Probiotics deliver ‘outstanding’ results in mastitis control
Probiotic Revolution claims that farmers using its probiotics are achieving outstanding results in mastitis control.
Farmers are being urged to feed more milk to new-born calves.
Chris Collier, Probiotic Revolution, says this is based on research that shows that calves grown faster in the first few weeks of their life lay down better tissue in the developing udder, and milk better as heifers.
In a University of Illinois study, by initially growing calves faster, heifer milk an protein production increased by 10%.
Collier says Probiotic Revolution uses specific probiotics in Calf Xtreme that helps avoid nutritional scours and other health issues at the high rates of milk. Consequently calves just grow faster and with the product spilling into the rumen of calves, farmers are amazed at how much meal, hay or grass they eat after a couple of weeks, says Collier.
He says that one farmer who fed his calves 8 litres once a day, ran his heifers while out grazing with calves from two other family farms. They all had the same genetic base but at each weighing the 100 Calf Xtreme calves were a month ahead in liveweights compared with the other calves. There were no empties in these 100 calves, but 10 empties in the 150 calves not reared on the product.
Sick calves are also a nightmare and farmers know that when a calf is checked at a young age it does not perform well as a heifer.
"In times of stress or a disease challenge such as rotavirus we just doule the dose rate of Calf Xtreme," says Collier.
Crypto is more challenging and in addition to quadrupling the dose rate other control measures are needed. For coccidiosis a coccidiostat is needed.
Collier claims around 70,000 calves were reared on Probiotic Revolution's products last year and demand is expected to increase this year.
Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.