Using heat detection aids efficiently will help ensure a successful mating period on your dairy farm. There are different heat detection aids for cows, including tail paint, heat mount detectors, electronic heat detection, and vasectomised bulls.

Here you’ll learn about ways to make your herringbone dairy more effective, often for little or no extra cost. The swing-over herringbone is the most common dairy type in New Zealand, used on 69% of dairy farms.

Trace elements, including cobalt, copper, iodine, selenium, and zinc, play a vital role in dairy cow nutrition. Your cows need these elements for functions like growth, reproduction, and milk production.

The page focuses on the importance of well-designed and maintained intersections between the yard and track on a dairy farm.

Copper deficiency in cattle, common during winter/early spring or in fast-growing calves over six months, can lead to issues like weight loss, reduced milk yields, reproductive problems, and anaemia in cows.

Kale is a winter feed crop with a deep root system, making it drought-resistant. It's tolerant to many pests and is often grown after swedes due to its resistance to club root and dry rot.

Non-cycling cows can drastically impact your herd's reproductive performance. This page discusses two types of non-cyclers: those that have ovulated but shown no visible signs of heat, and true non-cyclers that haven't started ovulating since calving

Establishing a successful sharemilking or contract milking relationship requires thorough due diligence. This page emphasises that understanding your own goals, values, and financial situation can affect not just you, but also your business partners.

Pregnancy testing is key in managing your dairy herd. It tells you which cows are pregnant and their conception time, which helps you to plan effectively.

Giant buttercup, one of 14 weedy Ranunculus species in New Zealand, is harmful to dairy pastures because cows find it distasteful due to its toxin, protoanemonin. This weed spreads across dairy farms, damaging pasture quality.

Body Condition Scoring (BCS) is a method to monitor dairy cow health and productivity. This page provides a guide on how to carry out BCS, highlighting specific body parts to check, including the backbone, ribs, hip bones, and more.

Establishing a healthy pasture requires attention to several factors: sowing date, seedbed preparation, sowing depth, and perennial ryegrass sowing rate.

The key to preventing lameness on farm is good record keeping, identifying risk factors and developing a lameness prevention plan.

As a farm owner, you are responsible for a multimillion-dollar business. When looking to establish a successful relationship, an important approach is to view this as a business-to-business partnership.

Lipids or fats, found in plant and animal products, are a key energy source in dairy cows' diet. They are typically low, between 2-6% of dry matter in pasture-based diets, as excess can harm rumen function and milk production.

Herd reproductive performance is a crucial factor in your dairy farming success. This page highlights the importance of accurate record-keeping, right from a calf's birth, to get a true picture of your herd's reproductive health.

Velvetleaf is a pest that affects crops, seen in fodder beet and maize crops nationwide. This weed can live on farms for up to 50 years and withstands digestion and silage methods.

Maize is an essential crop for New Zealand dairy farmers, helping enhance feed supply, manage climatic risks, and support pasture renewal. Growing maize on a dairy farm can also extract soil nutrients and reduce costs in high-fertility effluent areas

Getting the pulsation and vacuum systems right is key to efficient and comfortable milkings. This page will cover the benefits of proper pulsation, how it works, and the essential components of a pulsation system.

Designing and installing a new irrigation system for your farm involves making sure it fits your land, business and water regulations. This page emphasises how a well-planned system can boost the efficient use of water, energy, labour, and money.