Wednesday, 12 October 2016 12:05

Pesky beef calves

Written by Rural News Group

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It seems Fonterra has been caught flat-footed over the supply of milk powder for calves.

Calf rearers are reporting a shortage of the co-op’s Ancalf powder; the co-op is reporting unusually high calf numbers this season -- nearly double those of last year. The problem, it seems, is higher numbers of beef calves being reared -- better than milking calves because of the lower milk payout. The shortage is expected to persist for a few weeks, prompting suggested alternatives such as Brown Bag product, early weaning and shifting calves onto meal.

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