The Smiths run 650 KiwiCross on their farm near the Arapuni stretch of the Waikato River. They made the decision to switch from feeding vat milk to Ancalf based on financial returns but have been delighted with the ease and calf health outcomes of making the change.
"We just always used the milk from the vat, but it was a bit of a no-brainer once we went to autumn calving," says Dana. "Obviously anything that goes into the vat is beneficial for us - it just makes sense as a business to do this right from the get-go, so we know exactly how much milk is going to the vat and that we're getting the best premium for it because that's obviously more into our pockets.
"We used to split calve, so going into autumn using Ancalf we could keep as much milk in the vat as possible, which is what we needed to get that winter milk contract. We then carried it through into springtime and it just seemed to work amazingly - the calves love it so we've stuck to it."
With a range of calf milk replacer (CMR) products on the market, farmers rely on advice and recommendations to make the right decision for the future of their herd.
Ancalf, being a casein-rich CMR closely aligns with the composition of natural whole milk, has a good reputation with farmers and rearers who are serious about their calves' development.
The Smiths are seeing the health benefits of carefully selecting the right CMR.
"We spoke to other people that used Ancalf and it seemed to be the most popular one that everyone really loved. So we thought we'd give it a go and we haven't changed because it has been amazing. We haven't had sick calves, we haven't had any problems with the changeover from the colostrum straight onto the Ancalf - it just seemed to work," says Dana.
"When you've got a product that works well, why change it? We literally just started with Ancalf and haven't changed because it worked so well right from the get-go."
While Dana normally handles the calving duties, the arrival of a new baby earlier this year meant the responsibility was instead taken up by husband Brett and their team, which has been an easy transition.
"This year we had Brett and the team behind us who actually really like to rear calves. They have a very good system down there, so it's not hard," says Dana.
"We bought a feeder that mixes it all up easily and has a pump nozzle as well. The convenience of it all has been great - it hasn't been difficult, we don't have to bucket it anywhere or do anything like that."
As for the calves, Dana says they enjoy Ancalf too: "They take to it well. What we normally do is mix it with warm milk. Once they've gone off colostrum, they'll have normal milk and the Ancalf just to get them ready for it and then from there, they go straight onto the powder. We don't have problems with scouring, we don't have any problems at all - they just tuck into it straight away."
Looking ahead the Smiths are planning on upping their calf numbers, which means they'll need their current system to keep working for them.
"This year we'll get to about 250 calves. This coming mating will be our first mating to go fully into all cows mated into autumn so next year the goal is to rear about 350 to 400 including the beefies. This season has worked well so next year we'll look to do the same because we'll be rearing a few more and they'll be outside a lot quicker."
When asked if the Smiths would recommend Ancalf to others, Dana has no hesitation: "Yes definitely. Once you've got the gear and you know what you're doing, it's the consistency for the calves - it's a no-brainer really, just to make sure they're getting the nutrients they need and everything. I would recommend it."
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Article supplied by NZAgbiz.