Livestock
Reinventing the fleece
A fine-wool sheep breeding programme is following in the tracks of established, successful research. Sarah Horrocks reports.
Breeding wool off the sheep’s back
Moving to a self-shedding sheep flock could significantly cut onfarm costs and labour, as the strong wool price remains stubbornly low, but there are always things to consider when changing your farm system. Massey University is three years into a trial to transition a base Romney flock to a fully shedding flock of Wiltshires. Rebecca Greaves attended the latest field day.
Time to soak up the blame
Spring is an important part of the year because of the impact it has on the rest of the year and beyond, vet Trevor Cook writes.
In pursuit of excellence
Dave Buick doesn’t do participation. His attention to every little detail is evident from the high-performing farm to his rise to the very top of shearing sports in New Zealand, and his remarkable recovery from a horrific onfarm accident that almost killed him.
Rebecca Greaves reports.
Lamb sale in the rain at Tautane Station
Country-Wide Deputy Editor Rebecca Greaves reports on the first ever on-farm lamb sale at the iconic coastal Tautane Station at Herbertville.
Getting the maintenance right
The longer a lamb is on your farm, the more it costs to grow. By Andrew Roe.
Outperforming or just average
What separates farms in the top 25% of performers from those at the bottom, vet Andrew Cochrane asks?
Matariki cattle drive
Photographer Sarah Horrocks joins the roundup of Canterbury high country Cleardale Station’s herd of Angus cattle after an autumn spent on neighbouring Manuka Point.
Seeking beneficial outcomes
Changing the way we farm because someone does not like what we are doing can be hard to swallow, writes vet Trevor Cook.
Maximising the lamb drop
Sheep and beef farm profitability for the coming season is forecast to be at an eight-year low according to Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Economic Service’s New Season Outlook. By Sandra Taylor.