What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Calf to Cow Consultancy

Home
United Kingdom
Lancaster
Calf to Cow Consultancy

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Calf to Cow Consultancy, Nutritionist, Lancaster.

Guiding farms to EXCEL from Calf to Cow 🚀

Offering bespoke, industry-leading, independent nutrition & management advice 🐮

Serving North & Central UK👩🏻‍💼
(online consultancy also available)

Building Better Businesses - One calf at a time

15/11/2025

Do you allow calves to suckle the dam after calving?

What could be the implications?

🍼 Unknown Colostrum Intake
You never know what a calf has had if you leave it to suckle. Calves left on the dam are 2.4X more likely to receive insufficient antibodies, and suffer from failure of passive transfer.

🍼 Reduced Colostrum Volume/Quality
Leaving a calf on the cow means the colostrum you do take off the cow later will not be as good, or there will not be much of it. If the calf hasn’t received sufficient antibodies when sucking, topping it up will be more difficult.

🍼 Transmission of Disease
Calves are more likely to ingest pathogens that cause sickness and disease, as the cow’s udder is not sterile. Certain diseases can also pass through colostrum, so if they are an issue on your farm, you may need to look at pasteurisation or colostrum replacers.

🍼 Increased Risk of Mortality
Not only does colostrum provide antibodies, it offers the calf essential energy. If calves are deficient in antibodies and have not received enough colostrum to support maintenance, thermoregulation, and immunity, the likelihood of mortality is greater.

🍼 Increased Stress
Leaving the calf on the cow for longer may make separation more stressful for both parties, as the bond between cow and calf is stronger.

I normally advise that farms remove the calf once it has been licked. This allows enough time for the dam to calm down and release milk, and is soon enough that the calf doesn’t remain in a contaminated environment for a prolonged period of time.

If you would like some guidance on how best to optimise your calf rearing system, I have some availability for online consultancy or on-farm visits in 2025! 😊

14/11/2025

✨ FUN FACT FRIDAY ✨

Did you know that your calves can smell you long before they ever see you?

Calves rely heavily on scent for communication, comfort, and safety. Their world is built on sensory cues. While we often focus on nutrition, hygiene, and housing, we sometimes forget just how powerful smell is in shaping calf behaviour and welfare.

Here’s why this matters on farm:

👃 Scent helps calves recognise you.

Calves quickly learn the smell of the people who feed, handle, and care for them. Positive, consistent interactions build trust and confidence which can reduce stress during handling.

🐄 Stress has a smell too.

Calves can pick up on the scent of stress hormones from both humans and other animals. Calm, patient handling isn’t just kind, it genuinely changes how calves respond.

🌾 Smell influences feed intake directly.

Calves use scent to judge the freshness and palatability of starter. Clean buckets and fresh feed encourage stronger, earlier intake.

💪 Supports better growth and immunity.

When calves feel calm, they invest energy into development, weight gain, and immune strength rather than burning it on stress.

🥛 Consistency boosts performance.

A calm, predictable routine reduces adrenaline spikes which can interfere with digestion, immune function, and growth. Quiet handling, steady movements, and the same people doing key tasks make a measurable difference.

How incredible is this? 🤩

Calves’ olfactory bulbs are highly developed, meaning smell plays a much bigger role for them than it does for us. They use it to identify milk, detect illness in pen-mates, and recognise environmental changes long before humans do.

So next time you walk into the shed, remember…

Your calves knew you were coming 😎

12/11/2025

Enjoyed being back at yesterday! 🐮

Always love a talk about colostrum 🍼🌟

Considering all we do as an industry is talk about the importance of colostrum, the Q’s, and the impacts of either failure or success of passive transfer - why are we still getting it wrong?

If you’re looking for some guidance on improving calf health and productivity, I have available spaces for on-farm visits and online consultancy 😎

11/11/2025

These pesky flies 🤦🏻‍♀️

Still battling flies in November? You’re not alone 🪰

Mild autumn temperatures have allowed fly populations to persist much later than usual this year. While we typically expect pressure to drop off by October, warm and damp conditions have extended breeding cycles, meaning continued irritation, disease transmission, and stress for calves.

The two most common fly species found on UK livestock farms are house flies and stable flies. Both can cause painful bites, leading to restlessness, reduced lying time, and poorer growth rates. Calves are also less likely to eat feed that’s contaminated with flies, so even low levels can affect performance.

Flies begin breeding as early as March, and one adult fly can lay up to 1,000 eggs in its lifetime. In just one month, a single fly population can multiply from 1 to 1 billion, highlighting how quickly an issue can get out of control if not tackled early.

Telling signs of fly burden in calves:

🐄 Calves bunching head-to-head or standing close together
🐄 Stomping, kicking, or swishing tails constantly
🐄 Restlessness and reduced lying time
🐄 Calves appearing dull or not growing as well as expected

Flies aren’t just a nuisance; they spread bacteria that contribute to navel infections, pink eye, and scour, and infestations can reduce growth rates by up to 19%.

Until we get consistent frosts, it’s worth maintaining control by:

🪣 Keeping bedding dry
🧹 Mucking pens out frequently
🌿 Using garlic supplements (for non-lactating animals)
💨 Improving ventilation to reduce moisture
🍽️ Removing feed waste promptly
⚡️ Using approved sprays, tapes, or traps around calf housing

Looking ahead, consider preventative measures for next season such as Parasitic Wasps or Larvicides to reduce the burden early on.

Consistent fly control isn’t just about comfort, it’s essential for maintaining calf health, feed efficiency, and growth rates throughout the rearing period.

09/11/2025

Remembrance Sunday is a moment to stop, breathe, and truly feel the weight of gratitude. It’s easy to rush through life, but today reminds us that the peace and freedom we often take for granted came at an unimaginable cost.

We remember the soldiers who never made it home, the families who carried the pain of loss, and the communities forever changed. Their strength echoes through generations as a reminder of courage, love, and resilience even in the darkest times.

We honour those who gave everything - their youth, their dreams, their lives, so that others might have a future. We stand in silence not only for the fallen, but for all who endured the scars of war and carried its memories long after the guns fell silent.

Their legacy is one of service, selflessness, and hope. Let us carry that forward, choosing kindness over hate, peace over conflict, and unity over division. May we never forget their sacrifice, and may we live each day with the same bravery they showed.

They gave their tomorrow for our today. We will remember them. 🕯️

Lest we forget. 🌹

04/11/2025

Let’s talk about Crypto…

Cryptosporidium is one of the most aggressive causes of diarrhoea in young calves, and once it gets into a shed… it spreads like wildfire.

It’s stubborn, it survives in the environment for months, and most disinfectants don’t even touch it.

This is why prevention isn’t optional - it’s essential.

What actually works?
✨ Gold-standard colostrum management
✨ Excellent nutrition
✨ Spotless calving pens (it starts at birth)
✨ Clean, dry calf pens between batches
✨ All-in, all-out rearing (no mixing ages)
✨ Disinfectants proven to kill crypto
✨ Good drainage + deep, clean bedding
✨ Isolate scouring calves fast
✨ Staff hygiene

Crypto doesn’t just cause scour, it damages the gut, knocks growth, and steals future performance.

If you need some guidance with Cryptosporidium this winter, comment “CRYPTO” below 👇🏻

28/10/2025

Heifers’ feet deserve more attention 🐄✨

We talk a lot about nutrition, growth rates and breeding targets, but how often do we really think about hoof health in our replacements?

A recent survey found that:
🚫 38% of farms never footbath heifers before calving
🚫 38% never mobility score heifers
🚫 Many don’t routinely check hoof condition at all

The truth is: sound feet = smooth transitions.

Heifers entering the milking herd are under pressure - new environment, new routines, and the stress of finding their place in the pecking order. Any weakness in mobility can knock confidence, feed intake, and long-term performance.

✅ Start footbathing heifers regularly pre-calving
✅ Lift feet when heifers are handled
✅ Acclimatise heifers to the milking herd environment
✅ Check and trim all heifers once they enter the transition group
✅ Don’t wait until they’re lame - prevent it before it starts

Let’s raise the standard for the next generation of cows 👣💚

Do you routinely check your heifers feet? Let me know below!👇🏻

23/10/2025

I’ve worked with numerous Jersey herds over the years, and the common question has been “should we treat them differently to other dairy breeds?”.

My answer is “yes, slightly…”.

At the end of the day, a calf is a calf. They have fundamental requirements to grow and thrive, but as we know, every farm is different and every herd is different.

Here are a few of the differences we must consider…

⭐️ Colostrum Management ⭐️

1) Jersey calves are smaller, so colostrum volumes and quality should be adjusted based on bodyweight rather than giving the same fixed amount as Holsteins.

2) Jerseys often have higher serum IgG concentrations after feeding because of their smaller plasma volume, but failure of passive transfer can still occur if the Q’s are inadequate.

🧬 Bodyweight & Growth Targets 🧬

1) Jerseys have a lower mature bodyweight, so their growth targets should be breed-specific.

2) Feeding to achieve the same absolute growth rates as Holsteins is unrealistic. You want to aim for proportional growth, not identical kg gains.

🍼 Milk Feeding 🍼

1) Jerseys have a higher metabolic rate and less body fat, making them more sensitive to energy deficits.

2) They require higher energy density relative to size. This means more milk solids per kg bodyweight.

🔥Thermoregulation🔥

1) Jerseys are more vulnerable to cold stress because of their smaller body size and thinner fat layer.

2) Provide extra bedding, calf jackets, and draft-free housing in cold weather.

If you’re rearing Jerseys, or both Jerseys and a larger dairy breed, and are needing some guidance - drop me a message saying “Jersey” and let’s build a plan together ☺️✨

22/10/2025

Here are my current packages available to farms: Dairy, Beef or Calf Rearers 🐮

What results will you get from these packages? 📈

Clients I have worked with have seen most, if not all, of the following:

✅ Improvements in daily liveweight gain
✅ Increases in calf health and vigor
✅ Reductions in antibiotic usage
✅ Lower mortality and morbidity
✅ More money at market
✅ A reduced AFC
✅ Improved fertility
✅ Stronger, larger heifers at calving
✅ More milk once in lactation
✅ Lower beef finishing age

If you’re looking for a nutritionist who has your stock’s best interest at heart - look no further ☺️

Offering independent nutrition and consultancy advice, to help your calves EXCEL 🚀

21/10/2025

Coarse Mix vs. Nuts – The Science Behind Calf Starter Choice 🌾🐮

Getting calves eating early is one of the most important steps in rearing. Starter feed doesn’t just supply protein and energy – it drives rumen development through fermentation.

The type of feed we offer (coarse mix vs. nuts) has a big impact on this process.

Coarse Mix:

1) Palatability: The sweet smell, visible grains, and textured appearance can encourage calves to start nibbling earlier (though the appearance is actually more for the farmer!).

2) Behaviour: Stimulates natural foraging and helps calves “explore” feed.

3) Limitation: Calves can selectively eat the “tasty” ingredients and leave behind other raw materials, such as protein/mineral-rich components. This leads to imbalanced nutrient intake.

Because intakes are inconsistent, rumen development and calf growth can be hindered.

Nuts/Pellets:

1) Consistency: Every bite contains the same formulation, guaranteeing a balance of starch, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

2) Performance: Leads to more uniform fermentation and higher butyrate production, which promotes faster rumen papillae growth.

3) Practicality: Less wastage, easier storage, and better results when aiming for consistent growth rates.

4) Limitation: Calves sometimes take a few extra days to start nibbling compared with a coarse mix, since pellets lack the “sweet shop” appeal.

Which is better? ⚖️

Though coarse mixes covered in molasses may encourage earlier eating, nuts deliver more consistent nutrient intake, leading to better support for rumen development and more reliable growth rates post-weaning.

Keeping feed consistent is key for calf development and calf health, but also for consistency within groups. Usually, if feeding a coarse mix or a blend to calves, you will notice size differences within the batch as the weeks go on.

What do you feed to your calves? 🤠👇🏻

17/10/2025

Raising Resilient Heifers with Calf to Cow Consultancy 🐮

Over the years, I’ve had a keen interest in maximising health, naturally, and limiting challenge on farm.

Offering experience with different essential oil and probiotic products, I have implemented evidence-based and farm-approved supplements to customer farms with great success.

Though fundamental improvements in immunity, growth, and development comes through optimising nutrition pre- and post-weaning, and excellent stock management, natural alternatives can play a role in supporting calves when challenges are high.

If you have any questions about we can support your calves to achieve above-average performance, drop me a message 🙂

Address

Lancaster

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://calftocowconsultancy.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Calf to Cow Consultancy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Lancaster?