Testimonials

Here’s what our customers said.

Store & Thaw Reviews

We’ve been using the system for 4 years now. We test the calves blood regularly and we are getting consistently good results.

Edge Farming Co. Wimboldsley Hall Middlewich Cheshire. Richard Edge 600 cows

We have a standard procedure for all staff to follow. This gives us consistency, and the calf health has improved as a result.

RF Bugler and Partners. Pilsdon Dairy Farm Bridport Dorset. Simon Bugler 850 cows

We pasteurise all colostrum, and thaw frozen colostrum to feed within 2 hrs of birth. We have 2 tanks, one set at 60C for pasteurisation, the other set at 42C for thawing colostrum. Since focusing on colostrum management we have cut mortality. Growth rates have improved and heifers performance is better all round. Read more…

GT & LM Spence Lowfields Farm, Northallerton N.Yorks. Chris Spence 700 cows

It’s a simple system that has enabled our colostrum protocols to be implemented with ease, ensuring that all colostrum is stored in an easy hygienic way and then thawed quickly for feeding. We can be sure all our calves get the best possible start in life. Read more…

Fraser Jones Calcourt Farms Welshpool Powys. 1000 cows 450 bull beef

In 2017 we invested in a Store & Thaw colostrum management system, and started to freeze and thaw colostrum. Calf health improved but we were still struggling with Mycoplasma Bovis causing calf pneumonia. After taking veterinary advice, we decided to snatch every calf, and feed pasteurised colostrum for the first 24 hrs. We test with the Brix refractometer, and pasteurise good quality colostrum (22+) before freezing. We thaw the colostrum below 50 C and feed in the first few hours after birth. This strategy adds a few minutes a day to the routine, but is paying off in terms of improved growth rates, better calf health and less pneumonia. It’s handy to have one machine to do both pasteurisation and defrosting. It’s definitely been a good investment.

Tyler farming partnership, Calne Wiltshire. Nick Tyler 600 cows

Three years ago our mortality results were higher than desirable, with every calf receiving Halocur in an attempt to prevent scours. As a result the College introduced a number of management strategies. One of the most significant was a completely new approach to colostrum feeding.’ Rather than relying on suckling the cow, the team now ensures every calf receives 4L of colostrum within 45 mins of birth. ‘Getting enough quality colostrum into them quickly has been key’ We’re not treating calves now. We had the confidence to stop using Halocur. We’re using minimum electrolytes now. Overall Derek says the new system is a lot more sustainable. Investing in a Store & Thaw colostrum management system has been key to success. ‘It’s the best thing since the quad bike. It’s the long term benefit. The quad bike just makes life easier. The Store & Thaw does that too. ‘It’s eliminating a lot of work. It creates work collecting colostrum, but its eliminating cost and work thereafter. And it’s cheap to put in place’.

I am very happy with The Store and Thaw product. It is a simple system that has enabled our colostrum protocols to be implemented with ease ensuring that all colostrum is stored in an easy hygienic way and then thawed quickly for feeding. We can be sure all our calves get the best possible start in life” Read More…

Derek O’Donaghue, Salesian College, Pallaskenry Ireland. 300 spring calving cows

We like the simplicity of the system, and it’s much quicker and easier than before and have been using this system constantly for 5 years now

Mark Lewis (herd manager) for Henry Lewis Tack Farm, Bromyard, Hereford, 800 cows

It’s great to be able to leave it on to maintain temperature and defrost easily. The big 5 litre bags freeze flat and when we are thawing out the colostrum it reaches feeding temperature within 25 minutes.” As Johnes is at a low level, pasteurisation is not currently carried out, but as the Store &Thaw system can heat colostrum to 60C for 60 minutes, this would be possible using the existing equipment.

Vicki Sealy Chippenham, Wiltshire. 280 Cow Spring and Autumn Calving

“It’s finally made it practical to get the colostrum consistently into the calves at the right time – even at the numbers we’re feeding. “And, because the packing is flat, it heats up a lot quicker and more evenly because of the increased surface area to volume.” Read more…

Tim McCann. Nambrok, Australia 650 cows

Heatwave Milk Warmer

Having tried the ‘traditional’ block-calving method of restricted feeding with a milk trailer surrounded by teats, and also tried trough feeding, but found management difficult as calves either drank too much in one feed, or too little. Finally, we settled for a more ‘natural’, ad lib system where the calves take warm milk, ‘little and often’ as they would on the cow. Our results for 2017 were very impressive; 475 calves born and 473 reared, with only one treated for scour. Read more…

Nick Davies, Llandrindod Wells. 475 Cows Block Calving Herd

The heatwave is a fantastic product and it has completely changed the way I farm. Everywhere I go I recommend it to other farmers! Simple, affordable an asset that should be on every calf rearer’s farm. Well done

Chris Corrie Drumeague, Bailieborough, Co. Cavan, Ireland.

I would like to say how well we are getting on with your feeder. It’s a trouble free feeder that rears very healthy calves. Our calves are achieving top prices and are highly sought after.

Andrew Collier, Carlow, Ireland

Lewes East Sussex. Just thought I’d send a couple of shots of your Heatwave machine in use with our goat kids. First of all I’d like to congratulate you on coming up with this machine. I was really impressed with the whole concept when the box arrived. Clear instructions and everything you need to get going and keep it clean right down to the few extra screws and cable ties just in case they get lost in the straw! The heatwave  lets us feed any excess liquid milk that we can’t process and is a useful addition/ backup for our powder only feeder.

Kevin Blunt, Golden Cross Cheese Co

We were struggling with Holstein bull calf health a while ago, as with a herd of 300 I had more than enough heifer calves to feed on milk powder, without the added hindrance of waste milk at varying temperatures for the Bulls. Therefore we grouped them separately and another member of staff fed them. Some thrived, but most did not. Disillusioned with what could be a useful by-product. I started looking for a method of warming my waste milk so I could feed them at a time convenient to me. Almost immediately I found the Heatwave system advertised and it seemed really simple but above all cost effective, and we bought one. So simple to plug in and go, and the calves took to it straight away. Within weeks, the bull calves which would have struggled to make £12 at market were suddenly getting £60-£95 at 5 weeks old. We were thrilled! During the first few weeks we also started calving our heifers to a beef Shorthorn bull. These calves just thrive on the system and look tremendous as they approach weaning age. Yes, the calves achieve intakes of around 10 litres per day, but by six weeks are all cudding and by 7 weeks can be weaned. We now own 4 Heatwaves (which I think we will add to), have learnt a lot along the way (as like everything with livestock, you have a learning curve), but I rear Bulls/beef on waste milk and heifers on milk powder, and I couldn’t imagine going back to my groups of 5 on a ‘milk bar’ type feeding system. I’ve learnt a lot over the last 6 months, and I’m sure I’ll learn more, in fact I’m already coming up with ‘modifications’ to the system which I think would be useful, but I love its simplicity and low cost.

Amy Herridge, Derbyshire