Summer can be a tricky period on farm. Cows approach the summer period milking well, but the summer heat causes rapid changes in pasture.
As we move towards the warmer, more humid months, farmers across New Zealand are already preparing for the annual challenge of facial eczema (FE).
A question many farmers ask themselves each year is: do we select individual bulls or take the team approach?
Animal welfare is of paramount importance to New Zealand's dairy industry, with consumers increasingly interested in how food is produced, not just the quality of the final product.
Third-generation Ashburton dairy farmers TJ and Mark Stewart are no strangers to adapting and evolving.
Thirty years ago, as a young sharemilker, former Waikato farmer Snow Chubb realised he was bucking a trend when he started planting trees to provide shade for his cows, but he knew the animals would appreciate what he was doing.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
The black and white coat of Holstein- Friesian cows is globally recognised as a symbol of dairy farming and a defining trait of domestic cattle. But until recently, scientists didn’t know which genes were responsible for the Holstein’s spots.
It's not often that mother and daughter share the limelight, but for two of Tahuna's Charbelle Holsteins' show cows, that's exactly that happened at the Holstein Friesian North Island Champonships, held at the Waikato A&P Show.
Most dairy goat farmers focus on getting energy, protein, and fibre right, and fair enough – feed drives milk.
Selenium pour-on is back on the market due to demand from veterinarians and farmers for the selenium specific veterinary treatment, says animal health company Inovata.
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.
The calving season brings with it significant nutritional demands on the herd.
Feeding infected milk is high risk for spreading diseases such as M. bovis.
To ensure optimal growth, health, and wellbeing of calves, feeding strategies should be considered carefully.
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