Undetected drench resistance is costing the NZ sheep sector almost $50 million a year — and it may only get worse.
First calvers are more prone to mastitis than older cows. According to DairyNZ, farmers must choose a strategy that best suits their herd, farm team, and budget.
Massey University is examining the economic impact and the production consequences of crossbreeding with Wiltshire sheep to a fully shedding flock.
Even more doubt has been cast on the economic value of drenching ewes with long-acting products, following a recent jointly-funded Beef + Lamb New Zealand study.
New Zealand farmers can now assess the potential impact and investment of plantain using OverseerFM.
BVD is a common but devastating viral infection of cattle in New Zealand, explains Dr Amanda Kilby.
With lambing and calving about to start, Beef + Lamb New Zealand is reminding farmers of the importance of providing ewes and cows with suitable, well-sheltered areas for lambing and calving.
The ewe is under her greatest nutritional and metabolic stress in late pregnancy and in early lactation.
A Waikato farmer has been fined $3,900 for not registering 152 cattle under the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme.
Southland has reached a landmark zero cases of the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis but the Government says this isn’t the time for complacency.
An 18-year-old dairy cow in North Canterbury has achieved a rare accolade.
Regenerative agriculture is gaining momentum in New Zealand pastoral farming, says Southland based humates company Southern Humates.
As farmers strive to maximise their lamb survival, interest in orphan lamb rearing systems has been steadily growing.
North Otago calf rearer Jared Ovens believes the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak has led to more farmers embracing animal traceability.
Collection of dead calves from farms around the country has stopped with farmers and the recycling company blaming each other for the impasse.
DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says the joint decision three years ago to eradicate Mycoplamsa bovis was a difficult call.
Severe feed shortages in parts of the country mean many ewes are on a nutritional knife-edge heading into lambing and could be at risk of developing metabolic disorders.
Cases of nitrate poisoning are being reported in the Hawke’s Bay region after recent rain.
Successful calf rearing starts at the beginning and getting it right will always be important in setting them up for the future, says calf feeder maker Stallion Ltd.
The better start a calf has in life, the better animal they will be in years to come.
The most common cause of scouring is nutritional scours, which happens when there is a change in diet or a diet that is inappropriate for the age group of calves.
Calves that are cared for well have a reduced risk of disease and cost less to rear, says DairyNZ.
Dairy farmer Enda Hawe’s focus on mastitis prevention and teat condition rather than blanket use of DCT during dry off is paying dividends.
