News & Advice

Every season, there is pressure to find the thing that will shift performance: A better tool A new protocol A different way of doing something that promises a lift. In reality, improvements rarely come from a single change. Farming is complex, and success depends on both the farm’s objectives and the many factors that shape […]

Quarantine drenching is not a new concept, but with ever-changing populations of worms and an increase in drench resistance (even against novel drenches), the products we use and how we use them must evolve. It is estimated that the overall industry impact of drench resistance equates to $110 million, and on a typical 4,000 sheep […]

Most working dog breeds in New Zealand have short-haired coats and low levels of subcutaneous fat for insulation against bitter winter temperatures.  It’s very important to maintain high-quality nutrition through the winter because there are higher energy requirements in cold weather to maintain body temperature and still meet the demands for work performance. High-protein diets also reduce […]

In the context of increasing drench resistance, the adoption of more advanced diagnostic tools has become essential. You may be familiar with the Parasight Systems we have been using in clinic over the past several years; we are now in a position to share key findings from real world data collected from our client base. […]

Over recent years, CowSmart has worked alongside Vetlife clinics and their clients to deliver structured reproductive performance reviews that extend well beyond end-of-season pregnancy results. Our objective is simple: identify the biological and management bottlenecks limiting reproductive performance – and convert those insights into measurable gains the following season. What makes a CowSmart repro review […]

Salmonellosis has long been recognised as an important cause of disease in cattle. Based on information from the country’s veterinary diagnostic laboratories, MPI has observed an increase in the incidence of salmonellosis in dairy cattle since the spring of 2024. The trend of increasing salmonella cases, first observed in spring of 2024, extended into the […]

Preparing ewes for mating involves several key factors. Ewe body condition (BCS) is the major driver of ovulation and conception, while flushing and good trace element levels follow closely behind. Hind body condition score (BCS) is critical to good milk production and early conception at mating. Hind BCS should be maintained around score 3.5 (BCS […]

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 […]