Maximising triplet survival
High quality feed, reduced stocking rates and shelter will all help enhance triplet lamb survival and ultimately benefit the bottom line.
A big drop in sheep measles prevalence has occurred during the past 12 months.
“The national prevalence of sheep measles has dropped from 0.57% last season to 0.48%,” says Dan Lynch, project manager of Ovis Management.
“At first glance, it doesn’t look huge, but in real terms it is. It’s a great result.”
He says several factors, such as higher ewe values, mean there’s less home-kill being fed to dogs on-farm, reducing the risk of C. ovis outbreaks. But much of the latest drop in prevalence results from a steady increase in the number of farmers dosing their dogs monthly.
“While the reduction has been occurring over several seasons this is the most significant to date.”
However, Lynch says that’s no cause for complacency as sheep measles remains a quality issue in the marketplace.
Ovis Management has in the last 12 months worked to get its message to a bigger audience by more use of social media, new branding and an updated website.
“The goal, to share the importance of preventing sheep measles, is not just for farmers but other dog owners who may unwittingly allow their dogs to carry and spread the parasite,” Lynch said.
“ ‘Promote, protect and participate’ are the three pillars of the new-look branding. The message is that every at-risk dog, big or small, should be dosed monthly.”
New Zealand now has relatively low levels of sheep measles. An outbreak could cause a lot of damage in otherwise healthy stock.
There are also real financial costs for farmers. At processing, infected animals result in downgrading or, in extreme cases, condemning of sheep or lamb carcases.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Two major red meat sector projects are getting up to a combined $1.7 million in funding from the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).
Angus Barr and Tara Dwyer of The Wandle, Lone Star Farms in Strath Taieri have been named the Regional Supreme Winners at the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards in Dunedin.
OPINION: The distress that the politicians and bureaucrats are causing to the people of Wairoa and the wider Tairāwhiti is unforgivable.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.