From Crocodiles to Cows: SealesWinslow Nutritional Expert is Driving Efficiency for New Zealand Farmers

Not many people have developed feed pellets for crocodiles or worked out nutrition for a flock of ostriches, but SealesWinslow Technical and Quality Manager Paul Drew has done it all. His diverse experience in animal nutrition is now driving innovation and efficiency for New Zealand dairy farmers.

Paul joined SealesWinslow two and a half years ago after working for Tegel where he championed feed efficiency and drove profitability through optimised feed practices.

“Every animal has a specific requirement for nutrients, which depends on the species and how that animal digests the food, but the fundamentals are the same. You have a nutrient requirement, and you have the supply of nutrients,” says Paul. “It’s working out the stuff in the middle of those two points, to provide an economical solution to drive profitability, that I enjoy.”

Pioneering technology

Paul’s work at SealesWinslow uses pioneering technology and data-driven decision-making, which he first developed in the poultry market.

His skill in leveraging technology and data to optimise feed formulations and his experience with diverse species has made him a leader in the field.

Paul was instrumental in launching SealesWinslow’s Ruminix, a tool that helps dairy farmers make informed decisions about feed based on data from their unique systems, to drive efficiency and profitability.

The next steps are extending that tool to account for carbon emissions and the entire lifecycle of a cow from calving to entry into the milking herd.

“I think the dairy industry is at a crossroads. There’s a lot of opportunity if we can better leverage science and make more informed decisions about feeding our dairy herds,” says Paul. “For example, environmental impacts and efficiency on farms. We haven’t fully explored these opportunities from an animal nutrition perspective yet, but the science is there, and we are making good progress.

“SealesWinslow is at the forefront of innovation in ruminant animal nutrition in our dairy industry, helping farmers optimise their herd’s nutrition to drive efficiency and ultimately their profit and sustainability. I’m excited to have played a key role in that journey,” says Paul.

Expertise in multi-species nutrition

Paul began his career with EPOL, a division of Rainbow Farms in South Africa and holds a Masters Degree in Animal Science from the University of Pretoria. It was with EPOL where he honed his expertise in multi-species nutrition, developing feed for some interesting animals including crocodiles and ostriches.

He was also able to put his ruminant nutrition training into practice, formulating supplements and rations for dairy herds. Paul’s role included formulating diets for dairy systems in South Africa for both total mixed ration and pasture-based systems.

He worked in central and northern South Africa where the focus was on total mixed rations, similar to farming systems in the Netherlands and the United States. He then transferred to the Western Cape, which he says had irrigated pastures and a pasture-based system more like New Zealand’s South Island.

Seizing a new opportunity, Paul, his wife Lara, and their three children, MacKenna (15), and 11-year-old twins Malachi and Briella, decided to move to New Zealand in 2014.  Paul was initially employed by Vitec Nutrition before moving to Tegel. He believes New Zealand dairy farmers have an untapped opportunity.

“The thing I have noticed missing in New Zealand is we still focus on the cost of feed and not necessarily what herds are getting out of the feed. The poultry and pig industries are very much focused on what they get out of feed and how it can increase profitability,” says Paul.

“There is so much data available on New Zealand dairy farms today, but we haven’t focused on it enough from a nutrition perspective. My job at SealesWinslow is helping to enable that conversation around value and profitability rather than just cost.”