Dry cow management is key
OPINION: We need to stop treating the dry period as just a rest between lactations and understand that it’s a significant biological reset that impacts the health and productivity of the next lactation.
The Te Pae Kirehe Summer Holiday checklists and guides aim to support owners to plan ahead for the holiday season.
The NZVA is also sharing a range of resources that support animal owners to keep their animals healthy during the holiday period and understand what to do if they have an animal health emergency.
The guides provide information for both companion animal and lifestyle block owners.
NZVA head of veterinary services (large animal) Cristin Dwyer says advice for lifestyle animals varies between species, but the main message this summer is to ensure cows, sheep, camelids, chickens, pigs, and horses are kept cool and comfortable during the heat, and owners and property sitters monitor animals for signs of heat stress.
“If you’re going to be away from your property over the holiday break, make sure you arrange for a responsible, experienced person to mind your animals and that the sitter has everything they need to do this during this time,” Dwyer says.
“This includes knowing what to feed each type of animal and how much; that there is sufficient feed to cover the time period; medications or supplements are labelled with clear instructions; and each day they check that the water troughs are full and clean,” she adds.
Lifestyle block owners are encouraged to review the NZVA checklist ahead of the summer break and if a property sitter is going to be caring for the animals, make sure they are provided with contact details, a summary of any health conditions, and they have a support person they can contact if they need assistance.#
To download the summer holiday checklists and resources, head to https://www.nzva.org.nz/public/summer-holidays/
