increase font size
Tail painting is still widely used for heat detection in herds.
Tail painting remains the most widely used form of heat detection in New Zealand, according to GEA FIL, the makers of Tell Tail heat detection paint.
FIL says Tell Tail, made and sold in NZ for 25 years, is proven and cost-effective, designed specifically for dairy cow heat detection.
Product manager Wayne Cockburn says the product is unique and seen by farmers as the best tail paint available.
Innovation over 25 years has made the paint brighter, easier to apply and longer lasting, he says. It’s the only locally made tail paint containing fluorescent pigments -- six colours -- enabling farmers to devise a painting plan for each stage in detection to pregnancy.
The applicator cap was developed 20 years ago, taking away the hassle of a can and brush. It is durable enough to last up to 21 days on the cow, subject to conditions and correct application, and when the cow is mounted will break down to provide easy visual indication.
Cockburn says testing on competitor products shows most came off the animals too quickly; some didn’t rub off when the animal was mounted. “We continually benchmark against our competitors, so that FIL products stay abreast of the market.”
Another FIL product is Detail -- a water-based paint used by a growing number of farmers because convenient 10L pails and added benefits better suit it to larger herd applications.
FIL national sales manager Colin May and area managers are at hand to work with farmers in implementing practical herd management systems.
Says May, “FIL’s colour process of heat detection is a simple tool, enabling quick identification of cows coming into or on heat. For example, we paint the cows with red tail paint about three weeks after calving. When the paint has been rubbed that indicates the cow has started her cycle and then green tail paint is applied. In cases where it hasn’t been rubbed, farmers are advised to involve a vet.”
When green paint is rubbed this identifies cows coming into heat on a daily basis. After AI, cows should be painted with blue; if the paint rubs off, the cow is not pregnant. And yellow should be applied once the pregnancy is confirmed.
The tail paints are sold in rural retail stores.
Tel. 0508 434 569
The dry period isn’t just a farm holiday but a chance to get your herd match-fit for calving and early lactation. If you treat it as a focused phase of preparation, recovery and capacity building, you’ll see the benefits when the cows return to milk.
Body condition scoring ewes at least six weeks out from mating can make a significant difference to conception rates and scanning percentages.
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.
A verbal stoush has broken out between Federated Farmers and a new group that claims to be fighting against cheaper imports that undermine NZ farmers.
According to the latest ANZ Agri Focus report, energy-intensive and domestically-focused sectors currently bear the brunt of rising fuel, fertiliser and freight costs.
Having gone through a troublesome “divorce” from its association and part ownership of AGCO, Indian manufacturer TAFE is said to be determined to be seen as a modern business rather than just another tractor maker from the developing world.
Two long-standing New Zealand agricultural businesses are coming together to strengthen innovation, local manufacturing capability, and access to essential farm inputs for farmers across the country.
A new farmer-led programme aimed at bringing young people into dairy farming is under way in Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
The Government has announced changes to stock exclusion regulations which it claims will cut unnecessary costs and inflexible rules while maintaining environmental protections.
OPINION: Reckless action by Greenpeace in 2024 forced Fonterra to shut down a drying plant for four hours, costing the co-op…
OPINION: The global crusade against fossil fuel is gaining momentum in some regions.
