rss trending-dn

Pondstir living up to its name

Causing a stir…….Pondstir is a heavy-duty, shore-based stirrer designed to mix and mix the liquid and solid factions of effluent ponds or storage towers.

The Pondstir from Dannevirke-based Metalform, as its name suggests, is a heavy-duty, shore-based stirrer designed to agitate and incorporate the liquid and solid factions of effluent ponds or storage towers.

Minda has you sorted this calving season

Stratford farmer, Kelsey Thompson, says the power of Minda Live and the app is all she needs on-farm in terms of information requirements to manage her herd.

Farmer-owned co-operative LIC says its herd management system Minda Live and its corresponding app has evolved over the past year with more than 60 improvements added based on farmer feedback.

Prepare your team well for the upcoming calving season

Gather your staff before calving to explain what they want their spring to look like.

Spend time with staff and set clear expectations for the upcoming calving season.

BVD tests for newborns

For the sake of convenience and efficiency, tissue sampling calves for the BVD test can be combined with tagging or disbudding.

This calving season, LIC is offering a BVD test for newborn calves to provide farmers with an early indication on the health status of their valuable replacement stock.

Heat detection made easier

A new tool has been launched to make heat detection easier.

First shown on the Virtual Fieldays 2020 platform, the Tailpainter heat detection tool is now complemented by the Dairy Paint tallpaing range, which made it's debut at the 2021 physical event.

Safe, healthy bedding for calves

Karapiro farmer Rachel Usmar using ZorbiFresh Active in a calf pen.

The first sixty days of a calf's life is crucial.

Checking springers

Cows should take 30 minutes to one hour to calve – no more than two hours. Heifers should take two to three hours to calve – no more than four hours.

Cows close to calving, or springers, must be inspected frequently.

Have your NAIT account up to date for calving

Brothers Manoj Kumar (right) and Sanjay Kamboj on their Eketahuna farm.

From early July, it will be all hands-on deck for award-winning dairy farming brothers Manoj Kumar and Sumit Kamboj as they start welcoming their first winter calves of the season.

Fine for teat amputations

A South Auckland farmer was convicted for amputating the teats of seven cows.

A South Auckland dairy farmer has been fined $3,250 for unlawfully amputating the teats of seven cows using rubber rings as a tourniquet.

New tools to tackle facial eczema

LIC is developing a milk based diagnostic test to give farmers early insight into the facial eczema status of their herd before clinical signs are apparent.

Herd improvement co-operative LIC says it is developing new methods to help farmers tackle facial eczema, a disease which is costing the dairy industry around $30 million in lost production each year.

More...

Methane inhibitor trial showing promise

AgResearch research director Trevor Stuthridge.

The development of a methane inhibitor to help reduce livestock methane emissions has real potential, says AgResearch research director Trevor Stuthridge.