News & Advice

New Zealand’s pasture-based dairy system is characterized by a seasonal calving pattern that aligns with pasture growth, starting in spring and ending in autumn. The goal is to maintain a calving interval of no more than 365 days. To achieve this, mating should begin 80 to 85 days after calving, with most farmers starting around […]

Faecal egg counting (FEC) for cattle and sheep is an increasingly important tool in the ongoing battle to slow or delay the onset of drench resistance. Technology is evolving quickly in this area with several “new” methods emerging. Manual FEC, using a modified McMaster technique, is the age-old tried and true method for monitoring parasite […]

What is pasteurisation?  It is a process whereby milk is heated to a certain temperature for a certain period of time thus killing bacteria and viruses. There are two types of pasteurisation: High Temp Heat Treatment (HTHT) or “flash” pasteurisation which works on a continuous flow process. It is short and quick, heating milk to […]

If you are a Fonterra supplier, you should have been notified over the past couple of months about changes around the Fonterra Co-operative Difference, both in how it is structured and how payment is made.  This is a framework that Fonterra are using to ensure that on-farm practices support the achievement of their strategy.  It […]

Mention mastitis on any farm and discussion almost immediately turns to bacteria and which might be responsible for the given scenario. However, this is not necessarily the correct link to make. Mastitis simply describes inflammation of the mammary tissue. Although bacteria may be (and often are) responsible for causing that inflammation, there are other causes […]

Centre for Dairy Excellence It gives me great pleasure to introduce myself: I am Mark Youngs, Principal Consultant for the Centre for Dairy Excellence Ltd. As of the 1 April 2021, TSG Consultants partnered with Vetlife, starting a new agricultural consultancy service called the Centre for Dairy Excellence. We think that this is one of […]

Mastitis is a problem that no farm can avoid, however, by lowering rates and increasing response, the treatments are all steps in the right direction. A number of different pathogens are responsible for being the causal agents in mastitis cases, and understanding what we are dealing with can help tailor a treatment plan which is […]

It has been almost 4 years since Mycoplasma bovis was first detected in New Zealand. Not long after its diagnosis, New Zealand embarked on an ambitious eradication strategy. That in itself has caused a great deal of trauma for many farmers who have seen their herds destroyed upon detection of the disease. Here we are, […]

Leptospirosis, or Lepto, can affect a wide variety of livestock including deer. There are three predominant strains or serovars of Leptospira bacteria that can affect deer: Leptospira Hardjo-bovis is the most common one, causing mild infections and sub-clinical disease. It does have the potential to cause significant production-limiting effects through reduced growth rates in weaner […]

Many sheep, beef and deer farmers will be reviewing their annual scripts at this time of year, so why not use this process to your advantage rather than treating it as a pain in the proverbial? Often this is your one chance to sit down with your Vetlife vet and revise your animal health plan […]

BVD is a viral disease that causes profound suffering for both individual cattle and cattle at a herd level. BVD is commonly found in New Zealand dairy and beef herds. BVD must be assumed to be present and causing stock losses unless proven otherwise. Many NZ cattle farmers do not recognise BVD disease symptoms, so […]

Dental disease is an all too common problem in our pets and can have a real impact on their health and wellbeing. Up to 70% of cats and 80% of dogs show some sign of dental disease by the age of two! An initial buildup of tartar causes painful inflammation of the gums, known as […]