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1. Transition management
   Transition time for dairy cows The transition period is defined as the period from three weeks before calving until three weeks after calving. This period is fundamental to the whole season's production and...
2. Transition time
   Transition time for dairy cows The transition period is defined as the period from three weeks before calving until three weeks after calving. This period is fundamental to the whole season's production and...
3. Magnesium management
   Magnesium supplementation of dairy cows Magnesium supplementation is an essential part of transition management on dairy farms. Severe magnesium deficiency will cause nervous signs and often death around...
4. Broodmare management
   Broodmare management In order to facilitate the management of spring broodmares at the start of the breeding season (1st September for Thoroughbreds), the following checklist is essential. Dry Mare...
5. Turnip photosensitivity in cows
   Turnip photosensitivity in cows Turnips can cause photosensitivity which often coincides with periods of Facial Eczema (FE) risk. This may lead to a misdiagnosis and doubts about the FE prevention strategy in use...
6. More articles
   Click on the links below to read more dairy articles Lameness Lame, lame, go away Lameness in dairy cattle Heifer management Heifer management Disease management Bloat Nitrate toxicity...
7. Rearing calves 0 to 4 days
   Rearing calves - 0 to 4 days Calf rearers are responsible for the future generations of cows and they should have pride in the valuable role they are performing. Throughout the rearing period, planning can...
8. Dairy
   Dairy Modern dairy farming is big business.  It also remains a way of rural life integral to the financial wellbeing of the country. As a business, it should be about maximizing performance from key farming...
9. The barren mare
   The barren mare A barren mare is a mare that is not pregnant at the end of the breeding season. It is advisable to perform a pre-breeding examination on these mares before the start of the breeding season to...
10. Feeding turnips
    Feeding turnips to cattle...
11. Heifer management
    Heifer management
12. Heifer management
    Heifer management
13. Pasture management
    Pasture management
14. Winter feeding
    Winter feeding objectives and management in deer
15. Management
    Management These pages contain information on feeding, behaviour, transport, housing, health checks and regular interventions. Click on the headings in the drop down menu to read more.
16. Sheep measles
    Sheep measles ...
17. Dollars and drenching
    Dollars and drenching  Don't let an undetected worm issue be one of the reasons that heifers enter the herd at suboptimal liveweights, or the reason that growing cattle fail to finish on time....
18. Dollars and drenching
      Dollars and drenching  Don't let an undetected worm issue be one of the reasons that heifers enter the herd at suboptimal liveweights, or the reason that growing cattle fail to finish on...
19. Internal parasites
    Internal parasites affecting alpacas Generally, alpacas are susceptible to internal parasites in much the same way that cattle and sheep are. Alpacas share some internal parasites with both sheep and cattle but...
20. Mating options
    Why wait? Plan for success! Many farmers have a great opportunity to drive profitability and job satisfaction through a focus on getting more cows in calf, earlier. There is plenty of scope to increase profit...
21. No 8 HR service
    No.8 HR - a Human Resource service for the dairy farm Recognising that recruiting good people and managing them well is a significant component of a successful dairy farming business, Intelact have developed a...
22. Ewe management after scanning
    Ewe management after scanning  Our calculations show that $1000 spent on pregnancy-scanning 1000 ewes (includes the cost of beer) can return $5500 in increased income. This comes from knowing which...
23. Advantages of early preg-testing
    Early pregnancy-testing - far more useful than inductions In 2010, new operational guidelines for routine induction of dairy cattle limited the level of inductions within an individual herd to no more than 15% of...
24. Preparing for weaning
    Preparing for weaning The replacement heifer calf is the most genetically valuable animal on your farm and as such, it needs the full attention of management to ensure it survives, grows, reaches puberty, conceives...
25. Pregnant mare management
    Management of pregnant mares  Pregnant mare management should now be underway but here are some reminders on what to think about in the lead-up to foaling. Rapid growth of the foetus takes place in the...
26. The future of inductions
    The future of inductions Inductions for this season are essentially all done and dusted but we thought it was prudent to increase awareness around what the future holds for inductions in the coming year prior to...
27. Managing a pasture surplus
    Managing a pasture surplus One of the skills of spring grazing management is to feed the cows as much as they can eat to achieve their peak potential milk production, while at the same time preventing the...
28. Horses
    Services This page contains a description of our services specific to horses.  We have kept this brief as the horse area of the website is dedicated to you, the horse owner. Read more ... Disease...
29. Early pregnancy-testing
    Early pregnancy-testing Is it time to stop making excuses about your herd's reproductive performance?  The weather and old cows cop most of the blame but in reality this is not where the main problems...
30. Deer
    Deer The Totally Vets team are part of the history of deer farming in the Manawatu.  While deer numbers in our area have declined, our team's extensive experience in deer work ensures that our clients...
31. Dairy Seminar
    ATTENTION ALL DAIRY CLIENTS  "Fertility Factors for Dairy Cows" Getting cows in calf and keeping them that way is becoming increasingly difficult. Totally Vets invites you to an evening...
32. Growing Great Heifers
    Totally Vets Growing Great Heifers  What you do almost every day will impact on a heifer’s fertility, milk production, health and longevity in the herd. Growing Great Heifers includes:...
33. Any money in condition-scoring?
    There's money in condition-scoring - fact or fiction? The condition score (CS) of a cow before or after she goes onto a break of feed will be the same. Condition score measures fat under the skin as well as...
34. Combination drenches
    Why are we so keen on combination drenches? The recommendations around worm management and especially drenching of farm livestock is an area farmers have had to cope with a lot of change as we all learn more....
35. Growing great heifers
    Growing great heifers The end result of poorly-grown young stock impacts well into their first lactation. As yearlings, well-managed heifers get in calf quickly and calve early. An excellent tool for...
36. Totally Vets sheep-scanning
    Pregnancy-scanning sheep There's much more than ‘pub talk' to be made from pregnancy-scanning ewes! Knowing the ewes that are carrying more than one lamb so that they can have special...
37. Wishnowsky Farm - looking back
    Wishnowsky's Farm: the power of doing the basics properly! The three years of the Beef+Lamb NZ Monitor Farm Programme at Simon and Dennis Wishnowsky's property will be coming to an end before the 2012...
38. Angry bulls to Agreeabulls
    Turn angry bulls into Agreeabulls Agreeabulls are less likely to exhibit aggressive and sexual behaviours, which takes some of the hassle out of farming bulls. For the first time, farmers can enjoy the benefits...
39. Caring for the newborn foal
    Newborn foal management  It is important to recognise normal behaviour in your foal so that you can identify problems early on and call Totally Vets if you have any concerns. A healthy foal should:...
40. Community grp day - 5 May 10
    Community group day 2 - Monitor Farm on a roll!  A stunning autumn day added to the enthusiasm of all who attended the second Meat & Wool NZ Monitor Farm day at Simon & Dennis Wishnowsky's...
41. Sheep
    Sheep Totally Vets offers a complete advisory and treatment service for flock health and production.  We are lucky enough to have Trevor Cook on the Totally Vets team - Trevor is a leading light in the...
42. Worms in finishing systems
    Background to worms in beef finishing systems   Ninety-five percent of the worm population is on pasture On any single farm, only 5% of the worm population are adult worms within the bellies of the...
43. TVL heifer-grazing scheme
    Totally Vets heifer-grazing scheme Totally Vets is running an in-house heifer-grazing scheme for our clients on our own clients' properties.  The benefits of this scheme to the dairy farmer are...
44. Induction reduction 2012
    Induction reduction in 2012 Progress in reducing the number of cows induced to calve early in 2011 was positive, thanks to the excellent work of farmers throughout the country. Data contributed by...
45. News
    Join our heifer-grazing schemeMay 2, 2012 Totally Vets is running an in-house heifer-grazing scheme for our clients on our own clients' properties.  The benefits of this scheme to the dairy farmer are...
46. Lambing - when to paddock out
    When is the best time to paddock out for lambing? In our June 2011 newsletter, Trevor did a great review of ewe management from scanning to lambing, including winter feed allocation and target covers for...
47. Calves - 5 days to weaning
    Calf-rearing - 5 days to weaning Colostrum storage Natural fermentation at ambient temperatures: Store in a cool place at 5o-15oC Use plastic or stainless steel containers with a lid Break the...
48. Community grp day - 10 Feb 10
    First Monitor Farm day at Wishnowsky's!  Wednesday 10th February 2010 was a day Simon and Dennis Wishnowsky won’t forget for a long while – it was their first experience of opening up their...
49. Rotavirus vaccination
    Rotavirus vaccination: it's all in the timing Timing, they say, is everything. Linda and Sean McGinty found to their cost that when it comes to protecting calves against the debilitating effects of rotavirus,...
50. LIft income, reduce expenses
    LIft income, reduce expenses and improve working conditions  It's no surprise that cows with lower somatic cell counts (SCC) produce more milk. A rule of thumb is that for every 100,000 cells drop down...
51. New findings on worm control
    Some new research findings on worms in deer Most of our advice around worm management in deer is extrapolated from what is known about sheep and cattle. However, throughout the history of deer farming in NZ, we...
52. Exit-drenching - a new concept?
    ‘Exit'-drenching - a new concept in your worm management plan? In the last two issues of Vetnotes we've discussed the technical aspects and some possible uses of the two new sheep drench families...
53. Getting through in good shape
    Getting through in good shape The first day of May is critical to ensure stock successfully get through the winter and perform.  Having pasture covers and stock health in place for winter will set up the...
54. Summer worm issues
    Summer worm issues The dry sunny weather of the beginning of the year has been followed by some significant rain and continuing warm weather.  What does this mean for the worm population on farms and their...
55. Bloat
    Bloat Pasture bloat is a serious and unpredictable condition of grazing cattle.  Despite years of research into bloat prevention, it is still a common problem in New Zealand, largely as a side effect of...
56. Beef
    Beef Totally Vets offers the complete range of health and production services for all beef enterprises from traditional cow-calf breeding herds through to high performance finishing services. From a...
57. Services
    Services General Medicine and Surgery Horses are athletes and like any athlete their best performances are achieved when they're in perfect health. The better they are managed, the easier it...
58. Pregnancy testing explained
      Pregnancy testing - what do you want to know??? Apart from more sophisticated scanning equipment and some interest in foetal sexing, it is fair to say that there is little new on the technical...
59. Artificial Insemination
    Artificial Insemination Are you considering breeding options for your mare?  For many breeds, getting your mare in foal to a local stallion is not the only option available.  Artificial...
60. Hind scanning
    Pregnancy-scanning hinds Cooler nights signalled the onset of the roar. Now is a good time to decide what you need for this coming mating. A simple yes/no may suffice and provides very valuable information...
61. Mastitis in heifers
    Mastitis in heifers From national and overseas surveys, as well as from local feedback, we know that mastitis in heifers is a common and frustrating problem. In addition, mastitis is associated with significant...
62. Acupuncture for pets
    Acupuncture for pets Kellie Doyle, one of our small animal vets, is currently undertaking a course in Animal Acupuncture through the University of Melbourne and is hoping to be able to start offering this...
63. Acupuncture for pets
    Acupuncture for pets Kellie Doyle, one of our small animal vets, is currently undertaking a course in Animal Acupuncture through the University of Melbourne and is hoping to be able to start offering this...
64. Getting beef cows in calf
    Getting beef cows in calf The list of what to do is long enough to be daunting. Often it is dominated by animal health inputs such as vaccines and trace elements. The reality is though that management coming into...
65. To induce or not to induce?
    To induce or not to induce? Herds that induce must have identified their late calvers by scanning during a suitable window of opportunity. A list of those cows to be induced must be with the veterinarian doing...
66. Where we're going ...
    Where we're going ... While the number of prosperous palates in the world grows, New Zealand is in a grand position to be providing them with food that meets their stringent demands. There are huge...
67. Facial eczema
    Facial eczema in sheep Sheep are very susceptible to facial eczema (FE).  The resulting liver damage can severely affect their welfare, affect production and fertility or cause death.  Prevention is...
68. Farm dog constipation
    Farm dog constipation There are a number of cases each year of farm working dogs being presented to the clinic with constipation. Good management (and prevention) of this condition could make the difference between...
69. Barry Drayton
    Meet your vet ... Barry Drayton Barry Drayton cut his teeth as a young vet in Hawera and found his way around horses under the mentorship of great Taranaki horse trainers such as Brian Deacon, Wally McEwan, and...
70. Community grp day 2 Nov 11
    Simon & Dennis Wishnowsky's Monitor Farm Newsletter 2nd November 2011 Community Group Day This community group day was a chance to review the productive results of what had been a wet and...
71. New drench info
    Something New It doesn't seem so long since we were advised to learn to live with anthelminthic drench resistance (AR) and adopt more sustainable parasite management. More recently a new class of worm...
72. Lepto & other vaccinations
    Lepto and other vaccinations Time stops for no one including those with calves to vaccinate (and cows). If you haven't already done so now is the time to plan your lepto vaccinations and mark a date in the...
73. November 2011
    Current stock health November 2011 Dairy Keep an eye on cycling cows and be prepared to intervene or contact us if submission rates are not where they should be. Continue with magnesium supplementation...
74. Rotavec - timing is everything
    Rotavec ... timing is everything! Rotavec®Corona vaccination is a significant investment and well worth it when compared to facing the debilitating effects of rotavirus scours outbreak!  Vaccination of...
75. The tail-end ewe
    The tail-end ewe Ewes weaned in good condition last year are likely give you more flexibility over the summer in terms of feed allowance and management. This will probably have a flow-on effect in terms of...
76. Leptosure - to be sure
    Leptosure® to be sure Leptospirosis is a serious illness and potentially fatal. Despite the inroads made into the disease by vaccination and other control measures, dairy farmers and their staff still have one...
77. December 2011
    Current stock health December 2011/January 2012 Dairy Your calves are doing well and suddenly you find one dead in the paddock. There's a great list of diseases that cause sudden death in calves. Some...
78. Drenching your lambs?
    So what are you drenching your lambs with this year?...
79. Get lame cows sorted
    For hoof's sake - get lame cows sorted?? Despite August snow and more than 22 rain days in October, this spring has been a vast improvement on 2010! Nonetheless, there has still been a significant number of...
80. Leptospirosis
    Leptospirosis After dairy herd vaccination began in 1979, leptospirosis cases in humans dropped from 667 to 106 by 1991. Today New Zealand has one of the highest rates of leptospirosis in the world....
81. Nitrate toxicity
    Nitrate toxicity All of the commercially farmed ruminant species i.e. cattle, sheep, deer and goats are susceptible to nitrate toxicity. Nitrate is taken up by plants from the soil and is converted into protein...
82. Nitrate toxicity
    Nitrate toxicity All of the commercially farmed ruminant species i.e. cattle, sheep, deer and goats are susceptible to nitrate toxicity. Nitrate is taken up by plants from the soil and is converted into protein...
83. Nitrate toxicity
    Nitrate toxicity All of the commercially farmed ruminant species i.e. cattle, sheep, deer and goats are susceptible to nitrate toxicity. Nitrate is taken up by plants from the soil and is converted into protein...
84. Foot balance and shoeing
    Foot Balance and Shoeing As the old adage goes - "no foot, no horse". Most people are aware that regular trimming or shoeing is an important aspect of caring for a horse, whether you own a sport...
85. Pet nutrition - choose the best!
    Dog and cat nutrition – comparing pet foods There are many different pet foods available (made from many different combinations of ingredients) for owners to feed their pets and it is important to...
86. Pet nutrition - choose the best!
    Dog and cat nutrition – comparing pet foods There are many different pet foods available (made from many different combinations of ingredients) for owners to feed their pets and it is important to...
87. Induction of dairy cows
    Induction of dairy cows There are many consequences of inducing dairy cows but arguably the most important one is the damage to New Zealand's dairy farming image and risk to our market access. We live...
88. Ewe management
    Ewe management from ram removal to scanning 2012 is an opportunity for many flocks to reset the bar in terms of ewe body-condition, and the size of the tail-end. We know how much body condition impacts on ewe...
89. Rotavirus in calves
    Rotavirus scours in calves Calf scours can be costly today, and may affect productivity in the future. Plan for a solution that helps ensure piece of mind now, and optimal returns tomorrow. Rotaviruses,...
90. Services
    General Medicine and Surgery Totally Vets focuses both your and our energies on reducing the need for emergency veterinary services to treat sick and injured or distressed animals. Unfortunately, as the old...
91. Community grp day - 4 Aug 10
    Summary from Community Group Day, 4 August 2010 Morning Workshop Topics - ‘Collecting more information from your farm' Ewe Body-Condition Scoring (BCS) Body condition scoring ewes (0.22MB) ...
92. Community grp day 3 Aug 11
    Simon & Dennis Wishnowsky’s Monitor Farm Newsletter 3rd August 2011 Community Group Day This community group day saw us cover 3 practical workshop topics in the morning:...
93. Services
    Services Totally Vets offers a range of small animal services, many of which all tie into "wellness" - the quest for all of our pets to be and stay well.   As humans, our decisions on...
94. Equine Health Plans
    Totally Vets Equine Health Plans        Q: How do you make a small fortune? A: Start off with a large fortune and buy a horse. Our new Equine Health Plans (EHPs) are...
95. Got an itch?
    Got an itch? Skin problems can be one of the most frustrating conditions we see, both for our patients, you as the owners and us as clinicians.  What can start as an allergy can get complicated by secondary...
96. Big is (really) good
    Big is (really) good Body condition score (BCS), the body bank, whatever you choose to call it, has a far greater return than most other forms of conventional investment. What's more, you even have a very...
97. Feline senior wellness
    Feline senior wellness - keeping your older cat healthy As cats grow older, their bodies become less able to cope with physical or environmental stress.  Their immune systems become weaker and they are...
98. Heifer mastitis
    Heifer mastitis Your heifers are the future of your herd and you have invested considerable money and time before they enter the milking herd. The quickest way to devalue this investment is calving mastitis,...
99. Alpaca
    Alpacas in New Zealand - an introduction  Alpacas (and to a much lesser extent llamas) are used in New Zealand for the production of fibre for garments. Currently there are over 11,000 animals in New...
100. InCalf - herd fertility
     InCalf - towards better herd fertility  "The need to improve reproductive performance is a high priority for New Zealand's dairy farmers. An industry target of achieving a 6-week in-calf rate of 78%...
101. Sheep vaccinations
     Sheep vaccinations While most may have finished preparing for breeding, it is worthwhile thinking ahead to next year about vaccination management strategies you may wish to implement.  What follows is a...
102. Calving tips
     Guide to calving cows The calving season is a busy time on any dairy farm. Good management can help to avoid many problems but in spite of the best laid plans, births do not always run to plan. Knowing a few...
103. Heifer mastitis
     Heifer mastitis Your heifers are the future of your herd and you have invested considerable time and money before they enter the milking herd. The quickest way to devalue this investment is calving mastitis,...
104. Quick guide to hogget mating
     Management tips for successful ewe hogget mating   Hogget mating is one of those jobs where you really have to dot all the i's and cross all the t's to get a good outcome - it cannot be left to luck...
105. Managing a pasture surplus
     Managing a pasture surplus   The big issue to be focusing on in this early stage of the season is to ensure that the milking herd is being ad-lib fed - that is to say, the cows are being allowed to eat...
106. To tease or not to tease?
     Teasers Teasers are vasectomised rams that can be used to synchronise ewes that are already cycling, or to stimulate ewes to cycle earlier. Teasers can also improve the ovulation rate ie increase the chance of...
107. Minimum requirements
     Minimum requirements for beef cows Even though breeding cows on hills are generally considered to be the flexible stock class on those hills, to not allow them to meet some minimum objectives consigns them to be...
108. Magnesium in beef cows
     Magnesium in beef cows Magnesium is required for optimal rumen fermentation. Ruminants deficient in magnesium have lowered cellulose digestion in the rumen resulting in reduced appetite and total nutrient...
109. Why neuter your working dogs?
     Why neuter your working dogs?...
110. Reproduction
     Reproduction in pigs One of the big advantages of farming pigs is their ability to reproduce. Sows can produce over two litters per year with in excess of 20 piglets weaned. This is a very high reproductive rate...
111. Community Grp Day 11 May 11
     Newsletter 11th May 2011 Community Group Day Farm Update Feed situation Average pasture cover was assessed at 1850kgDM/ha; a much more comfortable position than the scary 1250kgDM/ha recorded...
112. Scanning to lambing
     Scanning to lambing Just scanning ewes for their pregnancy status does not add value on its own unless pub talk is part of the farm value package. Selling dry ewes this year could be seen by some as all that is...
113. Milking management checks
     The millionaires club - to treat or not to treat? With a bulk tank somatic cell count (BTSCC) you'd rather not talk about and your first herd test under your belt, you may be reflecting on whether to treat...
114. Winter ewe management
     Winter ewe management This year the body condition of many flocks going into mating was the best it has been for years, set up by the flush of quality pasture growth throughout January and February. ...
115. An easy run for winter ewes?
     An easy run through winter for ewes this year? Yeah Right ... In late February, it seemed no one was the slightest bit worried about getting through into winter in great shape. At least that's what we...
116. Soils & Fertilisers Day
      Newletter Soils and Fertiliser - 17th May 2011  Prepared By Ginny Dodunski Contents Ian McNab, AgKnowledge: ‘Back to the future' - Rational fertiliser use for your farm... 2...
117. BVD update
     Bovine Viral Diarrhoea - taking the next steps Here is a timely reminder of the potential cost of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD): a recent episode of ill-thrift with diarrhoea unresponsive to drenching in a mob...
118. Mastitis review
     Mastitis review As far as mastitis is concerned, the typical 70% prevalence of a season's cases in early lactation (i.e. around calving mastitis) will have occurred. Once again, most early cases of...
119. Pink eye in cattle
     Pink eye in cattle Pink eye results in economic losses when it occurs as an outbreak due to reduced weight gain or even weight loss in calves. Affected animals suffer considerable pain and distress. It is a...
120. Pink eye in cattle
     Pink eye in cattle Pink eye results in economic losses when it occurs as an outbreak due to reduced weight gain or even weight loss in calves. Affected animals suffer considerable pain and distress. It is a...
121. Growing good young stock
     Growing good young stock... ....is like putting money in the bank - the more you put in during the whole rearing period, the more you will get paid out.  Replacement heifers are the most valuable asset...
122. Wishnowsky monitor farm - bring on the beef cows!
     Wishnowsky Monitor Farm - bring on the beef cows! The afternoon of the last community group day at Simon and Dennis Wishnowsky's was dedicated solely to beef cow performance. The beef cow is unmatched...
123. Drying-off revisited
     Drying-off revisited The critical factors that determine when a cow should be dried off are: Her current body condition score. The body condition score you want her at calving (should be 5). The amount of...
124. Poor hoof quality in horses
     Poor hoof quality in horses Poor hoof quality is likely to be the first thing that is noticed when examining a horse. Good-quality hoof horn is dry, hard and tough. It should not be brittle, soft and spongy....
125. Welfare code 2010
     What the new code means for you  The dairy cattle code of welfare (2010) encourages all farmers to adopt the highest standards of husbandry, care and handling. It sets out general principles of care and...
126. Mid-lactational mastitis
     Mid-lactational mastitis At this time of year, an increase in the Bulk Tank Somatic Cell Count (BTSCC) may have alerted you to the need to look further into your mastitis management.  This could be as a...
127. Poor performance
     Poor performance There are a number of reasons why your horse may not be performing up to expectations. The first thing to decide is whether your expectations are realistic. Has the horse performed to...
128. Is she on heat?
     Is she on heat? Good reproduction management focuses on key fertility areas, one of these areas being heat detection. InCalf research has found that on about 25 % of farms, heat detection errors are likely to be...
129. Hitting those weaning targets
     Hitting those weaning targets - more tricky this year   Given that many flocks went into lambing this year in lower than normal body condition, two things can happen from here: 1. We get good grass...
130. Looking forward to weaning!
     Looking forward to weaning! This time last year, we were very much in ‘survival' mode. Ewes were very light, and a difficult winter was followed by the worst and wettest September anyone can remember!...
131. Feeding brassica crops
     Feeding summer brassica crops to dairy cattle Brassica crops are fed to dairy cattle as a supplement to summer pastures. Brassicas are a cost-effective feed source and can be useful as part of a re-grassing...
132. Sex education!
     Sex education - it's never too early! The time of year is fast approaching when we need to focus on mating in order to optimise returns for the following season. Yes, it's time to plan for next season...
133. Fertility goals
     What are your fertility goals? The fertility goals for seasonal herds have traditionally focused on the empty rate with some consideration given to late cows. The final empty rate is the result of a process of...
134. Milk quality review
     Millk quality review Prior to drying off, Totally Vets endeavours to conduct a milk quality review (MQR) with all of our dairy clients.  There is more to be gained from this review than just a prescription...
135. Why a cow needs a dry period
     Why does a cow need a dry period? At the end of lactation, dairy cows need a dry period that is sufficiently long to allow the udder tissue to repair and rejuvenate. The number of cells in the udder that...
136. Equine castration
     Equine castration Why castrate? Colts are generally castrated for ease of management.  If a colt is left entire it is usually impractical to run him with mares, geldings or other stallions, especially...
137. Beef finishing seminar Nov 09
     Beef finishing seminar Nov 09 The Meat and Wool NZ Manawatu Monitor Farm Finishing programme kicked off with a Beef Finishing seminar last November. Jim Gibbs from Lincoln University spoke about normal...
138. Preparing for mating
     Preparing for mating One date that often creeps up unnoticed is when to apply tail paint to record pre-mating heats. To get maximum value from observing these heats, the herd should be painted 32 days...
139. Worm control for your horse
     Drench resistance - not my problem? Parasitic worms that are able to survive treatment with different classes of wormer are becoming an increasing problem all over the world, and New Zealand is no...
140. Quarantine drenching
     Quarantine drenching - not as simple as you think!...
141. NAIT update Nov 2011
     NAIT update November 2011 Several new tagging requirements have been discussed over the recent months with a variety of companies involved. Most of the deadlines have been shifted but clear guidelines are now...
142. NAIT update Nov 2011
     NAIT update November 2011 Several new tagging requirements have been discussed over the recent months with a variety of companies involved. Most of the deadlines have been shifted but clear guidelines are now...
143. NAIT update Nov 2011
     NAIT update November 2011 Several new tagging requirements have been discussed over the recent months with a variety of companies involved. Most of the deadlines have been shifted but clear guidelines are now...
144. Pregnancy testing outcomes
     Pregnancy test benchmarking - how do you rate? With 50,000 dairy-cow pregnancy tests over the past two and a half months, there is a story to tell. On one hand, there have been big gains made by some ......
145. Fertility - what really matters?
     Mating success What really matters when it comes to fertility? The collective efforts of the dairy industry have identified that in seasonal calving herds, the 6-week in-calf rate is as important as the final...
146. Heifer-rearing economics
     Economic benefits of well-grown heifers In simple terms ... well-reared and grown heifers that reach critical targets as youngsters are healthy, highly fertile, conceive quickly, calve just as quickly, compete...
147. Arthritis
     Arthritis - causes and treatment options Joint problems and arthritis occur when cartilage is worn away faster than it can be replaced.  Cartilage acts as a cushion to protect the bones, so when it becomes...
148. Kaimanawa horse muster 2009
     Kaimanawa Wild Horses - Some facts to help with the fiction! Nigel Coddington In 1844, a horse was presented to the son of Te Heu Heu Tukino - since then, horses began arriving in the central North Island....
149. Calf rearing - the basics
     Calf rearing - the basics There are many good publications on the ‘how to' of calf rearing. The fundamentals of good calf rearing come down to high standards of animal husbandry, excellent yet simple...
150. Preg-testing benchmarking
     Pregnancy-test benchmarking - how do you rate? This PD update report comes a little earlier than it did last year. While we have only checked roughly 25,000 head so far, much of the writing on the wall attests to...
151. Feeding forage crops
     Farming with forage crops The importance of optimising profit by growing more grass and forage in finishing systems was the message of the day at the Meat and Wool NZ Monitor Farm finishing seminar on forage...
152. Managing early-season mastitis
     Early lactation clinical mastitis - a rational approach to treatment Best practice guidelines for a trouble-free start to the season would include: Culling chronic mastitis offenders, cows with ongoing...
153. Managing early-season mastitis
     Early lactation clinical mastitis - a rational approach to treatment Best practice guidelines for a trouble-free start to the season would include: Culling chronic mastitis offenders, cows with ongoing...
154. 8th March 12
     Tararua Focus Group  Newsletter #3: Beef Wintering Systems Heifer-Grazing Contracts Environmental aspects of cattle wintering Pre-Tup Ewe Management Thanks to those who braved the...
155. Growing Great Heifers update
     Growing Great Heifers - a real time update Research tells us that better-grown dairy heifer replacements (of breed and bodyweight equivalence) that reach and maintain critical targets will: be healthier...
156. Respiratory disease
     Respiratory disease in performance...
157. Arthritis
     Arthritis - causes and treatment options Joint problems and arthritis occur when cartilage is worn away faster than it can be replaced.  Cartilage acts as a cushion to protect the bones, so when it becomes...
158. Tetanus
     Tetanus - is your horse vaccinated? Out of all domestic animals, horses are the most susceptible to tetanus toxin.  Combine this with the equine propensity to acquire wounds, hoof injuries and abscesses and...
159. Facial eczema prevention
     Facial eczema - the importance of prevention Facial eczema (FE) was a significant problem last year and the conditions are shaping up for a repeat of the same again this year. The ideal conditions for FE...
160. Calf scours
     Calf scours When calves are raised as a mob it is highly likely that more than one infectious agent will be present in the mob. Whether the calves succumb to one or more of these infectious agents will depend...
161. Healthy heifers
     Healthy heifers Replacement heifers are the future of your herd.  Their health and nutrition need to be carefully managed to ensure they reach their target weights, get in calf and have a successful life in...
162. Recollections of Vietnam
     Recollections of Vietnam In February 2010 Totally Vets contracted to provide veterinary services to a greenfields dairy project in Vietnam.  A Vietnamese company is commissioning the project and an Israeli...
163. Weaner heifer health
     Weaner dairy heifer health Your calves have survived to weaning. Surely nothing can get them now? Wrong! The following diseases are all relatively common in weaners and at the very least will affect their growth...
164. Greenfeed crops
     Tips for managing lambs on greenfeed crops We know from experience and copious trial data that weaned lambs will not grow much over 150grams/day on perennial pasture.  Growth rates on typical hill country...
165. Calf-rearing
     Calf-rearing  No simple solution exists to prevent calf diseases but attention to detail and consistent standards will make the difference. Infectious agents by themselves are not always sufficient to cause...
166. Drying-off
     Drying-off early - decisions and deadlines As we approach the time of the year when you should be thinking about who, when and how to dry-off, it is helpful to go back to basics to aid your decision making....
167. MMF Annual Seminar
     The Manawatu Monitor Farm Annual Seminar The Monitor Farm seminar in February was full of interesting concepts. Here are some of them. Breeding/finishing farm update - Simon & Dennis Wishnowsky...
168. Wishnowsky farm background info
     Wishnowsky farm background information Wishnowsky Community Group day one - 10th February 2010 Tim Hembrow (Meat and Wool NZ) opened the forum explaining how Monitor Farms are a way to identify key issues and...
169. Community Grp Day - 22 Feb 12
     Simon & Dennis Wishnowsky's Monitor Farm Newsletter 22nd February 2011 Community Group Day This season began with a great spell of weather over lambing and calving, with breeding stock in...
170. Community grp day - 16 Mar 11
       Community Group day five summary Hitting pre-winter targets 16th March 2011 Overall situation The last year has been a difficult one with extreme dry, followed by extreme wet with...
171. TVL Nov sheep & beef seminar
     Totally Vets sheep & beef seminar November 09   On a beautiful day in November, we held the second TVL Sheep and Beef Seminar for the year at the Oroua clubrooms. Due to the uncommon appearance of...
172. Facial eczema information
     Facial eczema - all you need to know  We have compiled a list of information on facial eczema, frequently asked questions, how Totally Vets can help you prevent and manage the risk of facial eczema and...
173. Community grp day - 10 Nov 10
     Community group day - 10 November 2010 A lovely spring day for a tour around the Wishnowsky farm promoted much discussion about the season, the stock and the effect of the sun. The Beef + Lamb New...
174. 14th Sept 11
     Inaugural Newsletter ‘Conventional' and ‘Biological' Fertiliser Perspectives It was great to see 100+ people turn out for the first day in a new series of extension events in the Tararua...