Duchy College and Volac Partner to Shape Future of Calf Nutrition with Cutting-Edge Trials

In an exciting collaboration, Volac Milk Replacers Ltd has been working alongside Duchy College at its Future Farm, bringing research and development in calf nutrition to new levels. As part of the Centre for Innovation in Livestock (CIEL), Duchy College gives Volac access to state-of-the-art facilities, playing a vital role in advancing agricultural research across 12 national research centres.

A Groundbreaking Calf Trial Site

Between 2019 and 2024, Volac has conducted six intensive calf trials at West Coombeshead Farm, using Duchy College’s facilities. Each trial involved up to 50 dairy heifer calves, split between two milk formulations fed through computerised feeders. Calves’ body weight and health scores were meticulously tracked from birth until 70 days of age.

“Duchy College provides state-of-the-art facilities for student learning, offering young people a fantastic grounding for a future career in agriculture,” said John Reynolds, Managing Director of Volac. “Its farm research facilities are also excellent, which have enabled us to carry out important product development work in recent years. Duchy College has become a key calf trial site for our R&D, enabling the continued development and advancement of milk formulations for pre-weaned calves.”

A Productive Partnership

The trials, supervised by Duchy College’s dedicated research team, have produced significant data for Volac’s R&D. Dr Jessica Cooke from Volac explained, “Calf performance on the farm is very good, and the data output is excellent, which is credit to the Duchy College research team who oversee the commercial sponsor trial work.”

Dr Cooke also praised the welcoming atmosphere at Duchy College, adding, “The Duchy College team are great to work with and always very welcoming – so much so that we always enjoy hosting meetings at the site, which have allowed us to take advantage of the superb amenities and services available.”

Engaging Future Farmers

Duchy College’s Research Manager, Paul Ward, noted the partnership’s benefits for student learning. “Duchy College’s Rural Business School and farm teams are proud to partner Volac Milk Replacers Ltd, and our Senior Research Technician, Rachel Renfree, ensures that our Further Education students are engaged in trial data collection and our undergraduates in data analysis,” said Paul.

This collaboration not only advances agricultural research but also provides students with invaluable hands-on experience in calf nutrition, preparing them for careers in the industry.