Breeding and genetics are a long-term game and it’s three years from the time we make the choice around which straw or bull to use, until we really know whether it’s been a smart decision. So, it’s understandable that most farmers are thinking ahead when it comes to their breeding.
Phosphorus (P) is critical for healthy plants to grow in New Zealand’s naturally P deficient soil, says Hamilton-based Soil Scientist Dr Gordon Rajendram.
Incorporating certain varieties of plantain into a cow’s diet has been shown to reduce the nitrogen concentration in their urine, which can leach through soil into groundwater.
Cambridge dairy farmer and breeder Brad Payne would herd test ten times a year, but he works as an LIC AB Technician during October so reluctantly sacrifices data he’d get during that month of the year.
Four generations have farmed on John Totty’s 465-hectare property at Staveley, mid-Canterbury with Jersey cows featuring prominently throughout the years.
Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) say continued investment in gene discovery and genetic analysis technology is allowing their farmer shareholders to improve cow production valued in the millions.
Ground-breaking collaborative research into improving dairy fertility genetics has been recognised in the annual Kudos Awards.
On many farms the level of mating success achieved is very much based on the quality of the feed.
Prior to the 1600’s the liver was considered to be the most important organ in the body, much more so than the heart and the brain.
The total number of TB-infected herds in Hawke’s Bay has risen to 20, following the recent reclassification of a new herd in the Waitara Valley.
» The RNG Weather Report
» Latest Print Issues Online
Milking It
Oat dear!
OPINION: Oat 'milk' is facing a crisis of sorts.
Cows to stay home
OPINION: Eleven cows from Auckland's Cornwall Park will no longer be exported to Mongolia to participate in a breeding programme.