Laying chickens are popping up in urban areas all over New Zealand, as people realise that keeping a small flock of chickens does not require a huge outdoor space or a large time commitment. Becoming an advocate for poultry amongst your urban family and friends can help to break down the rural-urban divide. At the […]

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. […]

Growing interest in goats and increasing feed options through the NRM feed range have justified the development of the NRM Goat Nutrition Guide which is now available online at www.nrm.co.nz/lifestyle. Unashamedly detailed, the guide has been written with both commercial and lifestyle goat keeping in mind. This excellent reference material can be read cover to […]

If you do the basics well, raising your own laying chickens can be relatively simple and if you get it right, your flock will reward you generously. There are three golden rules to chick rearing. Firstly, ensure that the correct feed and clean water is supplied with sufficient feeder and drinker space for the birds. […]

As a Nutritionist, a great part of my job is helping farmers get the best out of their animals. I get a lot of questions from people new to keeping chickens, so I thought it was worth sharing some answers.   Do I have to offer my chickens oyster shell grit if they are on […]

It is that time of the year when we like to treat our loved ones but what about your chooks, surely they deserve a Christmas treat too? Products available can stimulate chickens to exhibit more of their natural behaviours, increase their enjoyment of life and improve their health and wellbeing. Poultry Peckers Chickens can get […]

Alpacas and llamas have endearing personalities and are great companion animals for people with land. They are generally long living, hardy and “good doers” — naturally selected over millennia to survive in the dry, barren regions of South America. They do not typically require a high level of supplementary feeding. For non-breeding stock obesity may […]

Goats are ruminants, belonging to the same family as cows but as competition from herbivores increased they went down a different evolutionary path and developed an ability to browse rather than just graze. Goats grazing alongside cattle will consume tannin rich vegetation, woody plants, weeds and brush not normally consumed by cows. Although they have […]

All animal species need a balanced diet for health, welfare and productivity but what constitutes a balanced diet changes as an animal grows, matures and goes through different physiological stages. For example, young rapidly growing ducks require high levels of protein and energy however as their growth slows down with age, the amount of energy […]

Virkon™S The premium broad-spectrum on-farm biosecurity solution. Mixing and spraying for your calf shed biosecurity.