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Download our informative Farmer’s Guides, covering everything from dealing with common health problems to feeding and housing your calves.
Introducing the new Lifeguard milk formula range. For over 45 years, Volac, a British family owned and operated business, has been at the heart of the UK and Irish dairy industry.
Introducing the new Lifeguard milk formula range. For over 45 years, Volac, a family owned and operated business, has been at the heart of the UK and Irish dairy industry.
Colostrum – the fuel for life. When it comes to efficient, high performance youngstock rearing, one of the keys to success is getting colostrum feeding right during the first 24 hours of life. Unlike in humans, there is no immune transfer from adult ruminants across the placenta, which means newborn calves and lambs are completely reliant on their mother’s colostrum or a high quality alternative, immediately after birth to give them the antibodies they need to fight disease. For success with your youngstock rearing follow the four Q’s of colostrum.
Dairy Protein in Calf Milk Formulas - Skim vs. Whey. Dairy ingredients are the main source of protein in milk replacers and these include both skim and whey protein. When processed under carefully controlled conditions, both skim and whey-based milk replacers can result in similar levels of calf performance. Calf performance is however, linked to more than just the type of dairy protein in the finished milk formula – the type and quality of all the ingredients and the processing conditions, which influence overall digestibility, are key.
A milk replacer specifically formulated for calves which face disease challenges on farm, and for those that need a helping hand. Imunogard is specifically for those farms where calves are repeatedly suffering digestive disturbances and scours.
A Biofilm is an often invisible community of bacteria which can build up on any equipment or surface
Calf scour is the most common disease in dairy bred calves causing mortality and reduced growth rates. Find out more about the causes, impact and what you can do to prevent this disease.
Coccidia are a common parasite and an increasingly common cause of diarrhea in young calves. Find out more about the causes, impact and how to prevent calves from becoming infected.
Pneumonia is an extremely common problem in young cattle and the most common cause of death in dairy bred calves. Find out more about the causes, impact and how you can reduce the risks.
Johne’s disease is a chronic inflammation of the intestine caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Find out more about the process of infection.
Bloat is an over - expansion of the abomasum or rumen due to the gas, produced by normal fermentation of feed, building up and being unable to escape.
Young calves have particular needs in terms of housing and are often housed in an unsuitable location. Find out about the danger signs of unsuitable housing and how to protect your calves.
Improper hygiene increases the risk of disease and can be extremely costly. Find out how to reduce the risks of contamination.
Young calves are very susceptible to low temperatures. They are on highly digestible feed and are not yet ruminating (so less heat is generated by digestion).
Calf jackets keep calves warm, dry and healthy, in the winter when temperatures fall below 15º.
A number of factors can have an adverse effect on feed conversion efficiency (how well the animal converts feed into desired output). Find out more about these factors and how to reduce them.
Doubling the calf’s birth weight by the time they are weaned is important. Find out more about how to achieve this and expected growth rates by age.
It is important to set growth targets for your farm and regular measurement of the herd is essential. Find out more about how to achieve accurate and consistent measurements.
A top quality milk replacer gives your calves the best possible start in life. Find out how to correctly mix the milk to ensure you make the most out of your investment.
A colostrometer allows you to gain a quick simple assessment of quality. Find out how to correctly use a colostrometer and the benefits of feeding top quality colostrum.
AFC (age at first calving) is the age at which an animal calves for the first time. Find out more about the average and recommended age at first calving and the advantages of a younger calving age.
It is important to set an age at first calving (AFC) early on, and estimate the mature body weight of the calf. Find out more about how to set a target growth rate for your heifers.
Farmers guides mixing rates.
The pre-weaned animal is a fundamental phase of development, and drives the future success of the farm. Plot your Heifer Road Map to see the potential impact of growing better cows.
Calf rearing principles.
Modern calf milk replacer formulation is becoming more sophisticated and multi-functional. So much so that there should always be a quality nutrition product available which is right for your calves, rearing objectives and farm buildings situation.
Butyrate: • Is an energy source for the gut • Stimulates digestive enzyme production • Stimulates intestinal blood flow and proliferation of intestinal cells • Has anti-inflammatory effects and protects cells from oxidative damage • Enhances glycogen synthesis and can therefore improve liver function
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