Livestock
Balancing demands of beef-on-dairy
Fonterra and Silver Fern Farms have collaborated on a programme to drive beef-on-dairy mating decisions for non-replacement calves. But it’s not easy to meet the demands of each party. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.
Farm system change a win:win
As their tenure as Beef + Lamb New Zealand Monitor Farmers comes to an end, Te Pahu farmers Elliot Kent and Heather Gilbert are seeing that the benefits of their three-year intensification programmes are more than just financial. Words Sandra Taylor.
Tapping into the beef-on-dairy opportunity
A four year programme between DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand brings the dairy and beef sectors together in a collaborative effort to improve dairy-beef sustainability and profitability. Words Rebecca Greaves.
Spring starts with a plan, not a paddock
A strengthening El Niño signal does not change the fundamentals of a good spring, but it does change the odds on the calls made in the next three months. Words Dr. Maria Elena Duter.
Getting the systems right on biosecurity
For dairy farmers and processors, biosecurity is not an abstract idea to be debated, it’s something they practice every day. Words Campbell Parker.
Fertiliser targets larvae on pasture
A new liquid fertiliser with the ability to deliver a knockout blow to larvae on pasture could soon be the latest tool in the fight against drench resistance on New Zealand farms. Words Rebecca Greaves.
High quality forage requires high quality harvesting
Hard work and talent, paired with innovation, technology and connectivity, has seen the May Brothers in Methven grow more than they expected. John Deere equipment and technology has been at the heart of this growth. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.
Taking the Complexity Out
For Nic and Kirsty Verhoek, running a high-input dairy system that performs, without burning out your people or drowning in feed complexity, has been a mix of hard data, disciplined simplicity and a ruthless focus on people and cow welfare. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.
Fat depth sensor for live animals and carcasses
The success of livestock farming critically depends on careful feed management. Both over- and under-feeding animals leads to lower productivity and risks animal welfare, while affecting milk and meat eating quality. Despite being such a critical factor for New Zealand’s largest export industries, farmers and abattoirs are currently lacking the technology to efficiently and objectively assess fat depth in live animals or carcasses. This article introduces an emerging sensing technology which has the potential to fill that gap. Words Eva Anton.
Sky-high dairy cow prices
Cow prices have reached 10-year highs this season and while it’s great news for the balance sheets of some, it’s creating challenges for others. Words Anne Lee.