News & Advice

Clostridial diseases remain one of the most significant preventable causes of sudden death in cattle. Conditions such as tetanus, pulpy kidney (enterotoxemia), and blackleg are widely recognised, but lesser-known diseases (including malignant oedema and sudden death syndrome) can be just as devastating. Unfortunately, treatment is rarely successful, due to the rapid onset of disease and […]

The use of teat sealants has evolved through several phases in New Zealand’s dairy farming practices. In the late 1990s/very early 2000s, when the products were first brought to the New Zealand market, they were somewhat haphazardly managed, and this resulted in terrible outcomes. At that point they became regarded as generally doing more harm […]

We all know drench resistance is now widespread on New Zealand sheep properties. While drenches remain an important tool, long-term parasite control and farm profitability increasingly depend on nutrition, grazing management, and the strategic use of forage crops. When used well, forage crops not only reduce worm challenge but also significantly lift lamb growth rates […]

As farmers, we are often asked to think outside the square about product use. FerAppease®, a synthetic pheromone, is one of these products. Farmers are all aware of pheromones; we see it in our cows and bulls at mating. And we see products using pheromones to deal with stress in cats and dogs. Google AI […]

Vetlife veterinarians have been testing bulls for breeding soundness for some years now, using jump tests and/or semen analysis under the microscope following electroejaculation. To advance our capabilities at Vetlife, we have recently purchased an iSperm machine. This cutting-edge device analyses sperm motility using a computer-assisted programme. Not only can iSperm assess bulls, but it […]

Growing good fawns or weaner deer starts with decisions made the year before. When hinds calve earlier, they have more time to rear fawns that will be bigger at weaning. Earlier-born fawns have the benefit of getting off to a good start before pastures lose quality in summer. Hind body condition score (BCS) is critical […]

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global public health and development threats identified by the World Health Organisation. It is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths(1). By now most farmers will be familiar with the traffic light classification of […]

Adult pets often appear healthy on the outside, but maintaining good health through their prime years requires more than just responding when something goes wrong. Nutrition, dental care, body weight, and routine health monitoring all play an important role in supporting long-term wellbeing. Regular wellness checks allow us to assess these areas early and help […]

After collapsing at home on the couch after a vigorous velveting session down in Ward, Dr Nick Hansby noticed some little insects crawling around his arms. He was immediately evicted from the house. Over the last thirty years, many places have changed, from seeing a tick as being a rare occurrence to having significant outbreaks […]

The number of newborn lambs that survive to weaning is the single biggest driver of profitability on most sheep farms in NZ (fine wool farms being the obvious exception). Yet, so often, we leave the outcome to chance, and we fail to protect our investment by neglecting to use the very good available sheep performance […]

We often focus strongly on getting the best growth out of our young calves by implementing staff calf-rearing training, FPT testing and thorough health and feed plans, but once this stage is complete, it is easy to forget the importance of growing our weaned calves well through to mating. Now that those same calves are […]

What non-return rates can tell us, phantom cows and what to do next As mating rolls on, your herd’s data can tell you a lot about how things are tracking — from heat detection right through to conception. One key number to watch is the Non-Return Rate (NRR). NRR is the percentage of inseminations where […]