Rewarding farmers who embrace sustainability
Winners of DairyNZ’s Sustainability and Stewardship awards in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards have their eyes firmly fixed on progressing a positive future for New Zealand dairy.
When choosing bulls to use instead of AI, you must consider their age, size, health and the breed-related risk of assisted calvings, says DairyNZ.
If you plan to rear heifer calves from the bulls, you also need to consider the bulls’ genetic merit and pedigree.
Select bulls from a bull rearer with a reputation of growing and delivering healthy bulls.
Older bulls can be temperamental, difficult to manage and are more likely to have injuries to the penis, back or legs.
Use bulls that are no more than 4 years old; choose virgin bulls whenever possible as they are less likely to introduce venereal diseases to the herd; but avoid using bulls that are less than 15 months old.
Insist on bulls vaccinated for lepto(spirosis) and verifi ed free of tuberculosis (TB), bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), neospora, Johne’s disease and EBL.
Consider testing for Trichomoniasis and Campylobacter (vibrio).
Select bulls of similar size and age; and from the same mob. This will reduce fighting when they are with the herd. Exclude bulls with deformed feet.
Select bulls of similar size to the cows or heifers to be mated, always preferring smaller bull size (Jersey bulls with HolsteinFriesian cows).
If bulls are heavier than the cows or heifers, then injuries to both bulls and cows are more likely. Observe bulls serving tall cows; ensure they are able to serve correctly. Use bulls that are likely to minimise the number of calvings requiring assistance. In larger herds, bull matings are rarely recorded and staff can become confused differentiating between AB calves and natural mating calves.
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.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has informed staff it will cut 391 jobs following a consultation period.
New Zealand farmers are committed to making their businesses more resilient to climate change and are embracing innovation to help them do so.
Atiamuri farmers Paul and Lesley Grey never gave up their dream of owning their own farm – and in 2020, that dream came true.
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