ATTENTION TO herd health and body condition score has paid dividends for Winton sharemilkers Nigel and Paula Duncan, helping them build cow numbers rapidly and push their production boundaries within a low cost system.

Bomac and Bayer New Zealand have merged operations to form one of New Zealand's largest animal health companies.

SOW GRASS into existing pasture, or sow grass or forage crops into cultivated ground, or over-sow and fix pugged paddocks – it's over to you, says Orgin Agroup of its new Hatzenbichler tine harrow with broadcast air seeder.

  TONY HOPKINSON IN-SHED FEEDING to dispense PKE, minerals and molasses – plus automatic cup removers – have greatly improved cow flow, labour use and stock health on John and Colleen Campbell’s farm at Awakeri, Bay of Plenty. They have owned the farm since 1985. The milking platform is 232ha (eff) plus an 80ha self-contained run-off used for rearing replacements, growing maize for silage and harvesting grass silage. Wintering is done there for 50% of the milking herd. The milking platform is flat and free draining, centrally raced with a 46 bail rotary built in 1995. They milk 840 Friesian and Friesian X cows, supply Fonterra and begin calving 10 July. Rainfall is 1400mm and the area can become dry in the summer. Maize (250 t DM) is fed to the milking herd in autumn as the rotation is slowed and to improve cow condition before winter. The maize is fed in the paddock using a feed wagon. “Last winter was wet – 1m of rain in one month – and some of our paddocks suffered damage,” says Campbell. On the damaged paddocks they are planting 24ha of turnips and chicory. The chicory will handle the dry weather, continuing to…