A small change to the calf feeding system has made a big difference to youngstock health at a County Tipperary dairy farm.

Michael and Iris Kelly milk around 260 high economic breeding index (EBI) Friesians on a spring-calving dairy unit at Toomevara.

The couple are supported by a full-time worker and their children, Emma, MJ, Robyn and Ben, help with the calf rearing.

The family is expanding by breeding their own dairy replacements but in spring 2020, the health of calves came under pressure during an outbreak of rotavirus and later on, cryptosporidium.

Joe Murphy of Bonanza Calf Nutrition explained that calves that have rotavirus infection can become predisposed to cryptosporidium and other diseases in the form of pathogens due to the gastrointestinal tract being compromised by pathogens.

To counter this disease challenge, the Kellys were helped by Mr. Murphy and by Joe Bergin of Conroy Agri to alter their calf-rearing system to stay ahead of disease pressure.

A feed plan was devised to feed calves at optimum levels of transition milk and milk replacer.

Mr. Murphy introduced Transformula milk replacer into the feeding system for all calves.

Transformula, manufactured by Bonanza Calf Nutrition, is a transition milk replacer made from specific low-heat skimmed milk, sweet whey, buttermilk and vegetable oils. It includes a range of natural plant extracts, yeasts and specific proteins to help prevent infective and digestive upsets.

Calves on Transformula experience far fewer problems with scour which means financial and labour savings.

The positive effect of this on the Kelly’s calves was almost immediate.

“Transformula helped us get ahead of the infection levels and that resulted in healthy calves that could thrive well, it was a lifesaver,’’ said Iris.

The efficiency of calf rearing has improved with healthier groups of calves on the farm.

And there was a major reduction in calf morbidity overall and calves hit targets weights from start to finish.

That system is now a permanent feature.

All replacement heifers start on cow’s transition milk for three days before they receive Transformula for seven days; every calf is on transition milk for a minimum of 10 days.

This feeding regime has improved the system tenfold.

A calf is born with an immature gastrointestinal tract, so it is essential to aid it to mature this through feeding colostrum followed by transition milk, said Mr. Murphy,

The use of Transformula may only have been a small change but it has made a big difference to calf health.

Savings can be seen in the reduction of labour needed to rear calves and fewer health problems; this has proved a massive win for the Kelly family.  

To find your nearest Transformula stockist, click here.