Calf-rearing
Rearing at scale
Strengths in the softer skills of building long term relationships, coupled with the collection of robust data, are at the heart of an impressive calf rearing operation in Canterbury that’s home to 3500 calves annually. Words Anne Lee, Photo Holly Lee.
Feeding calves
On-Farm Research at the Poukawa Research Farm did much pioneering research on calf rearing from the mid 1990s, rearing about 8000 calves across a wide range of trials. Paul Muir offers his thoughts on what is still relevant to current calf rearers
Importance of colostrum
Failure of calves to get sufficient colostrum and acquire early immunity is a world-wide problem, Paul Muir writes.
What it costs to rear a calf
Paul Muir and staff from On-Farm Research at the Poukawa Research Farm in Hawke’s Bay have been researching calf rearing since 1996. They have put together an update of calf rearing costs for the 2023 season.