increase font size
Three ways you can prepare for the onrush of the calving season will shore up your abilities, says DairyNZ.
First, prepare what you can beforehand.
Second, look after yourself during calving.
Third, work on open and clear communication with everyone around you.
It’s important to prepare beforehand: think about what you can do now to ensure you don’t have to think about it through calving.
Stock up on nutritious food to last six weeks: before calving prepare extra food and freeze it.
Tell your friends and family you will be busy for six to eight weeks, and do a budget and automate any bill payments you can.
It’s also crucial that you look after yourself during calving.
Eight hours sleep each night should be a priority. A lack of sleep causes problems.
Eat healthy, balanced meals often each day: keep snacks in the shed or on the bike so you can snack as you go.
Drink about eight cups of water a day.
Lack of water can sap your energy.
“Tell someone if you’re struggling because it’s a team effort.
“Communicate regularly and honestly,” says DairyNZ.
“Know how your team communicates on your farm -- phones, radios, team meetings or a combination. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes when considering how to bring up an issue.
“Remember you can control how you react to situations. Try to keep control of your emotions. Getting angry will not help anyone.”
Checking springers
Quietly walk through the springer mob. When cows are feeding is best, not when cows are hungry and are looking to be moved. Look for cows showing signs of labour.
Regularly start before calving so cows get used to you walking around them. Check with your manager for the farm policy on checking springers. It should be at least four times per day.
Thoroughly check all areas of the paddock and, depending how good the fencing is, also check the neighbouring paddocks. Check drains, hollows, long grass, hedges – anywhere a calf could be hiding.
Observe closely and identify any issues. Check with your manager on how to intervene if you must.
Record the number of any cow or heifer starting to show signs of calving, already calved or behaving differently from other cows. Report this.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
DairyNZ has pulled together tactics that will help farmers improve on-farm efficiency and have positive benefits for the environment. These tactics are based on research, data, and lessons from leading farmers.
The design and construction of an effective dairy effluent system is a complex process.
After serving three as a DairyNZ director, Waikato farmer Chris Lewis is ready for another term.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
OPINION: Should cows in NZ be microchipped?
OPINION: Legislation being drafted to bring back the controversial trade of live animal exports by sea is getting stuck in the…
