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Oz genetics reverses trans-Tasman flow

Demand for Australian Jerseys is at an all-time high. Raceway is a former Australian Number 1 genomic Jersey expected to rank high when the 2015 ABVs are released.

Australian dairy genetics is coming to New Zealand, with Genetics Australia Cooperative Ltd (GAC) teaming up with Kiwi genetics company Genetic Enterprises (GE) to distribute the Australian products here.

Higher-value bobbies are more money in the bank

Getting a premium on calves he would otherwise send away on the bobby calf truck is a seasonal bonus enjoyed by Waikato share-milker Markus Ruegger, according to Firstlight Wagyu.

Acting now can reduce facial eczema long-term

Hot, muggy conditions this year were a pointed reminder to dairy farmers to breed animals more tolerant of facial eczema (FE) and more resistant to the disease long-term, says CRV Ambreed.

Fine-tuning dry cow therapy lowers scc

DairyNZ senior scientist Jane Lacy-Hulbert outlines seven ways to fine-tune your dry cow approach and get the most out of your time and money.

Dystocia costing Oz dairy $44 million

Calves can be presented in many ways at birth. The various presentations, positions and postures mean that safe delivery of the calf can be very challenging. Image. Zoe Volgels.

Dystocia, or difficulty in giving birth, is a common problem encountered in dairy herds.

Limited pasture requires precision management

Western Australian dairy farmers Ruth and Ian McGregor can only rely on pasture for five months of the season on their Chapman Hill farm, near Busselton, so each blade grown must be maximised.

On-line bull team builder

Go online to see the impact of genetic improvement on farm profit and team averages, says NZ Animal Evaluation Ltd (NZAEL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DairyNZ.

More tools in the box

There's been noise in the market recently about urea coatings that can reduce volatilisation -– the process where nitrogen is lost to the atmosphere rather than available to the plant.

Nitrogen dollars dissolving in thin air

The economic cost of nitrogen loss through volatalisation is high, according to field trials.

Million of dollars of nitrogen is vanishing into thin air, causing losses to farmers and to New Zealand in wasted imports, says fertiliser company Ballance Agri-Nutrients.