Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
Lameness takes toll on cows and farm performance. A lame cow produces less milk, loses condition and takes longer to cycle. The good news? Catching it early and treating it promptly gives her the best shot at a quick, full recovery — and helps keep your herd’s productivity on track.
The inaugural intake of the Holstein Innovation programme has produced its first young sire set to make an impact on the Holstein Friesian breed in New Zealand.
With spring underway, maize growers across New Zealand are preparing for planting.
An early adopter of a 10-in-7 variable milking regime, the Lincoln University Demonstration Dairy Farm (LUDF) is tweaking the system this season in search of further boosting farm performance and profitability.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
By September, most herds are already calved and are heading towards mating. The window to influence pre-calving minerals has passed, and decisions made in the transition period are only just becoming obvious.
It took a stint at university to remind Otago dairy farmer Megan Morrison that being stuck in a classroom was not for her.
Milton dairy farmer Chris Wills says he began using probiotics in spring 2023 to address somatic cell count (SCC) grades when cows transitioned from their winter barn to lush spring pasture.
The liver doesn't often get the attention it deserves.
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