinery & Products

Milk Sustainability Centre launched

The recently announced Milk Sustainability Centre – a collaboration between global giant John Deere and milking and feed specialists De…

Data connection made easier

New Holland and Case IH are introducing new advancements in their precision technology stack to make farming easier and more…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Chinese strategy

OPINION: Fonterra may have sold its dairy farms in China but the appetite for collaboration with the country remains strong.

Not fair

OPINION: The Listener's latest piece on winter grazing among Southland dairy farmers leaves much to be desired.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter