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Select your animal to get dedicated rearing advice, recommended products, feeding guides and health information.
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COMMON FAQs
General questions about our products and how to use them. For species-specific advice, select your animal above.
Understanding Milk Replacers
A blended milk substitute reconstituted with water to feed young animals. It supports rumen development and provides the nutrition needed for optimum health and growth through the rearing period.
Different products meet different rearing needs — from day 4 through to finishing. Whether you're feeding from birth, switching from whole milk, fortifying, or need a product with or without a coccidiostat, there's a Milligans product to suit your system.
Both Bovatec and Coccistop are coccidiostats — added to calf milk replacer to help manage coccidiosis, a common and costly condition in young calves.
Bovatec (Lasalocid) is the more widely used option in New Zealand and has a long track record in calf rearing. It also has a secondary benefit of supporting feed efficiency and growth. Most Milligans products containing a coccidiostat use Bovatec — not because Coccistop isn't effective, but because Bovatec supply is more consistent and reliable, which matters when you're planning a season.
The one thing to be aware of with Bovatec is that it is toxic to horses and dogs. This isn't a reason to avoid it — it simply means taking care with storage and ensuring it isn't accessible to other animals on the property. Read the label and follow the handling instructions.
Coccistop (Decoquinate) works at a different stage of the coccidia life cycle and is the preferred option where horses or dogs have regular access to calf feeding areas. Milligans Classic CMR is available with Coccistop for operations where this is a consideration.
Whole milk is roughly 80% casein protein. In the abomasum, it slows digestion and allows steady nutrient release over up to 7 hours. It keeps animals fuller for longer and closely mimics the behaviour of whole milk.
Whey is the by-product of cheese making. It passes to the small intestine and is absorbed faster, in around 3 hours. The animal can feel hungry sooner, so early and consistent meal feeding is critical with whey-based formulas.
Both are equally effective for growth — they just work differently. The right choice depends on species, age and your rearing system. Call us on 0800 STOCKFEED if you're unsure which suits your setup.
Fed from day 4 to weaning, a calf typically uses 1.5–2 bags depending on your system and feeding rate.
At the recommended twice-daily rate of 125g per litre, a 20kg bag makes 160 litres.
Mixing and Feeding
Warm water (38–40°C) ensures the powder dissolves fully. Cold water means incomplete mixing, and cold milk can bypass the abomasum and enter the rumen — causing real health problems.
Add powder to water — not water to powder. Mix at 38–40°C until completely dissolved.
Twice daily for the first two to four weeks — morning and evening with approximately 8 hours between feeds. Research consistently shows better outcomes with twice-daily feeding in the early weeks.
Mix CMR as per instructions then combine with whole milk at a 1:1 ratio. For OAD systems, add CMR powder directly to whole milk at 125g per litre.
Never — always at least 4 hours apart. Electrolytes interfere with the milk clotting process in the abomasum.
No — mix and feed immediately every time. For automatic feeders, refrigerate and use within 24 hours. Reheat to 38–40°C before feeding.
Choosing the Right Product
The Milligans brand is our premium range with the most refined formulation. The GO Range offers reliable nutrition at a more accessible price. Both are produced at the same Oamaru facility to the same quality standard.
Classic CMR or ExcelPlus CMR. Classic has 35 years of proven results. ExcelPlus adds our immune and growth health package for farmers making a serious investment in replacement genetics.
GOlamb Whey is our dedicated lamb formula for NZ conditions. Milligans MMR is the practical choice for mixed-species operations.
Yes — Milligans MMR and GOmulti are formulated for multi-species use across lambs, goat kids, foals, fawns, piglets, cria, pups and kittens.
Both work well. Whole milk carries disease transfer risk — including Mycoplasma bovis — and variable quality. Milk replacers provide consistent nutrition and no disease transfer risk. Many operations use both — GOcalf Boost is well suited to operations where some whole milk or colostrum is available.
You can find our range of products through our key distributor network throughout new Zealand via Farmlands nationwide, Ruralco, Clarkes Seed and Feed Southland, leading rural merchant stores and vets nation wide.
Articles & Updates
Practical notes, product updates and seasonal advice from the Milligans team. Browse articles for extra guidance on animal rearing, feeding decisions and common issues on farm.
Downloads & Resources
Your go-to for everything Milligans. Whether you're looking for a product spec sheet, a rearing guide, mixing and feeding rates for a specific animal, or just want to keep a reference handy in the shed — it's all here. Updated regularly and free to download.
When Things Aren't Going Right
If your calves are scouring, your lambs aren't thriving, or something just doesn't seem right — start here before you do anything else.
In our experience, when young animals are struggling the answer is almost always found in one of a handful of places: colostrum management in the first hours, mixing temperature, feeding consistency, shed hygiene, or the transition to dry feed. These are the variables that change from farm to farm and shed to shed — and they're the ones that make the biggest difference. A lot of the time, the answer is common sense once you know what to look for.
The product is rarely where the problem starts. Every bag of Milligans that leaves Oamaru is batch tested against specification. But even the best product in the world can't compensate for a cold mix, a dirty teat, or a calf that didn't get adequate colostrum in the first four hours.
Before you do anything else, check the basics. Our animal pages walk through the most common causes for each species — start there.
And if you've worked through it and still can't find the answer, send us a message in the contact form or give us a call. Tell us what you're rearing, what product you're using, what your system looks like and what you're seeing. We'll work through it with you.
Still Have Questions?
Our team has decades of experience in animal nutrition and are happy to help you find the right product for your operation.