By Bonanza • 25th Feb 26

Bonanza in the news – Transformula delivers on large UK Dairy farm

As featured in The Irish Independent Farming Supplement 17/02/26

Stowell Farms, located in Pewsey, Wiltshire, is a forward-thinking 3,500-acre enterprise comprising dairy, sheep, arable operations, and an anaerobic digestion plant. With 790 Holstein cows milked through 12 Lely A5 robots, the herd averages an impressive 12,400 litres of milk/cow/year, at 3.95% butterfat and 3.2% protein.

Operating an all-year-round calving system, the farm rears around 800 calves annually, 350 replacements and surplus heifers, along with 450 beef calves. The commitment to rearing strong, healthy youngstock is evident in both the system and the nutrition they choose to feed. Colostrum management is stringent, with every calf receiving 4L of high-quality colostrum (Brix >24%) within 4 hours of birth, followed by 2-3 feeds of natural transition milk before moving onto Bonanza Calf Nutrition’s Transformula.

Amber Broadway of Bonanza Calf Nutrition says, “Transformula helps to support a healthy microbiome, laying the foundation for strong, resilient calves.”

“Transition milk, produced between colostrum and whole milk after calving, is packed with vital nutrients and bioactive components that are essential for a calf’s early development. In those critical first days/weeks, a newborn calf’s digestive system is extremely limited, and providing the wrong nutrition can hinder gut development, energy absorption, and immune function. Transformula was developed to replace or extend transition milk feeding when on-farm options aren’t feasible due to factors such as disease risk, limited supply, or storage constraints.”

“Transformula is a quality product that shows through in calf growth and health. Financially, the calves are the next generation, and for them to achieve their genetic potential, we need to give them the best start in life, and Transformula gives them just that,” says Herd Manager, Chris Gowen.

All calves are reared in individual hutches for 7-10 days and receive 6L/day of Transformula at a 12.5% concentration. From there, they move on to two automatic calf feeders (installed 16 months ago), staying on Transformula for an additional three weeks. By day 21, calf milk intake increases to 7.5L/day.

Managing such high numbers brings its challenges. Cryptosporidiosis has been a concern, but Stowell Farms has seen a reduction in rates since implementing a new hygiene protocol around the calves. “Due to the large volume of calves entering the system, Cryptosporidiosis has always been a challenge,” Chris adds. “We aim to prevent any calf getting scour but, if they do, we have found that feeding Transformula helps them bounce back quicker as their gut health is better. In addition, the severity and recovery time are reduced.”

“Since feeding Transformula, our calf mortality rate has halved, from 7% to 3.5%.” After Transformula, calves move onto Shine Advance, also supplied by Bonanza Calf Nutrition. Weaning begins at 56 days, with milk fully withdrawn by day 64. Beef calves follow a similar feeding protocol, receiving Transformula for 3 weeks before being transitioned onto Shine Advance, and are sold to local buyers at 4-5weeks of age.

Calf rearer Nick Strong, with over 40 years of experience rearing calves at Stowell, notes that the automatic feeders have freed up time to focus on monitoring calf health and performance, while the calves themselves are noticeably stronger and healthier. Since feeding Transformula and Shine Advance, the Stowell team has seen significant improvements in calf health and performance. “We’re seeing better, stronger, and healthier heifers enter the milking herd, which are achieving 12,500-13,000 litres in 305 days and lasting 12-15 months in their first lactation,” Chris concludes.

For Stowell Farms, the combination of Transformula and Shine Advance has elevated calf health, improved mortality rates, and ensured that the next generation of Serena Holsteins achieve the very best start in life.