Mineral tonic supplement for calves
Hawke's Bay animal health supplier Animal Health Direct is further promoting its mineral tonic for calves launched in 2017.
New Zealand's dairy industry must catch up with world-best standards in respect of the environment and animal welfare, says Animal Health Direct founder Richard Kettle
He believes public perception and the new generation of farmers emerging are driving necessary changes.
“Urban people want to see green fields, healthy looking cows with free access to shelter and fresh clean water,” he says.
“If this perfect picture cannot be seen, dairying runs the risk of an end-user backlash. We will see reduced dairy consumption locally and by our trading partners.”
Consumers increasingly want to be at the farmgate and feel a connection with their food.
He says the sometimes unrealistic picture they have in their minds is what they want to see, and every effort must be made to present this scene they are after.
Animal Health Direct recently released a range of Belgian bolus products new to New Zealand via veterinary clinics.
The first – CalciTop – is a fast-release bolus containing Diacalcium phosphate as an inorganic salt for slower release of calcium, and calcium formiate as an organic salt for fast release of calcium 4.5 g phosphorus; 1.5 g magnesium and 200.000 IU per kg Vitamin D3 for milk fever prevention.
Many contract milkers in badly drought affected regions around the country are coming under severe financial stress and farm owners are being urged to help them through a bad patch until the start of the new season.
Movement controls have been lifted from Mainland Poultry’s Hillgrove Farm in Otago, after the successful eradication of H7N6 strain of high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
Harvesting is underway of one of New Zealand’s rarest and most unusual fruit - persimmons.
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
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