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 […]

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 […]

Some of the 175,000 or so lifestyle blocks in New Zealand could form part of a stratified, integrated system of red meat production if more lifestylers opted to raise young stock. Commercial dairy farmers with infant cattle, sheep and goats would really like to find more productive homes for their male offspring and surplus females. […]

Located on the outskirts of Christchurch, Perry and Jackie McConnachie lease their farm from The Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust. It’s their fourth season on-farm and with only 160 cows on the property, there’s a big focus on optimum production. The herd are all brought in. The McConnachies don’t breed replacements, instead using beef bulls […]

Ironically the tiniest of organisms – bacteria, fungi and viruses – can inflict some of the greatest physical and economic harm to our livestock sectors. Close to 100,000 cattle were culled in the first year alone of the Mycoplasma bovis eradication programme. In September 2019, Type 1 bursal disease virus (IBDV Type 1) was confirmed […]

Facial eczema is a condition caused by the spores of a fungus commonly found living on ryegrass. Hot and humid weather triggers the fungus to ramp up spore production, so spore numbers can explode given the right conditions. The most obvious sign of the disease is sunburn in ruminant animals, which is where the somewhat […]

There are three phases in a calf’s life that are all equally important to reach targets —  the ‘nursery phase’ for the first 60 days, the ‘transition phase” from 60 to 90 days and the ‘grower phase’ from 3 to 8 months onwards. It is important to focus on strategies to keep calves growing quickly, […]

The long-term health and wellbeing of cows within a seasonal calving system is highly dependent on their fertility. According to LIC, the national not-in-calf rate for spring calving herds averaged about 14 percent in 2012 (when mating was on average 85 days) rising to 17 percent in 2015 (when inductions were fully phased out) and […]