Give calves the best possible start to set them up for a long, productive life. Maintain routine hygiene and health practices from birth, such as regularly cleaning feeders, limiting movements between pens, and following a vaccination plan.

Milk feeding strategies play a key role in giving calves the best start, supporting their growth, health and wellbeing from day one. Choosing the right system will ease the demands of calf rearing and set your calves up for a productive life.

Dry cow treatment should be administered with careful preparation, strict hygiene, and good aftercare to protect cow health and prevent mastitis. Before treatment, cows should be clearly identified and equipment prepared so the process runs smoothly.

Successful calf rearing starts as soon as the calf is born, requiring careful attention to safety, identification, and health protocols during collection.

Understanding calf digestion and rumen development is crucial for successful growth and future production.

Prioritising the health of bobby calves makes transporting them more efficient. Additionally, they must meet requirements for transportation before leaving the farm to keep them comfortable and healthy.

How can your actions during calving impact success at mating? Find out about the herd fertility cake concept and the key ingredients to focus on between calving and mating to improve in-calf rates.

Calf scours, or diarrhoea in calves, can be caused by multiple factors and if untreated, can lead to severe dehydration and even death. This disease disrupts the normal water movement in the digestive tract, leading to water and salt loss.

Theileriosis is a cattle disease spread by ticks, causing anaemia and sometimes death, especially in calves and cows during calving.

Creating a safe and healthy culture needs to be a conscious and deliberate effort every day. Lead by example to show your team that safe practices are expected.

Our guests Matte Kirk and Kelly Dickey share their thoughts on mental wellness in the rural sector. Are farmers getting better at talking about how they’re feeling? Why is getting off the farm so important?

Recorded on 9 March 2022. Kiwi dairy farmers are increasingly under pressure with ever-changing regulations, acute workforce shortages, and all the complexities that come with a changing world.

Mastitis generally falls into two categories: environmental and contagious. Good milking routine, teat spray and hygiene reduce contagious spread. Clean, well-managed sheds, dry bedding and managing cow traffic help minimise environmental exposure.