Donald's Farm NZYF

17/08/2025

🐄 Tilly the Calf – Update 🐄
We are so pleased to let you know that Tilly’s leg is healing really well! 💚

After plenty of bandage changes, antibiotics, and extra cuddles, she is almost back to full health.
It won’t be long before she is back out in the paddock, kicking up her heels with her friends!

15/08/2025

Fencing 101 💪🌾 Some of our students on the Intro to Ag course had a go at repairing and tidying up an old fence line this week — and they did an awesome job of it!

Great to see them getting hands-on experience and building skills they will use for years to come.

📸 (We will share a photo of the finished fence soon!)

12/08/2025

This old FIL - Farmers Industries Limited drum has found new life as a hay feeder for our calves. Only thing we would change next time? Make the holes a bit smaller!

The lid lets us fit a whole conventional bale of hay inside, but still keeps it dry when we move the calves outdoors.

Always love a good bit of farm recycling 🙌

11/08/2025

Weigh day for our calves this week! 🐄💉
We vaccinated and weighed them using our Gallagher weigh scales — big thanks to Gallagher Animal Management for sponsoring this awesome bit of kit. It’s amazing what you can throw together with a few pallets, some screws, and good old farm ingenuity.

Our makeshift weighing race did the trick nicely! 💪

05/08/2025

🐄 Meet the Calf Club Crew! 🐄
Here is a snap of (most of) our awesome Calf Club kids—there are a couple missing, but we will catch them next time!

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing a profile on each of these young legends and their calves. Keep an eye out to learn more about the special bond they are building and the mahi they are putting in behind the scenes.

We are so proud of their dedication and can’t wait to showcase their journeys!

04/08/2025

We had a bit of a whoopsie in the cowshed over the weekend – because of course, these things always happen on the weekend!

The sediment trap on the airline decided to give up and took a bit of a fall, smashing into pieces. Thankfully, a trusty bit of superglue has held things together for now until a replacement arrives. Just another day on the farm – always something keeping us on our toes!

31/07/2025

🐄 Delivery day on the farm! 📦
We have just had our Ancalf milk powder dropped off, thanks to our awesome sponsor NZAgbiz.

This milk powder helps support our calves during those early, important stages—and we are grateful to have the backing of businesses who care about the next generation of dairy cows just as much as we do!

Thanks NZAgBiz! 👏

28/07/2025

🎥 Behind the scenes at Donald’s Farm!
Here is a little peek into our setup using the awesome Milk Bar calf feeders 🐄💧

We are proud to partner with Milkbar, whose products make feeding time smoother and more natural for our calves. Their innovative design helps promote healthy drinking habits and happy calves—exactly what we want for our herd!

Thanks to Milkbar for supporting the next generation of farmers and animals. 💚

24/07/2025

🥛 Ever seen the inside of a milk vat?

Take a peek inside ours! 👀
That paddle in the middle is called an agitator—it slowly turns to keep the milk stirred and at just the right temperature (between 4–6°C, just like your fridge at home!) until pickup. It also helps stop the cream from settling on top.

A small but super important part of getting fresh milk from our farm to your fridge! 🐄🚛

📹 Want to see a video of it in action? Let us know!

23/07/2025

💗 Pretty in Pink – and Brave as Ever 🐄

This little shorthorn heifer got herself into a bit of mischief and ended up with an injured leg. After a visit from the vet and a bright pink bandage to match her big personality, she’s now resting up in our cosy sick bay.

She’s already winning hearts with her resilience (and that adorable pink bandage 💕). We will be giving her all the TLC she needs—and maybe a few extra scratches behind the ears too.

Send her some love 💌

21/07/2025

King of the Castle! 👑
With a fresh bucket load of wood chip in their pen, the calves had a blast playing King of the Castle! It’s always great to see them enjoying their space and making the most of the little things.

21/07/2025