For Southland farmers Alister and Teegan Hall, calf rearing comes with the pressures familiar to most dairy operations — scours, nutritional transitions, and the ongoing task of keeping young stock healthy without running up labour costs. Over the past two seasons, Calf Renova boluses by TechMix have become a fixed part of how they manage those challenges across their 460 heifer replacements.
Their World Wide Sires New Zealand rep, John Bonnatyne, first introduced them to the product. After hearing how it worked, the Halls felt it suited their system and decided to give it a go.
How the Halls use Calf Renova on farm
Boluses are administered as a blanket treatment at three days of age, giving calves additional immune support at a point when it matters most. The Halls also reach for Calf Renova when calves are moving from whole milk to milk powder and onto calf meal, a transition period that commonly triggers nutritional scour outbreaks.
“We noticed calves bounced back faster and didn’t lose as much appetite,” Alister says.
Ease of administration has been a practical advantage. Alongside that, a reduction in electrolyte use over the past two seasons has meant less time and labour spent on treatment.
What Calf Renova does
Newborn calves arrive with an underdeveloped immune system, making the first weeks of life a vulnerable period. Microbial imbalances in the gut can develop quickly, and once scours take hold, calves lose condition, appetite, and growth momentum fast. Animal health supplements play a meaningful role in closing that vulnerability window — supporting the conditions calves need rather than waiting for problems to treat.
Calf Renova works by restoring balance to the gut environment. It feeds beneficial bacteria, regulates microbial activity, and delivers an antioxidant component that helps manage oxidative stress during illness and nutritional transition. For farmers reducing antibiotic reliance, it offers a practical alternative within their calf rearing programme.
The transition from whole milk to milk powder and calf meal is a high-risk window for nutritional scours. Used at this stage, Calf Renova helps calves maintain appetite and recover more reliably.
A staple in their operation
The Halls describe Calf Renova as a staple in their calf rearing system — not something they reach for occasionally, but a standard part of the process. For a farm managing hundreds of heifer replacements each season, having an animal health supplement that delivers consistent results and reduces treatment labour carries real weight.
Farmers interested in learning more about Calf Renova can speak with their local WWS rep or visit the TechMix Global website.
Which animal health supplement is right for me?
Calf Renova by TechMix
A bolus administered in the first days of life to support gut microflora, feed beneficial bacteria, and provide antioxidant support. Used as an antibiotic alternative for managing scours and nutritional transition.
DanCalf Gold by Nutritech
A comprehensive nutritional supplement combining live yeast with vitamins, minerals, probiotics, prebiotics, and an optional coccidiostat. It covers multiple bases for calf health and recovery, added to milk feeds daily during the first 30–40 days of life. Nutritech
Vitalise by CP Lime
A pelletised mineral supplement designed to support herd health through calving season. Its pellet form ensures accurate dosing, reduces waste, and integrates into in-shed feeding systems.
Multimin
An injectable supplement containing copper, selenium, manganese, and zinc, with a copper-free option available. Trial results have shown improvements in in-calf rates and conception timing
OptiCalf by BPM NZ
A zeolite-based system providing a natural toxin binder to reduce harmful bacteria alongside a high-quality probiotic to promote beneficial bacteria. Calves self-regulate their intake, consuming what they need from paddock troughs.