Rearing facilities should be set-up and maintained well to ensure calves stay healthy.
As calving approaches, farmers need to get their teams ready for what lies ahead in the coming months.
Dairy farmers have the perfect tool at their disposal this calving season to set their herds up for future productivity – the rumen in their replacement heifer calves.
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) and Massey University are joining forces to help raise awareness and funds to combat leptospirosis.
Over-conditioned cows, those with excess body condition (BCS > 6.0), present unique challenges, especially as they approach calving.
During the transition from dry to milking cows, it’s crucial to manage their health effectively to ensure their reproductive performance, production, and longevity aren’t compromised.
Planning to calve in the right conditions is essential for cow and calf health. Avoid calving in muddy conditions to decrease the risk of death and infections for both the cow and the calf.
Lifting production by 30,000 kgMS without increasing cow numbers has demanded extra feed and better genetics for Bay of Plenty dairy farmers, Nigel and Dianne Payne.
Planning and preparing for calving with your farm team will reduce stress when calving is in full swing, and will help keep everyone safe and healthy.
"I'm not what you would consider a Formula One farmer, but I must be doing something right,” says Fonterra farmer Francis Smits, who is quick to point out that he and his wife Regina have a simple set up on their Reporoa farm.
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