| 49 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Tim Fransen Fourth season as certified organic farmers Karen Phelps Otorohanga farmers Tim and Sandie Fransen have transformed their dairy operation through innovative organic practices including the use of probiotics from Probiotic Revolution. The couple, now in their fourth season as certified organic farmers, milk 220 Jersey cross cows on their Te Kawa farm, where they live with their six children. The Fransens’ use two key Probiotic Revolution products: Calf Xtreme and Superstart Lead Feed. Tim says these products have had significant benefits for their herd, which they have owned for 14 years, particularly in calf rearing and transitioning cows to milk production. Calf Xtreme is a combination of beneficial bacteria, digestive enzymes and live active yeast, that supports immune function, increases feed breakdown and promotes rumen balance and development. The product requires just one gram per calf per day mixed with milk or water. “One of the bonuses with using Calf Xtreme is being able to put the calves on once-a-day feeding from two days old and it doesn’t affect how much they drink and their weight gain. The workload is way easier and they drink more than they used to on twice a day. The calves are drinking 5-6 litres a day on once a day after ten days. On twice a day it was four litres a day. We have hardly any calf disease issues at all, calf scours has disappeared and their transition onto grass is perfect,” says Tim. Bill Quin and Tim inspecting the soil on farm. ¤bĚŸÈĭ ǗłƧĭ ƍƛłLĐ ƀb L¤ ƛ¤bÈƀ ƧĚĚ ŸłƛbĭƛÈ Ě Ձƛɴʇ̓ ̥Ʉ΄˧ʳ͔ͣʇ˧˗ʇ̓Ʉȳ ːΖ Lǹʳɥ ̥Ʉǹ̥ʇ˗ɪԋ NJɄ ͣ̓Ʉȳ ͔˧ ɥɄɄȳ ˧̥ͣ ċɄ̥̓ɄΖ ɴɄʇɥɄ̥̓ Ӫ ʳʇ͔̥Ʉ̓ ͔ΈʇȧɄ ǹ ȳǹΖՐ Lɴǹ˗ɪɄȳ ͔˧ Ӯ ˧̥ Ӱ ʳʇ͔̥Ʉ̓ ˧˗ȧɄ ǹ ȳǹΖ ԫ ȠɄ͔͔Ʉ̥ ɴɄǹʳ͔ɴ ǹ˗ȳ ɪɄ͔͔ʇ˗ɪ ͔ɴɄː ͔˧ өӨӨ lzɪ̓ ǹ ː˧˗͔ɴ Ʉǹ̥ʳʇɄ̥ԋԋ Ձ ԫ łƀ ĭÈL ƀĥbƀ ƛÈĥ ƀ ĭƍbĭ ΈΈΈՐ̛̥˧Ƞʇ˧͔ʇḁ̇Ʉ΄˧ʳ͔ͣʇ˧˗Րȧ˧Ր˗Ω ĥǹ͔͔ ӨӪө ӪӬӭ өӱөӬ Lɴ̥ʇ̓ ӨӪӱ ӭӮӳ өӨӰө =?<; Increasing numbers of farmers are turning to high-strength probiotics to boost calf health and accelerate growth. Probiotic Revolution has played a key role in this, advocating for Calf Xtreme to prevent health issues and support strong daily liveweight gains from birth to weaning. Calf numbers under their program have surged from 22,000 in 2017 to approximately 120,000. Organic Farmers See Dramatic Improvements Tim and Sandie Fransen, from Te Awamutu, previously fed their Jersey calves 2 litres twice a day. In 2019, Sandie’s father, Don Schimanski, recommended switching to Calf Xtreme and increasing milk intake to 5 litres once daily. “The first year, we still fed twice daily for the first week, but Don insisted it wasn’t necessary,” Tim recalls. “Now, we give them 5–6 litres once a day with no issues. As organic farmers, we can’t vaccinate for rotavirus, but since using Calf Xtreme, sick calf numbers have dropped dramatically. Out of 70 calves, only one or two get sick, and they reach 100 kg a month earlier. Everyone should be using this.” Chris Collier of Probiotic Revolution explains that allowing calves to drink to capacity once a day by day 10 is crucial. When milk spills into the rumen, the probiotics aid digestion of meal, hay, and grass, ensuring hard feed intake remains high. This approach prevents any post-weaning growth setbacks. Large-Scale Farmers Achieve High Growth Rates For larger-scale calf rearers, maintaining high growth rates can be challenging. However, Southland dairy farmers Brooke and Blair McKenzie, who rear 800 calves near Kapuka, have seen exceptional results. Last spring, they experienced only two unexplained deaths after leaving the rearing shed. Their Friesian calves grew at an average of 1 kg per day from birth to Christmas. They now feed 7–8 litres once a day by day 10, instead of 3 litres twice daily, which has significantly increased hay consumption by 3 weeks of age. Half their cows receive rotavirus vaccinations, with their milk reserved for gold colostrum feeding. However, given the scale of their operation, they still face some rotavirus challenges and diarrhoea after disbudding. To manage this, they strengthen immunity by feeding Calf Xtreme daily, increasing the dose three to four-fold during outbreaks, alongside other health measures. Brooke highlights the impact of nutrition on their success: "With faster growth and improved immunity from Calf Xtreme, our calves are much better equipped to handle rotavirus." Organic Farmers Lead the Way in Revolutionizing Calf Rearing For their springer mob, the Fransens use Superstart Lead Feed to help cows transition to milk production and Tim says animal health problems have reduced, their somatic cell count this year is the lowest it’s ever been and they have hardly any down cows any more. “Mastitis is one of our most expensive animal health issues so anything that reduces that more than pays for itself. Last year we were picking up mastitis cases right through milking when we were twice a day. This year the somatic cell count is 10% lower than last year on once a day and compared to when we were on twice a day it would be 40% down.” The Fransens have are also enjoying the benefits of new pasture management techniques since converting to organics. “We put grass seed on (21 species) leave it for three months to establish and go to seed then defer graze it,” says Tim. “Every year that’s been the best paddock on the farm when it comes springtime. It’s also low work – we spin the grass seed on, the cows go in to trample it in, then ten days later we put the cows in again to nip all the current species of grasses that are in there then we shut the gate to the paddock for at least three months. Then we strip graze it and let it come back again and it’s away. The deeper rooting species have helped us during drought and when it rains it comes back again quickly.” The Fransens are part of Fonterra’s Organics programme, receiving premium rates for their certified organic milk, and Tim is the current chair of the Organic Dairy and Pastoral Group. “We’re still early in the organics journey so we are coming up with new ideas and picking up on the ones that really work for us,” says Tim. “We now aim to increase production by fine tuning.”
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