NZ genetic engine version 6 launched
The rollout of the New Zealand Genetic Evaluation Version 6 is said to mark a step-change in the depth and breadth of genetic information available to both stud and commercial sheep breeders.
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.
Watch out for warning signs like difficult calvings, retained foetal membranes, lameness, clinical mastitis, or other health issues.
Calving brings about significant physiological changes in cows, increasing the risk of mastitis and lameness. However, there are strategies to support them during this time. Avoid overfeeding springers, check them regularly, provide magnesium to prevent milk fever and grass staggers, and supplement with trace elements for immune function. Hygiene, patience, and proper teat care are also essential.
As dairy cows transition from dry to milking animals, they undergo big changes that leave them at risk to many health conditions.
Therefore, it’s vital that cows are properly managed during this time because diseases can have far-reaching effects on their reproductive performance, production, and longevity.
Trigger Points
It’s important to recognise what a normal level of disease is around calving, so you can identify when to intervene. Look out for any of these red flags:
Physiological Changes
The calving process causes big changes in the body. A cow’s immune function is compromised, and teat canals open during a time when unfavourable ground conditions are common. These risk factors can lead to an increase in mastitis rates. Many of the clinical mastitis cases seen in the first two weeks after calving, when the cow comes into milk, are contracted in the late dry period.
To make calving easier hormones relax the cow’s pelvic tendons and ligaments. However, the hormones affect all the tendons and ligaments in the body including the foot. This creates a less stable foot that’s more prone to damage. In addition, body condition loss after calving affects all areas of fat in the body including the fat cushion in the foot, reducing the foot’s ability to absorb shock. These two factors make the risk of getting lame much higher. Poor stockmanship and management around calving can result in increased lameness (more than 5% of the herd per month) around mating and further into the season.
The first phase of a Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) investigation into allegations of mistreatment of sheep connected to shearing practices has been completed.
According to Biosecurity New Zealand, legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in the South Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe will remain in place until mid-February.
The rollout of the New Zealand Genetic Evaluation Version 6 is said to mark a step-change in the depth and breadth of genetic information available to both stud and commercial sheep breeders.
With low wool prices, farmer interest in the self-shedding Wiltshire sheep continues to grow.
OPINION: Dairy farmers will be breathing easier thanks to the Government last month delivering a Christmas gift in the form of immigration reforms.
Arable growers are being invited to supply samples of their harvested crops as part of a project which uses an alternative approach to determining how well they are managing their biggest input - fertiliser.
OPINION: It could be cod on your cornflakes and sardines in your smoothie if food innovators in Indonesia have their…
OPINION: A new study, published recently in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, adds to some existing evidence about…