Welcome to the first customer newsletter of 2015. Thank you to all the customers that were able to meet with me during my farm visits in the Autumn. I try and visit all the farmers who have brought 5 tonne or more of calf meal during the previous year and I enjoy meeting customers face to face as well as the drive round, with so many beautiful farms to admire. More credit should be given to the many farmers who work so hard on farm presentation.

I need to get in the habit of taking more photos when doing farm visits; the photo I have taken shows how easy it is to establish specimen trees along a fence line.

Pricing for Spring 2015

Like previous years we will once again have a price that will be reviewed during the season on a regular basis. We have started this season by dropping the price by $40 per tonne on the High Octane and $30 on the Low Protein. One of the main reasons for the price drop is that we have contracted 65% of our soybean meal requirements at $100 per tonne cheaper than last season. High Octane Aoraki Calf Meal contains more soybean meal then Low Protein hence the reason for it dropping further in price. I also took a punt and didn’t take any early contracts for grain and so have been able to secure some of our grain requirements more recently at a much reduced rate. There are also more savings from recent negotiations that are yet to filter through and at this stage I am confident that in September we will be able to drop the price further which makes a pleasant change compared to the last few years.

2015 July & August price

High Octane Aoraki Calf Meal 40x25kg $710 + GST ex Feedmill
Low Protein Aoraki Calf Meal 40x25kg $680 + GST ex Feedmill

A reminder that at the start of the season while your calves are young and sheds aren’t very full you are best to buy little and often so that the meal is kept as fresh as possible. It does make a difference for calves less than 4 weeks of age. While the meal does have a long shelf life it is still a grain product and like bread the fresher it is the tastier it is. For our more distant customers you may be able to split a pallet up between neighbouring customers (or if your neighbour isn’t a customer tell them they should be! We will send you a reward if you convert them).

Most calf rearers are excellent in realising they are dealing with a baby animal and best practice in the calf pens sees the calves getting fresh meal each day rather than multiple days’ worth being put out in one go. Calves will actually be trained to eat meal faster if the meal trough is empty say after about 20 hours compared to having meal 24/7. And if you do have leftovers from the day before these are best cleaned out and fed to older animals rather than just placing fresh meal on top.

Pallet Returns

Last year we purchased a large number of second hand pallets, unfortunately it turned out the nails were prone to popping out, so Shayne (who has worked for us for 12 years) is in the process of re-nailing them and so far has used over 10,000 nails. Another stockfood manufacturer decided to change the type of pallet they use, so we have also been able to pick up a number of their disused pallets for our use. We don’t charge our customers for pallets however we do ask you to return them and any others that are spare and of suitable size. It’s all part of keeping the costs down.

Newsletter Feedback

Our newsletters (including past newsletters) are also available via our website and sometimes we get feedback however I was surprised to get the following from the USA regarding last year’s November newsletter: “Thank you for the great picture and description of your auger position pads. I help farmers with physical injury, or illness, learn how to adapt so they can keep working. I’ve recommended for farmers with low vision to use concrete pads as you describe so they know when they are lined up. Do you mind if I share your picture and text?”

Naturally I said yes, which was followed by, “Thank you, Ken. If you know any farmers in your area who suffer from illnesses or injury that makes it difficult for them to work, let them know about me. I’d be happy to assist them in finding tools and equipment to make it possible for them to keep working. I won’t be making any farm visits, but happy to help via email and the internet from my home office here in Michigan!” - Ned Stoller, ATP, Easter Seals Michigan – AgrAbility, www.michiganagrability.org.

Natural Alternative to Antibiotics

XTRACT Instant is a natural alternative to antibiotics, enabling higher performance and health status, through the use of active substances Carvacrol, Cinnamaldehyde and Capsicum oleoresin which are from aromatic plants and spices.

Capsaicinoids found in Capsicum stimulate digestive enzyme activity, increasing feed digestibility and allowing for better nutrient absorption. Cinnamaldehyde protects the microvilli from toxins and free radicals due to its intracellular antioxidant activity, leading to an increased microvillus size important for nutrient digestion in the developing rumen. Carvacrol favours the development of cellulolytic flora which produces volatile fatty acids in the colon. The increase in VFA’s especially butyric acid inhibits pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella and clostridia and increases beneficial lactobacillus populations, giving XTRACT its beneficial health properties.

XTRACT is registered and sold in more than 40 countries around the globe, the average return on investment achieved was 11:1 in five consecutive trials. This is the fifth season we have included XTRACT in Aoraki calf meals.

Any Photos or Tips?

If you have any tips or photos you think I could use for the newsletter please either email them to me or phone me to discuss. Likewise if you are prepared to write a testimonial for us that would be very much appreciated. Are we using your correct mailing address, delivery address or business name? If we need to change any of these, please send me your details, preferably by text or email.

Cheers

Ken Buckingham