Animal feed can affect animal health, milk quality and food safety, and the source of dairy products can be important to buyers and consumers. That’s why it’s important when buying and selling feed, it can be traced to its origin.

DairyNZ’s subsidiary NZAEL (New Zealand Animal Evaluation Limited) has recently made a new fertility trait update – in this episode we’ll discuss what this change will mean and how it will benefit farmers.

NZ Animal Evaluation Manager

Disbudding is the process of removing a calf's horns between one to six weeks old. This prevents injuries to both the farm team and other animals.

Clusters in dairy milking are a set of components that include a claw and four fully assembled cups. Selecting the right clusters and setting them up correctly will increase milking efficiency and improve animal health.

Dead stock management is the process of dealing with farm animal fatalities. It is important to appropriately dispose of carcasses to avoid spreading diseases, contaminating water, and harming the dairy industry's public image.

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.

Tail management is crucial in dairy farming to ensure animal welfare and a positive working environment. Tail injuries can cause pain and impact how cows communicate.

Coccidiosis is a disease mainly affecting young cattle, causing diarrhoea that can lead to dehydration or even death. The disease comes from parasites found in infected feed, water, or from self-grooming.

Exotic animal diseases, pest plants, and insect pests are significant threats to New Zealand's dairy farming. The page details DairyNZ's proactive steps to identify these risks through the Dairy Biosecurity Risk Evaluation framework (D-BRiEF).

DairyNZ's research farms are an important industry resource that provide 'real farm' platforms with associated science resources, enabling pasture and animal trials to be carried out.

Volcanic eruptions pose a risk to dairy farm animals due to toxic ash containing fluorine. Hungry animals grazing short pastures are especially at risk, but rainfall can reduce the danger as fluoride is soluble.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) has reviewed the existing code of welfare for dairy cattle and has consulted on updated minimum standards and best practice guidance as well as recommendations for regulations.

Recycling, collection and safe disposal services are a responsible way to deal with farm waste, reducing the negative effects on the environment and the health risks for both people and animals.

Postgraduate student research projects focus on making farms more efficient and sustainable while improving animal welfare. These scholarships enable recipients to focus on their studies and foster professional connections within the sector.

The DairyNZ-led FRNL programme – a cross-sector approach (2013-2019) provided new scientific knowledge, tools and technologies for forage production that can amount to more than 20% reduction of nitrate leaching from dairy farms.

Adverse weather events are becoming more common and can significantly impact dairy farm operations. Dairy farmers must have a plan to look after their people, animals, business and pastures to minimise the impact and ensure a quick recovery.

Dairy stockmanship covers interactions between cows and people, and when practised effectively, creates a safe and efficient work environment; it also improves animal health and production.