Rearing calves with Milligans.

Recommended Products

Milligans ExcelPlus CMR — Our ultra-premium calf milk replacer — casein-based with our ExcelPlus immune and growth health package built in. Natural essential oils, plant extracts, functional fibre and a prebiotic. For farmers who want the very best for their replacement heifers or beef calves.

Milligans Classic CMR — New Zealand's most trusted calf milk replacer — 35 years in the market, consistently reliable for dairy and beef farmers nationwide. The benchmark.

Milligans Classic CMR + Coccistop — All the performance of Classic CMR with integrated coccidiosis control built in. One product, one less thing to manage.

GOcalf Boost — Solid economy rearing from day 4 — or ideal for fortifying whole milk and colostrum where some natural milk is available.

GOcalf Econo — Our most economical calf milk replacer — reliable nutrition where cost per calf is the priority.

GOmilk Multi — A versatile milk replacer suitable for calves and mixed rearing operations.

Before You Start — Shed Setup

Getting your shed right before the first calf arrives prevents more problems than any product can fix.

Housing — Dry, draught-free and sheltered. Calves cannot regulate body temperature effectively in the first weeks of life — warmth and dry bedding are not optional. Cover the floor with sawdust, shavings, straw or wood chip to at least 200mm depth and top up regularly. Ventilate across the shed rather than down its length, and make ventilation adjustable with boards or wind cloth.

Pen spacing — 10–20 calves per pen, with a minimum of 1.5m² of shelter space per calf. Separate age groups wherever possible — mixing ages spreads disease and complicates feeding management. Have a hospital pen ready for sick calves. Isolate promptly, deal with sick animals last, and disinfect all equipment before returning to healthy animals.

Water and feeders — Fresh water available from day one — checked and refreshed daily. Minimum 300mm of trough space per calf for dry feed. Keep meal feeders dry and clean. Keep milk lines short and free from stale milk between feeds.

Cleaning — Clean and sanitise all feeding equipment — buckets, teats, mixing utensils — between every single feed. Never use a high-pressure hose inside the shed — it aerosolises bacteria to other pens. Use a broom in laneways. Spray the rearing area with an approved disinfectant at least weekly, and daily during any disease outbreak.

Buying Calves — What to Check

Look for: Dry navel. Bright eyes — not sunken. Ears up and alert. No scours. Over 4 days old and at least 35–40kg (excluding Jersey and Jersey-cross calves).

Avoid: Twins. Freebies. Calves treated with antibiotics. Mixing different age groups in the same pen.

On arrival: If dehydrated after a long journey or from a sales yard, offer 4 litres of electrolytes as the first feed rather than milk. Dip navels in iodine again on arrival. Handle gently — transport stress compromises immune function. Always ask about the source farm's colostrum management.

Colostrum — The Most Important Feed

Before any milk replacer — colostrum first, always.

Calves are born with no immune system of their own. The antibodies (immunoglobulins, IgG) in colostrum provide the only protection against disease in the first weeks of life. The gut can absorb these antibodies for a short window only — declining rapidly after 12 hours, essentially nothing by 24. Miss this window and no product, supplement or management practice makes up for it.

How much: Feed 15% of bodyweight (2.5–4L) within the first 12 hours. Get 1.5–2L in within the first 4 hours, another 1.5–2L within 10 hours. Continue colostrum or transition milk for 4 days where possible.

Quality: A Brix refractometer is the best on-farm tool for checking colostrum quality — aim for a reading of 22 or above. First-milking colostrum is always best. Heifers and mastitic cows produce lower-quality colostrum.

If unavailable: Use ExcelPlus Colostrum immediately. Do not wait.

Storing colostrum: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 12 months. Thaw slowly in warm water — never microwave or use boiling water.

Navel care: Dip navels in iodine right down to the base — dip rather than spray for maximum penetration. Re-dip daily for the first 4 days.

Feeding Guide

Starting on CMR — from day 4

Introduce Milligans CMR from day 4. If transitioning from colostrum, do so gradually over 2–3 feeds.

Mixing steps:

1. Heat clean water to 38–40°C
2. Add powder to water — not water to powder
3. Mix vigorously until completely dissolved — no lumps
4. Check temperature before feeding
5. Feed immediately via teat — never store mixed CMR

Feeding schedule — twice daily, approximately 13% of bodyweight:

[Gram rates per product to be confirmed by nutritionist team]

Introducing dry feed — from week 1

Put a small amount of calf starter in front of calves from 5–7 days of age. Initial intake will be tiny — that is completely normal. Rumen development begins when calves eat solid feed, and the earlier it starts the easier weaning will be.

Fresh water must be available separately from day one. Add good quality hay or straw from week 2. A calf cannot eat enough meal to replace milk nutrients in the first 8 weeks — quality liquid feeding remains the priority throughout.

Weaning

Wean on dry feed intake — not age alone.

Criteria: Consistently eating at least 1kg of dry feed per day for 3 consecutive days, in good health. Target weights by breed: Jerseys 70kg, crossbreds 80kg, Friesians 90kg.

Use step-down weaning — reduce milk by 20–25% every 4–5 days. Never wean abruptly. For automatic feeders, a 5% linear daily reduction over 20 days works well.

Continue feeding 1.5–2kg of dry feed per calf per day for 3–4 weeks after weaning.

Hold back any calves not meeting the criteria — the growth check from early weaning costs more than the extra milk.

Top Tips

1. Colostrum in the first 4 hours is non-negotiable. The window closes fast. Everything else in this guide comes second.
2. Temperature matters every single feed. 38–40°C every time. Use a thermometer. Cold milk causes digestive problems and growth setbacks. It takes 10 seconds and it is worth it.
3. Teat not bucket. Buckets risk milk overflowing into the rumen. Always use a teat.
4. Start dry feed earlier than you think. Week one, not week four. Early rumen development means easier weaning and better post-milk growth rates.
5. Have electrolytes in the shed before the season. Scouring calves deteriorate fast. Having ExcelPlus Electrolyte on hand before you need it means you can respond immediately — not after a trip to the stockist.
6. Clean equipment between every feed. Residue in feeders, teats and buckets is a leading cause of bacterial scours. Five minutes of cleaning saves a lot of headaches.
7. Weigh calves regularly. A healthy calf should gain weight steadily from the first week. Weekly weight checks are the earliest indicator that something is wrong — before visible symptoms appear.

Common Health Issues

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