For Huntly dairy farmer Rhys Darby, feeding Ancalf™ during Autumn calving is business as usual.
The Darby family farm milks approximately 1,100 cows each year, focusing on Autumn calving, and rear 400-500 calves during the season. Some calves are used as replacements, but he usually sells 200-300 100kg Friesian x Hereford bulls to his aunty and uncle down the road for finishing. Rhys also manages a sheep milking operation, milking 1,200 sheep and rearing 300-400 lambs as replacements for the flock.
“We’ve been using NZAgbiz products, including Ancalf, for nearly 10 years. In the early years, we tried various options, but we found that the consistency of NZAgbiz products is unmatched,” Rhys says.
The decision to switch to Ancalf was driven by the need for consistency and quality.
“When you rear as many animals as we do, you need consistency. We learned that early on, and I’m even learning that in the human space too,” Rhys comments, being a new father himself with an eight-week-old baby at home.
“The transition from colostrum to Ancalf is seamless. Ancalf has similar attributes in terms of fat and protein to whole milk, making it an excellent value-add product. You save money without compromising on growth and health,” he adds.
Rhys also comments that he has noticed significant improvements in calf health and growth since using Ancalf.
“We aim to wean calves at 100kg, and with Ancalf, we’ve been able to speed up the growth cycle. We used to say that we wouldn’t wean anything normally before 1 June, and now we are working towards 20 May when we get some weaned. The consistency of the product and smooth transitions from colostrum to Ancalf and then to the Ancalf Finisher product have been key.”
“Mixing Ancalf powder is efficient and straightforward. We’ve built a large milk powder mixer that makes preparation easy. You just add the bags, mix, and feed,” explains Rhys.
“Using milk powder ensures we know exactly what we’re feeding each day, which helps with consistency in growth. Plus, it seems to keep our ‘calfaterias’ cleaner,” Rhys notes.
The quality and consistency of Ancalf, paired with excellent service from the NZAgbiz sales team, have solidified Rhys’ loyalty.
“Julie has been brilliant. The thing I like about her is she’s been really proactive, she’s willing to come out, see how things are going, and always willing to help,” says Rhys.
Rhys offers advice to other farmers considering using calf milk replacer: “The value and cost savings from using Ancalf are worth it. And we trust the science behind the NZAgbiz products – it’s all in the curd.”
Considering switching to Ancalf? Visit the NZAgbiz website to calculate how much you could save this Autumn or get in touch with the team today.