The Wynnstay Calf and Youngstock section of the AgriHub is written by specialist in the field. Our lambing news and advice is created to prepare you for the lambing season, making sure that not only is you lambing shed ready but also both lamb and ewe health is managed.
Our team of calf specialists are highly experienced in the field of calf rearing, their blog posts offer calf rearing advice and news for both dairy and beef farmers. Our calf news section looks at calf housing, feeding and health. It also offer advice on how to improve profits and margins on farm.
Energy demand for any dairy animal depends on their specific requirement for; maintenance, reproduction, milk production and body reserves. Whilst our mature cows are pregnant their energy demand is focussed on maintenance and foetal growth.
Problems in calf buildings usually are due to imbalances in one or more of these five separate factors; Moisture, Fresh Air, Air Speed, Temperature and Hygiene.
It finally feels like summer is here and hopefully a break from what seems like the longest and wettest winter!
In the first months of life, it is well understood that calves can be very efficient at converting feed to gain, but are equally very susceptible to digestive upsets that can reduce performance and survivability.
Whole milk is still fed to calves routinely on dairy farms in some capacity or another. But what constitutes “whole milk”?
Aroma and taste play vital roles in calf nutrition, increasing palatability linked with increased feed intake.
Our trusted Start'n'Wean formulation now includes a unique Apple Molplus flavour and aroma. Molplus is an appetite enhancer with a rich aroma and caramel taste. Based on the same sensory profile as molasses. Primarily, the way a feed smells and tastes is critical in determining feed palatability. Calves, like all animals, possess highly developed senses of smell and taste, which guide their feeding behaviour increasing overall feed intake.
Optimising starter feed intake in calves is crucial for their growth and development, laying the foundation for healthy adulthood. From the very start, attention to key factors such as bedding, taste, the weaning process, and water availability can significantly impact a calf's appetite and overall health.
Delve into each of these key factors, exploring practical strategies to maximise starter feed intake and set calves on the path to robust health and vitality.
We have reformulated Start n Wean formula to increase the starch and energy content, helping to further promote rumen development and maintain gut health.
Weaning is one of the most important transitions for calves due to the increased reliance on rumen function. The transition to ruminant digestion is a complex process that relies on water, concentrates and forage for microbial and physical rumen development. Calf Starter consumption is the most important factor for initiating rumen papillae development as the rumen relies on the end-products of bacterial fermentation from the concentrates.
In recent years, we have seen automatic calf machine becoming more popular on farm, and with recent government grants including machines, popularity has soared. Automatic calf feeders can be a great tool on farm, allowing labour time spent feeding the calves monitoring the calves health and performance.
