DairyNZ developer animal care and biosecurity, Katherine DeWitt on the new tail shortening laws and better options for tail management.
With winter now well underway, dairy cows are fast approaching the most stressful time of the year.
A new-born calf’s immune system is immature, so calves rely on antibodies in colostrum for protection while their own immune system matures.
A trial giving synthetic zeolite to transition cows to prevent milk fever has shown “stunning” results, says DairyNZ principal scientist Dr David Chapman.
“Wet and muddy winter conditions increase the risks to the welfare of livestock,” says Kate Littin, Ministry for Primary Industries manager animal welfare.
Mastitis control must be front of mind for farmers preparing to dry off cows for winter.
A new generation of organic selenium supplementation will be introduced into New Zealand this year, helping to solve NZ soil's issue of low selenium.
The importance of seeing regularly to your wellbeing will be the focus of Farmstrong’s site at Fieldays.
Overgrown hooves can cause a lot of problems in goat herds including stress on joints and bacterial and fungal infections.
The importance of testing, managing and controlling the spread of Johne’s disease (JD) in dairy goats shouldn’t be underestimated.
David Dymock, livestock technical advisor with MSD Animal Health covers best practice insertion of dry cow therapy and teat sealants.
Taking a she’ll-be-right attitude to leptospirosis is no longer good enough, says an international expert on leptospirosis, Associate Professor Jackie Benschop, of Massey University.
Most of New Zealand has just been through yet another long dry spell which has translated to poor feed supply and quality for both the girls in herd and R2’s arriving home.
The rate of improvement in dairy genetics is not keeping pace with technology, says World Wide Sires.
David Dymock, livestock technical advisor with MSD Animal Health, on how best to manage your herd at dry-off.
Are your cows getting enough calcium?
Now is the time for dairy farmers to develop a pasture ‘road map’ to ensure they have enough feed to take their farms through calving to the balance date in mid-September.
Jersey cows' higher pregnancy rates offer clear economic benefits by lowering replacement rates.
DNA parentage testing is more accessible to dairy farmers thanks to the launch last month of CRV Ambreed’s revitalised DNA parentage testing service.
Range in body condition score (BCS) is as important as average BCS at calving on New Zealand dairy farms, according to DairyNZ.
Drying off is the single most important event of the year for managing mastitis in your herd.
Water tests on Tatuanui farmer Johan Van Ras’ farm confirmed his worst fears: quality wasn’t up to scratch.
Food Conversion Efficiency is often misunderstood and overlooked, despite its role in profitability.
A Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) decision to use all AI and no bulls for mating has given “mixed” results and looks like it will be a short-lived experiment.
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