Ethan Keena runs a mixed dairy and sheep farm near Ballycumber in Co. Offaly. Between calving and lambing, spring is a relentless stretch where labour and time are always under pressure.
With calves purchased in as well as home-bred, the disease risk is higher than on a closed herd. This spring, Ethan added BioBalance to the calf-rearing routine. As someone who describes himself as “not afraid to chop and change” — and equally happy to say when something doesn’t work — he’s clear on the result: it did the job.
More Vigorous Calves From the Start
The first thing Ethan noticed was the change in appetite and energy. “We felt the BioBalance made them more vigorous. They were more curious to drink, to nibble at other forages,” he says. “In the past we had a big issue with scour. With BioBalance we felt the calves were more eager to come and drink more, and more eager to eat forages and ruminate.”
For a farm that weans calves on weight, that eagerness to eat solid feed early is critical. “The second they can start eating, that means their stomachs are starting to develop,” Ethan explains. Getting calves ruminating sooner means hitting weaning targets sooner — and with little or no setbacks along the way.
Double Rate for Setbacks — and Calves Bounced Back
The last few springs have been brutal on young calves, and Ethan’s yard is particularly exposed. “That March period, regardless of how big, how strong that calf is, he’s so susceptible to setbacks. The cold weather and the cold nights that come in. The easterly wind we find comes into our yard and causes hell.”
When calves did pick up a chill, the response was straightforward: BioBalance at double the normal rate for four or five days. “We’ve seen a bounce — no electrolytes needed, no injections, no antibiotics, no veterinary bills,” Ethan says. “The calves automatically changed back.”
The stakes are high when disease takes hold — especially with purchased-in calves bringing different disease profiles into the shed. “If you get one setback in a calf, it’s desolation. It runs through the whole shed in minutes, never mind days. It’s across the shed, it’s so virulent.” One setback, Ethan reckons, “could be worth two weeks.” Having BioBalance on standby changed that dynamic entirely. “Any time a calf got a chill or anything, we had it on standby. You’d lash it in, and we found BioBalance got it sorted.”
Less Intervention, More Prevention
For Ethan, the principle is simple. “Less intervention and more prevention. And that’s what we found with BioBalance so far this spring.”
The labour saving alone justifies it. “We have a few extra labour units on farm, but no one wants to do the hard work of calves,” Ethan says. “You’re too busy calving cows, you’re too busy. Ultimately with these springs, trying to get the grass going, lambing sheep, chasing sheep — we’re all busy. Every farm is the same — the big hidden problem in this country at the moment is labour. So why try to create more hassle for ourselves?”
Ethan is upfront about the scepticism that comes with any new product. “There is definitely a sceptical side of it. You have to look and you have to say, well, we tried it. It worked for us. And I’d be happy to say if it didn’t work. We’re willing to try anything here.”
He sees BioBalance as complementing what the farm already does well. “Yes, we are vaccinating for IBR and PI-3, which is great. But with the cold springs, this does what it says, it definitely is an option to keep calves ruminating and growing away.”
Calves Standing Even Across the Group
By the end of the spring, the results were visible in the consistency of the group. “Every calf seems to have passed through at the same stage, standing fine with little or no setbacks. Some of the youngest calves are standing there, and I think they blend in well with the oldest of the calves.”
That uniformity — youngest calves blending in with the oldest — is the mark of a spring with no major setbacks holding performance back.
Ethan is pragmatic about it: “I’m a firm believer — on farm is the best way to try out any product. We tried it this year. It worked well. I don’t see the need to change what’s worked for us.”
To find out how BioBalance can support your calf-rearing programme, visit the full product range or get in touch with the Natural Stockcare team.
