New trait development work is well underway in Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme focusing on three areas - body condition scoring, udder scoring and fertility.

The Lincoln University Demonstration Dairy Farm (LUDF) is crediting a raft of improved management practises in achieving a big turnaround in empty rates.

Herd improvement company LIC paid over $2 million worth of credit to farmers caught up in a semen quality issue in October last year.

New data released by LIC and DairyNZ shows New Zealand dairy farmers have achieved the highest six week in-calf rate and lowest notin- calf rate on record.

A bacterial contamination is the likely cause of a semen quality issue that impacted 1,127 herds in October last year, says LIC.

Grass staggers (hypomagnesaemia – magnesium deficiency) or milk fever (hypocalcaemia – calcium deficiency) can affect beef cows around calving.

While the recent payout announcement is not the news dairy farmers were hoping for, it’s an opportunity to review on farm performance with a specific focus on protecting your farm’s profitability.

The lead up to another calving period means the next few weeks offer an opportunity to meet the nutritional demands of your cows.

Most farmers do their best to make sure the herd has been supplemented before calving and assume this will pass on to the calf.

Tru-Test Active Collars have proven to be a game changer for many Australian and New Zealand farms since launching earlier this year.