Nadine Olsen
Navigating the world of calf supplements can be incredibly confusing. There are a wide range of products ranging from prebiotics, probiotics, minerals and vitamins, liquids and powders, which can make it difficult to choose which product is right for your calves. This article outlines what to look out for, to ensure you get the health and performance response you are after.
Decide what you are really targeting
It can be easy to get caught up in the marketing material, social media content, and what you are told about the product. The key is to step back and ask yourself, “what I am really wanting from a calf supplement”.
For example, if you buy calves in, calf disease is a high risk, and so products that target disease prevention would be your highest priority. If you are wanting to wean earlier or at higher weights, then products that have proven benefits in weight gain and reducing weaning checks would be your focus.
Don’t get lost in all the glossy brochures, understand what you want, and ask plenty of questions to ensure the product is going to meet that requirement.
Know what’s in the bucket
It is difficult to make a decision on a product with ‘mystery’ ingredients or specifications. Not only is it important to know what you are paying for, it is also essential to ensure there are no double ups in your calf rearing programme that may be unnecessary or harmful.
Nutritech will always state the list of ingredients, and the dose rate of the active components. We believe this is important so that you can have peace of mind in knowing exactly what your calves are consuming.
Understand the company that supplies it
In New Zealand there are very few regulations for companies producing calf supplements. This is a scary thought when we are feeding something to newborn animals! Thankfully, some companies choose to operate to a much higher standard, certifying their production facilities and being audited to ensure processes are in place for product quality and safety.
Nutritech is a GMP Approved Facility and ISO 9001:2015 accredited. We have raw material receiving protocols, certificate of analyses on all raw ingredients, batch numbering, local testing and have our specification on the label. We are proud of our traceability from the supplier raw material all the way to our finished product to the customer. Retention samples kept for 2 years, and protocols are in place for testing finished goods.
Having core, reputable suppliers is a critical step in that process. Especially when it comes to probiotics, where there are significant differences between strains, even of the same bacteria! Sourcing live bacteria and yeasts from reputable R&D companies (such as Lallemand) provides reassurance that extensive research has been conducted, and the specific strain has been selected for that purpose.
We see this in the case of Levucell®SB for example, which has been selected for its ability to improve gastrointestinal health of the intestine, reducing the impact of calf scours and intestinal disease . This study was published in the independent, peer reviewed Journal of Dairy Science which requires a high calibre of scientific research in order to make it into the Journal.
This provides calf rearers with a great deal of confidence on the Levucell®SB probiotic, and other Lallemand sourced yeast and bacteria.
Look for Technical Support
There is nothing worse than being sold a product, then being left on your own. Our philosophy is to make animal nutrition and silage easy.
It is our job to ensure the right product is used for the right reason, so that you can get the outcome you are after. Nutritech has 12 Area Managers across the country, meaning we are local and available to provide support if you need. Our Area Managers are backed up by a team of Nutritionists here in New Zealand, as well as a range of global experts from Lallemand Animal Nutrition.
Navigating the Nutritech Calf Range
The Nutritech range of quality calf products focus on 6 key areas:
- Calf growth – DanCalf® Gold, Levucell®SC
- Calf health – DanCalf® Gold, YANG®, ImmuStart®, ImmuBoost
- Coccidia Prevention – CocciStop®, Bovatec®, DanCalf® Gold
- Disease recovery – NutriCare® Calf Electrolyte
- Bedding and hygiene – ManurePro®, EazyBed Pro®, LalfilmPro®, Sterilite®
- Colostrum storage – NutriCare® Colostrum Keeper
The best approach for choosing which product is right for your calves is to get in touch with your local Nutritech Area Manager. They have a wealth of expertise to ensure you get the best result for your calves.
- Villot et al., (2019). Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 affects health, growth, and fecal microbiota in milk-fed veal calves. Journal of Dairy Science 102:7011–7025
