Livestock

A disastrous season for somatic cell count prompted a full rethink of processes for a North Canterbury couple. They’re now consistently winning awards for milk quality and averaging close to 50,000 cells/ml somatic cell count (SCC) for the past five years. Words Anne Lee, Photos Holly Lee.

AI – not Artificial Insemination … the new buzz is Artificial Intelligence. Waikato sharemilker Matthew Zonderop has adopted the technology in his farming business. Words Sheryl Haitana.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s long-term Dairy Beef Progeny Test is entering a new phase which involves more farms and a new approach to identifying opportunities offered by superior dairy beef. Words Sandra Taylor.

Facial eczema is a disease of the liver, not the skin. It causes milk production loss and welfare challenges, most of the time without farmers even realising. It’s time to break the cycle and do it better. Words Emma Cuttance.

Johne’s disease is a hidden yet widespread threat to dairy herds, silently reducing productivity and profitability, but proactive testing, culling, and biosecurity measures can help farmers take control. Words Kara Dawson.

There have been some catastrophic outbreaks of Salmonella this year. Salmonella can strike without warning and spread quickly at any time, so what lessons can we learn from these recent outbreaks? Words Sheryl Haitana.

Many dairy calves who have just been weaned will be heading off to grazing blocks soon. How can we support these calves to thrive during their first summer? Words DairyNZ.

Taking the guesswork out of when to drench calves, via better testing and monitoring of worms, is one way farmers can help reduce the issue of drench resistance. Words Sheryl Haitana, Photos Emma McCarthy.

Headlines about triple drench resistance in the sheep industry are sending waves through the rest of the primary sector. So what about our dairy industry? Words Ginny Dodunski.