Facial Eczema Risk Bulletin
Facial Eczema Risk Bulletin Welcome to our Facial Eczema Spore Count Bulletin for 2023 – this article will be updated each week, so please revisit to see what the spore count is in your area. Facial Eczema Spore counts 26 May 2023 Shannon Ihakara Foxton Moutoa Waitarere Levin Kuku Manakau Otaki Te Horo 5,000 20,000 […]
Dairy cow reproduction
Dairy cow reproduction Factors that affect fertility, hormones, and fresh Tararua Breeding Centre semen There are many factors that affect fertility and reproductive outcomes (such as submission rates, conception rates, 6 week in-calf rates and empty rates) in our dairy cattle and these include the following: Body condition at calving and at mating and the […]
Heavy rain, lambs, and leptospirosis
Heavy rain, lambs, and leptospirosis A warm, very wet summer and autumn certainly brings with it an abundance of feed for grazing livestock and nearly all the stock we are seeing is in excellent condition. For sheep farmers however such conditions can come with many headaches. We are hearing reports of late cases of fly […]
Copper toxicity in sheep
Copper toxicity in sheep A sheep farm was visited where copper (Cu) toxicity was suspected. Several lambs appeared lethargic and anaemic. The farmer had purchased lambs from a farm that had been feeding poultry litter (manure is usually treated with copper sulphate to reduce the bacterial level). Sheep are unique in that they accumulate copper […]
Iodine deficiency in sheep
Iodine deficiency in sheep Iodine-dependent hormones produced by the thyroid gland are essential for growth and development of the foetus, and crucial for the survival of the newborn lamb. The foetus must produce his/her own thyroid hormones, and this is dependent on sufficient amounts of iodine derived from their mother’s daily intake being transported across […]
Wagyu as an option on dairy farms
Wagyu as an option on dairy farms Have you thought about the next breeding season? Having a well-planned breeding strategy is key. One of the options you may like to consider is selling your calves for beef, with price volatility really taking the shine off some years, one way to get a bit more certainty […]
The growing issue of worm resistance
The growing issue of worm resistance Most people will be well aware about the growing issues with drench resistance. While vets and many farmers have been aware of this issue and dealing with these problems for 20 years, in the last few years there appears to have been an explosion in drench resistance cases, in […]
Dry cow therapy for the coming autumn
Dry cow therapy for the coming autumn The goals set by milk processors, the ACVM (the group overseeing antibiotic use) and Vet Council are to ensure dry cow therapy (DCT) is used only when there is evidence of quarter infection. Using DCT only in quarter(s) that are infected should be the gold standard, meaning reduced […]
Anthelmintic treatment of ewes pre-lamb
Anthelmintic treatment of ewes pre-lamb The challenge of anthelmintic use in sheep continues, with both product supply and the ever-increasing evidence of anthelmintic resistance and resultant production losses. Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) has withdrawn Bionic Plus® from the market while work is undertaken examining the pay-out of the two actives (albendazole and abamectin) in their capsule […]
Every calf has a useful life
Every calf has a useful life From 1 June 2023, Fonterra is introducing a new clause within their Terms of Supply which means calves can only be euthanised on-farm when there are humane reasons for doing so. Consumer guarantees about the on-farm treatment of calves and our increasing interest in how our food is produced, […]