A calf is born with not natural immunity from disease and feeding at least 2 litres of colostrum within the frist 6 hours of life allows the natural antibodies of the mother to enter the calf`s system. Its own defence system develops over the following weeks.

Where natural milk is not available a milk replacer will provide all the nutritional requirements and the correct vitamins and minerals to meet the daily requirements of the growing calf.

Offer daily fresh concentrates and roughage from 4-7 days of age to encourage rumen development.

Once a calf has doubled its birth weight, typically at 6-8 weeks of age and is eating 1.5-2 kg of concentrate per day of larger breeds and proportionately less for smaller breeds, like Jersey`s.

Badminton Calf Rearer 16 Coarse Mix is ideal for growing cattle from weaning to 6 months of age at 2-3 kg/head/day, depending on breed with ad lib forage or straw in conjunction with clean fresh water. At 6 months of age move to Badminton Country Mix through to maturity.

The diet of a dairy cow should be based on ad lib good quality forage with the addition of 0.35kg of Badminton Country Mix for every litre of milk produced. When not in milk production, there is generally no need to feed a supplementary concentrate which should only be reintroduced during the last 3-4 weeks of pregnancy, up to 1kg/day depending on breed.

Traditional grass fed animals would generally only need concentrate feed if grass is limited or during the winter when conserved forage alone may not be adequate to sustain the required growth. Supplement at 0.5-1 kg of concentrate for every 100kg of live weight.

No, goats are surprisingly fickle and relish quality forage and succulent vegetation. When supplementary feed is required, this needs to be nutritious and very palatable to encourage intake. Badminton High Yield Goat Mix is designed for the purpose

Llamas and alpacas are camelids and their natural environment provides them with lower quality bulky forage. Therefore, they are happy living off medium to lower quality forage, requiring very little supplementary feeding other than when lactating. Badminton Llama & Alpaca Mix has been designed especially for them.

Modern grass seed varieties in well maintained pasture are capable of a logn and productive life. Perennial Ryegrass based seeds mixtures would have a typical commercial life of 6-8 years. However, if you experience winter poaching or drought kill, a repair/patching or reseeding will be necessary. We recommend Badminton Paddock Herbal Grass Seed Mixture.

To maximise grass growth fertilizer is generally required. This is bes applied in the early spring and after every grazing or cutting of the pasture. Typically 100-150kg/acre of a medium nitrogen level compound fertilizer, with the inclusion of phosphate and potash ie. 20-10-10 or 20-8-14 type is ideal.

Typically 150-175g/bird/day. In adverse weather conditions, add 10-15% more to provide extra energy for maintenance.

Free range birds should pick up enough grit naturally. However, supplementary grit may be of benefit to aid the break down of food to improve digestion.

Oyster Shell is an excellent source of calcium, essential in aiding the formation of strong eggshells and is of particular benefit when feeding Poultry Corn.

Egg production is influenced by day length and as daylight hours diminish in the autumn, so egg production tails off. Artificial lighting to maintain standard day length will help maintain egg production.

Sheep are probably the easiest animals to manage nutritionally and generally only require concentrate supplementation during late pregnancy, lactation or as growing lambs - such as Badminton Country Mix or Badminton Pedigree Sheep Mix, depending on whether you have a mixed farm or a more specialised sheep unit. Grass and good quality forage are normally adequate.