As horse owners adjust their plans for the season, based on a red traffic light setting, most large-scale shows have been forced to cancel. As well as being hugely disappointing for hard working event organisers, these changes can disrupt competition season too. Particularly for the North Island with the cancellation of so many shows last […]

Fortunately there were more ups than downs to our little flock’s lambing last spring. We lambed more triplets earlier than ever, reared two lambs for every ewe that went to the tup and weaned earlier than usual. We sold surplus ewe lambs and wethers while there was still plenty of grass around at good prices, […]

Being on target is important Summer can be a tough time for spring born calves. They should be growing consistently to ensure that all the great work done growing them in the pre-weaning period is not lost.However, it can feel like everything is against them with decreasing pasture quality and quantity and increased animal health […]

Thinking about getting some laying chickens but don’t know where to start? Setting up a backyard flock doesn’t need to be complicated so take the plunge. 1. Start with picking out a coop. Make sure you get something large enough for the number of birds you want in your flock. Each bird will need about […]

Supermarket staff are good at pointing customers to the right aisle but I would never think of asking them for meal ideas or cooking tips. The retail staff at hardware stores are a different beast entirely. Each seems to permanently habit only one or two aisles and in addition to knowing exactly where everything is […]

A broodmare’s nutritional requirements change throughout the stages of reproduction and it is important to adopt a flexible feeding programme to ensure nutrient requirements are being met at each phase. Reproduction can be separated into early pregnancy, which is first and second trimester or 0 to 7 months gestation; late pregnancy, which is third trimester […]

Selective livestock breeding has resulted in many benefits including increased profitability and productive performance, with faster growth rates, heavier carcass weights and improved milk yields. However, such artificial selection pressures can unwittingly induce undesirable outcomes. For example, drench resistance leads to poorer health and slower growth rates, with corresponding higher feed costs; pesticide resistance supports […]

Just as an airplane needs air to fly and diesel engines cannot run on petrol, ‘long fibre’ is an essential carbohydrate source for a ruminant and vital for good health, productivity and even its survival. Carbohydrates, including fibre, are the main source of energy for all ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats or deer) and necessary to […]

Kiwis by nature and out of necessity, are known for their ingenuity. Innovation is turning a good, original idea that provides a new solution into a practical reality. It is little wonder then that innovations have spearheaded New Zealand agriculture to help facilitate increased and better economic production from the land. Examples of this include […]

In the autumn, seeing young stock graze on a new break of green grass as the dew drops sparkle in the early morning sun is a welcome sight, especially after the summer dry. Or is it? In fact, danger often lurks hidden in plain sight, which is something important for livestock owners to know. Consider […]