Aoraki Calf Meal gives your calves the best start

We have two product lines that have been specifically formulated for your calves success; High Octane Plus Calf Meal and Low Protein Plus Calf Meal. These are available in 25kg bags that can be delivered to your farm, or visit our feedmill.

 

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Aoraki Stockfoods "HIGH OCTANE PLUS" Aoraki Calf Meal
Ideal as a starter diet and is usually fed the whole season

“High Octane” Aoraki Calf Meal is modified version of the original calf meal diet we made in 1998. The original diet proved to be very successful and really raised the bar for other calf meals. Farmers were amazed at how easily they could get calves to eat the meal.

As our stockfood business has grown so too has the number of visits from animal nutritionists from New Zealand and overseas. I also listen too and review customer feedback. These two opportunities allow me to gather information from which I can decide if and what changes are to be made to our calf feeds. Aoraki “High Octane” is a starter diet however the majority of our customers feed it for the whole season.

"It is ideal for once a day milk feeding."

Packaged in 25kg bags for easier handling, water resistant lamination helps to lock in that freshness.

Since we are also calf rearers we have first hand experience in what does work and what doesn’t work when feeding calves meal. You will find when rearing your calves the faster you can get them eating ‘High Octane” Aoraki Calf Meal the faster the health risks reduce.

Your calves can benefit from our practical experience.

Calf meals are often judged by the level of crude protein.  You need to be aware that you can easily be misled by crude protein levels.  At Aoraki Stockfoods our main sources of protein come from Soya Bean Meal and Peas two products that are high in digestible protein. Skinny barley is higher in protein than plump barley, urea converts to nearly 300% protein, and these are just two more examples of how you can boost crude protein levels in calf meals. But neither product will result in high growth rates.There is no Palm Kernel, Copra, Grass Seed Offal or other industry by products used in Aoraki Calf Meals. And with a meal you get to see what is in it, nothing is hidden.

Buy little and often While the calf meal doesn’t go “off” you will agree that bread tastes best when it is fresh from the oven. Farmers also agree: the fresher the meal is, the faster the calves will start eating it. Consider not buying too much at the start of the season.

Nutritional Information Feed a minimum of 1kg High Octane Plus Aoraki calf meal per 60kg liveweight to provide 90 mg Lasalocid for coccidiosis control and improved liveweight gain (minimum 1.5kg/90kg calf). Nil withholding period for meat and milk. Lassalocid when ingested by dogs and horses may be fatal.

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Aoraki Stockfoods "LOW PROTEIN PLUS " Aoraki Calf Meal
Suitable for weaned calves when spring grass is high in protein

“Low Protein” Aoraki Calf Meal can be used for feeding too calves after weaning when grazing pasture that is high in protein. “Low Protein” Aoraki Calf Meal is made from the same quality ingredients as the “High Octane” meal but is formulated to have lower protein.

The main difference between the two diets is that we replace a portion of the Soya Bean Meal (48% Protein) with Wheat (14% Protein). “Low Protein” Aoraki Calf Meal also has higher energy levels as wheat is higher in energy than soya bean meal.

The cost savings resulting from replacing some soya bean meal with wheat usually equates to around $30 -$40 per tonne. Often farmers expect to see a bigger saving than this, our experience is that this is not the case unless you want to include some cheap fillers however these reduce the quality of the whole diet.

Although we do have some farmers who feed “Low Protein” from a very young age research has shown this to be false economy. Some farmers are concerned that feeding a lot of milk and a high protein meal may cause a protein scour however this is unlikely because if you are feeding a lot of milk the calf is unlikely to consume large amounts of meal.

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Aoraki Calf Meal's 4 key ingredients:

	1. BOVATEC About 95% of coccidiosis cases go undetected. Bovatec is used for the control of coccidiosis in calves. In the past we have included Bovatec in the calf meal at the recommended levels however this year we will be increasing it by 50% (still very safe to use at these levels). Giving calves extra protection against coccidiosis, especially those being reared on higher milk volumes that often aren’t eating as much meal.
	2. XTRACT™ Xtract is a natural product that improves the digestive efficiency of young calves as well as promoting a healthy rumen microbial population. Xtract is made from essential oils and is a safe, effective non-antibiotic growth promoter. The main ingredients of Xtract are: Oregano,(Carvacrol) in a similar way to a prebiotic, Oregano stimulates development of the beneficial Lactobacilli through stimulation of volatile fatty acid production. This reduces development of Entero bacteria, the nasties Cinnamon, (Cinnamaldehyde) has direct influence over development of the microvilli in the small intestine and improves nutrient absorption. It protects the microvilli and digestive mucosa due to its intracellular antioxidant activity Red Pepper (Capsaicinoid), stimulates digestive enzyme activity to maximise nutrient uptake
	3. ORGANIC SELENIUM Selenium is necessary for growth and fertility in animals and plays an important role as a biological antioxidant, protecting cells from damage and supporting the immune system. Providing selenium in organicform reduces the potential for interaction with other minerals in the feed and improves the uptake of selenium by the young calf.
	4. SOYA BEAN OIL Increased levels of soya bean oil in the calf meal. In addition to grains soya bean oil is an important source of energy for calves. Soya bean oil also increases the uptake of fat soluble vitamins (A, D and E) and helps to prevent dry flaky skins. At Aoraki Stockfoods we still use human food grade soya bean oil as opposed to the recycled stockfood grade. And while it is twice the price, I have no doubt on which product is best value for money. Ask me if you want to know more.

 

Make weaning easier on your calves with the meal advantage

• Calves start eating meal at an earlier age, compared to pellets.
• Calves eat wet meal, but not wet pellets.
• You can see what is in the meal, nothing is hidden.
• Calves will lick the ground clean, little is wasted.

 

Why use Aoraki Calf Feeds

• Palatable feed encourages high feed intake.
• Quality protein sources support early growth of muscle tissue.
• New Zealand grains and Xtract® Instant encourages early rumen development.
• Essential vitamins and minerals optimise health and performance.

There is no Palm Kernel, Copra, Grass Seed Offal or other industry by products used in Aoraki Calf Meals. Calves in Otago, Canterbury, Marlborough, and the West Coast were fed Aoraki Calf Meal in 2010.

A grain based diet is essential for good rumen development and healthy calves

LEFT: Various diets such as Milk only, Milk and Hay and Milk and Grain, can effect the development of a calves rumen

Developing a healthy rumen is important to ease the transition from milk to solid feed at weaning.
A healthy rumen is dark in colour (due to the presence of lots of large blood vessels) and has increased rumen papillae (finger like structures on the rumen wall). By increasing the blood vessels and surface area in the rumen you can maximise the nutrient absorption. Resulting in more energy, improved health and better growth rate in your calves.