COW HEALTH and contentment are important in a Queensland dairy farm positioning itself in the public eye. And the farmer, Greg Dennis, reckons he also gets a bottom line reward because his happy cows are more productive. 

DAIRY FARMERS in the North Island are facing a stern test. Most regions haven’t had decent rain for two months, pasture has disappeared and milk production is at a trickle.

UNIVERSITY OF Auckland geneticist Professor Russell Snell has been appointed director of the Joint Graduate School for Dairy being opened at the university this year.

A FREE DairyNZ scheme which helps farmers share knowledge one-to-one is to be launched in Northland after a successful 12 month trial in Waikato.

DAIRY FARMERS wanting to maintain production into late autumn will find the best economy lies in the use of N, says Ballance science extension manager Aaron Stafford.

STOCKMANSHIP SKILLS need more emphasis for the benefit of the growing numbers of workers entering the dairy industry from urban backgrounds, says an animal husbandry expert.

BY BETTER understanding how a cow senses what’s going on, you can reduce her stress levels and make her life easier, say the organisers of a milk harvesting workshop.

A FREE scheme to help dairy farmers lift the reproductive performance of their herds and get more cows in-calf within the first six weeks of mating is being launched this month.

A MODIFIED quad scraper has made clearing a 114 x 18m standoff pad a breeze, says Northland dairy farmer John Bellamy.

A SILAGE block cutter is helping a South Island farmer keep his silage stack fresher and has eliminated wastage, says machine importer Webbline.