Where did your calves go? Do you know?
Last season, from June 1st 2023, Fonterra introduced a new clause within the Terms of Supply. This clause required that calves can only be euthanised on-farm when there are humane reasons for doing so…
Metrichecking for early in-calf rates
Imagine if you could improve your six week in-calf rate (ICR) in ‘dirty’ cows by nearly 10% and increase the number of early calvers with just one change. Well, that’s what happened in a study involving 29 New Zealand herds when they metrichecked and treated endometritis cases early…
Leptospirosis update!
Leptospirosis, commonly called “Lepto” is a complex and important disease in the New Zealand (NZ) farming industry. Its importance is two-fold, firstly due to the impact it can have on infected animals and, secondly, because humans can be infected causing severe and even life-threatening disease.
IMPORTANT Penicillin Products Update
New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is currently conducting a review of all antibiotics, starting with those containing penicillin, in relation to the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) work programme and helping to ensure the prudent use of antibiotics within the veterinary industry. They are comprehensively reviewing products looking at efficacy (how well it works), target animal safety (that it is not toxic to the animal and is safe for use under the defined conditions), residue risk profile (that the maximum limit of it milk and meat following its use is acceptable) and label information. All of the penicillin reassessments are now complete…
Routine use of anti-inflammatories…
Written by Reon McMurtrie
NSAID products are pain-killers – the animal formulations are akin to human medications Neurofen and Voltaren. NSAIDs also help to reduce tissue damage caused by swelling and inflammation and moderate the immune response. They may enable better penetration of antibiotics to a site of infection.
Is calcium supplementation a “spring only” thing?
Written by Reon McMurtrie
The mention of calcium likely brings to mind milk fever, metabolic bags and rain, as it is around the time of calving where the issues surrounding calcium in the dairy cow become most visible to us. So, it might seem odd discussing calcium requirements outside of spring but read on for some information on the importance and merits of calcium throughout lactation…
BULL POWER PLANNING - how many bulls do your cows really need?
Written by Reon McMurtrie
The bull to cow ratio is the most important metric to consider when aiming for a successful bull mating. The recommended ratio according to InCalf is one bull for every 30 non-pregnant cows if not synchronised, and a minimum of one bull for every 15 non-pregnant cows is required (especially during the period of peak returns) if synchrony is utilised.
Successful bull mating also relies on careful bull selection and management. Give The Dairy Vet Team a call and talk through what to look for when purchasing bulls, what questions/records to ask of the vendor, how to assess and reduce risk of introducing infectious diseases (to both the cows and their AB foetuses), and how best to manage the bulls once they are on farm.
HEIFER MATING - the key to sustainable herd reproductive success!
Written by Reon McMurtrie
It’s well recognised that most farmers have been struggling in recent years to maintain sustainable reproductive success in their dairy herds. Herd reproduction is highly complex and multifaceted but heifer mating has been, and still is, critical to achieving long-term, sustainable reproductive performance. Read on then give us a call to discuss your heifer mating and synchronisation options and how ensure your heifers thrive throughout their first lactation!
Transition Management
What if you could pull a single lever which would increase herd milk production, improve fertility, reduce mastitis incidence and improve immunity? Well, unfortunately it’s never as simple as just pulling a lever, however excellent transition management will go a long way towards making positive increases, just as, if done poorly, it will have far reaching negative implications. Following a carefully designed transition management plan will positively influence the ongoing health, production and fertility of your herd.
Too much nitrate can be nasty!
When we get a call-out for suspected nitrate poisoning we drive as fast as we’re legally allowed and literally run from our ute to the affected animal(s) as seconds can make a difference! Nitrate poisoning can be nasty and with the recent drought conditions potentially increasing the risk of it we thought a quick refresher on it wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Summer sun is not so great for everyone!
Whilst some people revel in lying on the beach or by the pool, swimming the days away and soaking up the warmth of the summer sun, there are some that are faced with many challenges caused by drought conditions. Most New Zealand Farmers utilise a primarily pasture based system and so, in the absence of having a large stock of conserved feed, having planted summer crops and/or drought tolerant pasture, may be struggling to provide adequate feed to their cows. So, here’s a quick word on animal health and welfare during a drought.
The sometimes silent threat…
Facial Eczema (FE) is a topic that almost everyone has heard off and many know very well. It has been covered off time and time again BUT we continue to see animals being clinically affected and suffering as a result of this disease…
So, with the risk of “milking the same old cow”, this blog contains a brief FE summary as a refresher.
Biosecurity basics - let’s make it what we do!
With the emergence of the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) over the past couple of years there has been heightened awareness amongst the farming industry, particularly dairying, of the need for better biosecurity on-farm.