News & Advice

Ectoparasites such as flystrike and lice are among the most economically damaging issues in New Zealand sheep farming, costing millions annually in chemical treatments alone. While both pests require distinct control strategies, lice present unique challenges due to their tenacity and lifecycle. Flystrike Flystrike is a major animal welfare issue, and every effort must be […]

Why worry about copper? Copper deficiency in cattle can have the following impacts: Ill thrift and poor growth Altered coat colour and condition Immunosuppression Anaemia Gait abnormalities – calves Fractured humerus issues (broken shoulders) – 1st and 2nd calvers Reduced reproductive performance. How to successfully ensure copper levels are good in your herd We cannot […]

Injectable anthelmintics enable active to get into the bloodstream where it is distributed throughout the treated animal. This enables the drug to reach parasites that can be in various body tissues or organs of the host animal. It is extremely important to assess the bodyweight of the treated animal accurately, because these anthelmintics may have […]

Recent rain around Christmas will lead to unprecedented grass growth. Unfortunately, the conditions promoting good grass growth also promote parasite survival. Parasites like moisture, warmth and shade which are the conditions currently prevailing on most irrigated pasture and on a lot of unirrigated pasture. Lungworm reared its head last autumn on some properties, and the […]

  Whether there have been previous resistance issues on the farm or not, this testing is a worthwhile investment. This is the only way to know if the drenches that you are using are actually effective on your farm. Parasite resistance to drenches is a continual problem, and once resistance to a drench has developed, […]

  With outdoor activities and events, and domestic travel in full swing across New Zealand during the warmer months, we often experience outbreaks canine cough- commonly known as ‘kennel cough’. Despite the name, this highly contagious respiratory illness is not limited to dogs in boarding kennels. It frequently affects working dogs, especially when teams from […]

The results are in: Mating season is over, and the outcome should be appropriately considered – what went well and what did not? And, more importantly, why? Although these considerations affect next season’s approach to mating, another challenge is equally important – Dry-off. And the foundation for achieving top results next year is laid down […]

Managing the effects of parasites on stock is a key factor in farming profitability. Younger animals are impacted most by the number of worm larvae they consume, yet parasites thrive in the warm wet conditions we need to grow high-energy pasture. Every drench is a chance to remove the parasites lambs have consumed since they […]

The timing of and process for weaning is crucial to the success and therefore profitability on deer farms. It is a highly stressful time for hinds and fawns, and careful thought needs to be given to the process to minimise this and maximise growth. While natural weaning does not occur until the fawns are at […]

Salmonellosis takes many forms. Historically, our dairy cattle and sheep have been the focus of acute cases of salmonellosis – generally as single cases or at most a small cluster. Sheep emerged during the 1990’s to have flock wide florid abortions and acute deaths. This of course has been successfully managed by vaccination and/or management […]

With the ram sales already happening, it is time to have a sort out of your existing ram flock to ascertain numbers of new rams required. These new acquisitions should be from a brucellosis-free accredited flock that fits your farm’s management systems and goals. Care must be taken if getting cheap rams from saleyards – […]

Clostridial vaccines are one of the most researched and well-understood vaccinations on the market. The cost-benefit ratio of a successful clostridial vaccination programme always works in the farmer’s favour. You only have to save one in six hundred lambs to pay for the cost, and the faster you grow your lambs the more you need […]