A feed pad is used for regular supplementary feeding and loafing of cows on an area that is either formed with a solid foundation and/or concreted and can be covered or uncovered.

Free stall barns are engineered structures for housing dairy cattle. Free stall barns can significantly improve feed usage, herd comfort, and reduce maintenance costs, but they can require a substantial initial investment and experienced management.

Antibiotic resistance is on the rise - so how can you protect your herd at dry-off? We break down the latest research on selective dry cow therapy and share practical tips to reduce antibiotics, manage dry-off risks, and keep cows healthy.

In 2001, the DairyNZ Greenfield Project was established with the audacious goal of turning milking into a background activity on dairy farms.

You care for your cows, but what happens once they leave the farm? In this episode, Dr. Stacey Hendriks and Penny Timmer-Arends share three key steps to help cull cows travel well. Tune in for tips to ensure a smoother journey beyond the farm gate.

If you're in charge of cattle or deer, you must meet legal obligations like registering your farm, tagging and registering your animals with approved RFID tags, and recording all animal movements within 48 hours.

Body condition loss in early lactation can significantly reduce your herd's wellbeing and productivity. Cows often lose condition in the first 10 days after calving, so ensure your herds' energy requirements are met to stay on track.

In this episode of Talking Dairy, we tackle the challenge of managing mastitis. Experts Mike Shallcrass and Jane Lacy-Hulbert offer practical tips on detecting and handling high SCC cows and strategies to prevent mastitis and improve milk quality.

When it comes to breeding more efficient cows, why is genetic gain so important and how can NZAEL’s online tools help? Join us as we talk about the latest in dairy genetics and animal evaluation.

Early preparation of your winter grazing paddocks minimises sediment loss and movement. Use back fences and portable troughs to reduce soil damage by limiting unnecessary cow movement.

Breeding Worth (BW) is an index that ranks cows and bulls on their ability to breed profitable, efficient replacements. This page explains how BW is used to create herds resilient to changes and disease, therefore increasing farm profits.

A breeding value is an estimate of an animal's genetic merit for a particular trait. Using breeding values to select cows and bulls to be the parents of the next generation is the most effective way to achieve genetic improvement.

Cow performance measurement lets you identify the most and least productive cows in your herd.

Effective cow data recording and performance measurement on your farm can make the difference in breeding decisions.

This tool estimates the latest date to dry cows off to ensure they meet BCS targets at calving.

Contagious mastitis in cows is often spread during milking. Minimise the spread by maintaining healthy teat ends, using well-operating milking equipment, and disinfecting teats after milking.