McIvor moving to OSPRI
Beef + Lamb New Zealand chief executive for the past eight years, Sam McIvor is heading for new pastures at Ospri, which runs NZ’s integrated animal disease management and traceability service.
Farmers are being urged to consider delaying pre-lamb shearing this winter as feed resources in many parts of the country are already stretched.
Shearing may increase feed demand by 10-30% for two to four weeks, depending on temperature, wind and rain, as the ewes need extra energy to maintain body heat. Shearing also places freshly shorn sheep at risk in bad weather.
This risk is greater for sheep with a body condition score of below 3. Sheep should not be shorn in the last four weeks of pregnancy.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s senior advisor for biosecurity and animal welfare, Will Halliday, says leaving wool on or just belly crutching will reduce ewes’ feed demand in colder weather compared to fully shorn ewes.
If pre-lamb shearing is necessary, it is recommended that ewes are pre-conditioned by feeding grain for at least 10 days prior to shearing so that feeding can be stepped up immediately afterwards. Alternatively, a well-sheltered area with above maintenance levels of three to four-centimetre pasture length should be provided.
Cover combs will reduce the period of increased feed demand by one or two weeks. Lifters could also be used to leave even more wool on.
Ideally, shearing during winter should be staggered to reduce risk, shearing a shed-full at a time with a three-day gap between. This means sheep can be run back into the shed after shearing, if necessary.
Halliday says the downside of leaving wool on is that ewes are less likely to seek shelter during a storm or cold snap so will need to be monitored and shelter provided during lambing.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
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