Going gaga
She wears skin and meat every day, is known as Lady Gaga and is the top performer among her peers.
"Farmers, researchers, and advisers all agree that getting cows in the right condition at calving is critical for milk production and reproductive performance - two key drivers of farm profitability," says DairyNZ development team leader for productivity, Rob Brazendale.
"Yet every year we see large numbers of cows calving at below target condition and consequently achieving below potential production and profitability."
In recognition of these difficulties DairyNZ is piloting a new approach in the Manawatu and South Waikato to help farmers achieve their cow condition targets by calving.
"We have trained advisers in the body condition score assessment and feed planning to support farmers one-on-one and to develop plans to address below target cows," says Brazendale.
Funded by DairyNZ, these advisers will work with farmers to identify cows that are unlikely to reach BCS 5.0 by calving without some intervention and find workable solutions to get these cows back on track.
"We are seeking expressions of interest from Manawatu and South Waikato farmers interested in taking part in this pilot initiative."
If you would like to find out more about this opportunity contact your local DairyNZ consulting officer or phone the DairyNZ Farmer Information Service on 0800 4 DAIRYNZ (0800 4 324 7969).
If you would like to register do so online at dairynz.co.nz/bcsinitiative or by phoning the DairyNZ Farmer Information Service.
