Workshops on animal health
A series of free workshops on animal health are being organised next month.
Sheds down, electric fences not working and breeding programmes interrupted are some of the problems facing dairy farms in the worst quake-hit areas of Culverden and Waiau.
Dairy Womens Network South Island convenor coordinator, Cathie Cotter, who is based in Invercargill, says she has been in contact with her regional convenors in Culverden.
Their farms are fine but they are taking cows from farms whose sheds are not operational, she says.
One of the biggest problems is the milk collection and the tanker getting through.
“But it is also very difficult because they are at the end of the AI, their mating,” she says.
“So the technicians and getting cows in for the AI …. it probably means that won’t be able to continue. So it is going to have a flow on effect for the next few years in their breeding programmes.
“There are all sorts of roll on effects…
“It is trying to keep their power supplies up because there is no power running through their electric fences. Cows are sneaky and they’ll start testing their fences.
“So it is trying to get the fences up and making sure they have got stock water.”
There were reports of one farmer having to dry their cows off already, but she could not confirm if that was correct.
“There are a couple of roads that have been completely destroyed that they haven’t been able to get tankers up.” That’s around Culverden and Waiau.
She says there are a number of dairy farms through Kaikoura but they don’t have an active Dairy Womens Network in Kaikoura, so she has had no information out of Kaikoura.
A number of farms that can milk have had to dispose of their milk. DairyNZ has said that cows can go without milking for number of days before detrimental effects on their health or they start to dry off.
“I think it is five or seven days that they can go without milking without having a huge effect…. But even then you’ve got mastitis and other cow health issues that start to be a problem.”
Civil Defence Emergency Management Canterbury said earlier this morning that Waiau and Rotherham appear to be the most affected farming areas. They had little information about Kaikoura farms.
Farmers should go to the Environment Canterbury website for information about stock drinking water access and milk disposal, civil defence said.
More bull breeders are using genetic tools according to the latest research.
Females are dominating the veterinary profession worldwide and many farmers are welcoming this change in the composition of the profession, says Britain's Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) Professor Christine Middlemiss.
A five-year randomised survey of herbicide resistance on New Zealand arable farms has found widespread high levels of resistance - with 71% of farms affected in the worst-hit region - South Canterbury.
OPINION: The recent Federated Farmers / Rabobank 2024 Farming Salaries Report revealed strong growth in farm salaries over the past two years.
The low unemployment environment is one of the key factors driving on-farm salaries higher over the past 24 months, says Rabobank general manager for country banking Bruce Weir.
Fonterra has appointed a new chief financial officer, seven months after its last CFO’s shock resignation.
OPINION: Canterbury milk processor Synlait is showing no sign of bouncing back from its financial doldrums.
OPINION: It seems every bugger in this country can get an award these days.