Getting sheep shape at Pyramid Farm
The vineyards at Pyramid Farm in Marlborough’s Avon Valley have never been run of the mill, with plantings that follow the natural contours of the land, 250 metres above sea level.
Hecton Products, whose name is familiar to many New Zealand sheep farmers, has a new product — Mobile Stock Worker.
This versatile handling unit is designed for easy transport around the farm or between properties, helping to make short work of sheep handling jobs.
Set up or take down is easily achieved in 15 minutes. This is done by simply reversing up to the yard or holding pen, removing the transport wheels and then getting on with the job at hand.
It has a reversible clamp frame to suit left or right handed users. Once the sheep are clamped, the operator is hands free to go about the work.
The dagging race is available left or right handed, and has two anti-backing wings to increase stock flow.
Ideal for drafting, weighing, dagging, mouthing, tagging and inoculations, the units can handle ewes and lambs at the same time without any adjustment.
With the addition of weighing equipment the unit becomes indispensible for monitoring lamb weights then drafting off finished animals.
Southland farmer Nigel King has used a Stock Worker for 12 months and says he is very impressed.
“It’s easy to use, stress free for ewes and lambs and importantly people,” he explains.
“You name it, we’ve done it. Weighing, mouthing, uddering, drenching, ear tagging and even a cheeky wee crutching at the same time.”
A partnership between Canterbury milk processor Synlait and the world's largest food producer, Nestlé, has been celebrated with a visit to a North Canterbury farm by a group including senior staff from Synlait, the Ravensdown subsidiary EcoPond, and Nestlé's Switzerland head office.
Canterbury milk processor Synlait is blaming what it calls "a perfect storm" of setbacks for a big loss in its half year result for the six months ended January 31, 2026.
More of the same please, says Federated Farmers dairy chair Karl Dean when asked about who should succeed Miles Hurrell as Fonterra chief executive.
A Waikato farmer who set up a 'tinder' for cows - using artificial intelligence to find the perfect bull for each cow - days the first-year results are better than expected.
Fonterra says it's keeping an eye on the Middle East crisis and its implications for global supply chains.
The closure of the McCain processing plant and the recent announcement of 300 job losses at Wattie’s underscore the mounting pressure facing New Zealand’s manufacturing sector, Buy NZ Made says.

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