A New Approach to Calf Rearing at Areaere Farms

The Holm & Laue CalfExpert is built to ease labour pressure, improve calf health, and deliver consistent, reliable growth. At Areere Farms in the heart of the Waikato, calf-rearer Jenna McLeod has seen these benefits firsthand.

During calving, the days are long, the workload is heavy, and every calf demands attention. For calf-rearer Jenna McLeod, the shift to the Holm & Laue CalfExpert felt like lifting a weight off the season. What began as a search for a smarter way to rear calves quickly became a complete change in how the whole shed operates.

Areaere Farms, located in the North Waikato, runs an 800-cow operation across 220 hectares. Each year, Jenna and her family rear around 550 calves, and for nearly two years they had been considering a different approach - something that could make the busy rearing season more sustainable.

At the start of the 2025 season, the farm installed three Holm & Laue CalfExpert feeders. Their decision to go with the German designed, Bell-Booth supplied system was based on trust and long-term reliability.

“Most of the reason for choosing Holm & Laue is that it’s a trusted brand that has been around for a long time and is expertly crafted in Germany. For us, it was something we could rely on.”

Bell-Booth supported the team through the design and installation process, helping plan the shed layout and working alongside the builders through the setup phase. Everything was completed seamlessly, with the system fully installed by October 2024 and ready for a 1 March 2025 calving start.

“The support we received from Bell-Booth in getting it set up, installed, and working really well all along the way has been fantastic.”

Although the system automates feeding, the fundamentals of calf rearing remain the same.

“You still can’t take away the fact that calves need to be fed colostrum manually, and we still teach them how to feed in the traditional way,” Jenna says.

But once calves transition - usually within a couple of feeds - they quickly learn to help themselves.

“A lot of the benefits come from time saving… by the second, third, or fourth feed, they can go on the machine and help themselves when they’re hungry.”

For Jenna, one of the biggest advantages has been the visibility gained from the system’s data tools.

“All the information you could ever need is collected through their E-tag. You can look at each calf's data and quickly pick up if something isn’t quite right.”

If a calf drinks less than usual - whether that morning or the day before - it’s immediately noticeable, allowing her to check in and act early.

Jenna has also noticed how differently calves choose to feed when given flexibility.

“Some of the calves come in at exactly the same time each day and drink their full quota, while others snack throughout the day or night . The calves have a lot of choice in when they want to drink, which mimics what they would do naturally if they were on their mums.”

This freedom has reduced competition and created a calmer shed environment.

With weigh scales built into the system, every calf is weighed at every feed - giving Jenna accurate, stress-free records from start to finish.

“One thing I really love about the weaning process with these machines is that as they gain weight, the machine reduces their milk. You don’t get any wastage… The machines feed them specifically to their weights and targets.”

By the time calves reach around 100 kg - sometimes more - they are almost fully weaned.

Even with her interest in technology, Jenna values knowing help is always available.

“I enjoy technology, but you can’t know everything about these machines, so having backup support has been amazing.”

Bell-Booth’s technical team, local specialists and head office support have all played a role: “We've had the odd issue, sometimes in the night or early morning, and the Bell-Booth team has always been there to support us.”

For Jenna, the biggest benefit in the CalfExpert system is in the time it saves and the reduced fatigue of staff during the season.

"I love rearing calves, but it can get monotonous and tiring. The time savings and reduced fatigue we have experienced have been well worth the investment.”

Learn more about the CalfExpert

Discover how automated feeding can reduce labour and improve calf performance.