The calves are our future dairy cows, so much as possible effort is invested into their rearing.
They also are the genetically most superior and therefore most valuable animals on the farm.
After being born they are immediately removed from their dams and bottle fed with colostrum
for the first week of their life. Thereafter they are suckled/foster fed by Nanny-Cows (low
producing cows towards the end of their lactation or chronic mastitis cows) for a maximum
period of four months. For the first 2 months calves suckle ad lib, which may add up to 10
litres of milk daily, afterwards their intake is gradually reduced to suckling on empty teats. For
their first year of life calves are zero- grazed and fed to optimum so we can breed them from
15 months old. Through this system we achieve calf survival rates of close to 100%.
