For many years, calf rearing systems have focused primarily on developing the rumen of the young calf, so that by the time the calf is weaned, it is able to effectively utilise pasture and other forages. In many cases, maximising rumen development has been interpreted as minimising the amount of milk consumed by the calf to ensure high intakes of starch-based feed needed to help drive the development of rumen papillae.

While important, this focus on rumen development, has unfortunately distracted us from developing other key organs, essential for improved animal health and welfare and optimised lifetime productivity.

To understand how early life nutrition may impact lifetime productivity in dairy heifers, researchers at Cornell University investigated the effect of increased milk feeding on the development of key organs, including the mammary gland, in the first eight weeks of a calf’s life.

These researchers fed calves that weighed 39kg at birth, an average of 600g per day (control) or 1300g per day (enhanced) of milk replacer and found that calves fed the higher levels of milk replacer gained 820g per day compared to control calves which only gained 390g per day.

The researchers also reported a significant difference in the weight of the whole mammary gland and amount of mammary parenchyma (or milk-producing tissue) present at 54 days of age; Calves on the enhanced feeding programme had 6 times the parenchyma tissue of those calves fed the control treatment.

Similar results have also been reported in New Zealand, where calves were fed either 4L or 8L of whole milk from 10 to 73 days of age. Calves were weaned gradually by 84 days of age.

In addition to increased mammary parenchyma, the researchers also reported other benefits, relevant to both heifer or hogget replacements and those animals reared for meat. These include enhanced preweaning growth, with no negative effect on post weaning growth on pasture earlier development of the immune system supporting a more effective immune response.

An extensive review of rearing and production data from more than 140,000 spring born heifers from over 1300 herds in New Zealand reinforces these findings, with researchers reporting a strong positive correlation between first lactation milk production and body weight between three and 21 months of age regardless of breed.

Importantly these researchers also showed a strong positive correlation between body weight during rearing and milk production through to third lactation. This increased productivity combined with improved cow survival all contribute to improved farm profitability.

Improved early life nutrition has also been to shown to have positive benefits for beef animals. In a separate study New Zealand researchers fed one group of dairy beef calves a low milk allowance of 4L per calf per day, with weaning at seven weeks of age. A second group were fed a high milk allowance of 8L per calf per day and were weaned at 12 weeks of age. At 12 weeks of age, the calves fed the high milk allowance were 6.9kg heavier than the calves fed the low milk allowance and the impact of this increase in growth was sustained until 19 months of age.

In addition, those calves on the high milk allowances reached slaughter weight sooner and had higher marbling scores, with steaks showing less cook loss and better colour stability.

Article provided by Provico Rural NZ

According to Probiotic Revolution, the answer may lie with probiotics and prebiotics.

It says these can help counter the typical decline in milk production and the rise in somatic cell counts that occur in late lactation.

Even when summer pasture growth is strong, overall pasture quality usually drops as summer grasses and dead material accumulate, it says.

"This natural seasonal decline in production can be made worse - and cow condition can suffer - when rotation lengths are extended and cows are pushed to consume lower-quality feed.

"As milk production falls, somatic cell counts tend to increase as well.

"A practical way to reduce these issues is to use a low-cost additive that boosts the metabolizable energy (ME) of pasture and silage by stimulating fibre-digesting bacteria in the rumen."

Probiotic Revolution says it's now importing Cultron, a prebiotic yeast extract.

It claims that because Cultron is produced from the fermentation of sugarcane and maize in ethanol production, it contains eight times more metabolites than yeast extracts derived from the brewing industry. This richer nutrient profile more effectively stimulates beneficial rumen microbes, including fibre-digesting bacteria.

In previous autumn seasons, Probiotic Revolution relied mainly on high doses of live bacteria to lower somatic cell counts.

With the addition of Cultron, farmers now have access to a stronger cost-effective additive to help maintain autumn milk production, it says.

Cultron is manufactured by Brazilian company Aleris.

Since its inception in 2012, Aleris has produced the new yeast extract.

Probiotic Revolution says that Cultron has made big inroads as a nutritional supplement in Asia, Europe and North America and it is now making this available for dairy herds in New Zealand.

DairyNZ scientists are in the final stages of an on-farm trial at DairyNZ's Scott Farm in the Waikato to test common mitigation measures and assess their return on investment.

According to DairyNZ senior science manager Kirsty Verhoek, heat stress is an increasing challenge for pasture-based dairy systems, particularly in regions experiencing more frequent hot, radiant, and still conditions.

"Through previous research and farmer engagement, we have heard clearly that farmers want practical, evidence-based solutions to help protect cow welfare, maintain milk production, and support long-term farm resilience," she says.

"However, many heat stress mitigation measures require investment and farmers have told us they need confidence that tools will work under New Zealand's grazing conditions and deliver value on farm. This research programme has therefore been shaped alongside farmers, focusing on understanding where and when heat stress occurs, how cows respond, and which mitigation measures are both effective and practical within real farm systems."

It is the latest piece of animal care research in DairyNZ's 'Comfortable Cows Outdoors' project. To date, the three-year programme has mapped regions that are at higher risk of high temperatures, solar radiation, and wind; analysed datasets linking weather and milk yield; assessed how cows use shade; and completed a comprehensive survey of 350+ farmers in Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury and North Otago understanding awareness, attitudes and practices related to heat stress in dairy cows (recently published in the New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research).

Scott Farm is in the final stages of a heat stress trial where five mobs of cows have been fitted with rumen temperature boluses, pedometers, and wearable technology all providing real-time data, to test the impact of various mitigation measures.

Read More:

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"We have a mob that's gone once-a-day through the summer to avoid the afternoon walk to the milking shed, a second mob spending their daytime in a shaded area, a third mob that goes under misters in the yard cooling the environment around the cows while waiting for milking, a fourth mob that while waiting in the milking yard goes under a sprinkler where droplets saturate the coat (evaporate cooling); and a fifth (control) mob with no mitigations at all," says DairyNZ scientist Charlotte Reed.

Farmer Visit

A group of Waikato farmers recently got to see the trial in action during a workshop at Scott Farm.

Many of the farmers who attended have been actively involved in DairyNZ's heat stress research to date and were able to share valuable feedback on the practicality and fit of different mitigations on farm.

"The workshop also provided an opportunity for farmers to see how their input has directly helped shape the research questions, trial design, and future direction of the programme, while getting an update on current progress. Our goal with testing this range of options is not to say, 'this is what you should put in place', but to provide information around a range of different strategies - a toolbox of options," says Charlotte Reed.

"A goal of the project is to better define how cows respond to heat load. With the volatile weather experienced this summer, we've ended up with a comprehensive dataset that spans from cooler, wet days all the way to hot sunny days, which is very valuable."

The 2025 study analysed outcomes from 33 New Zealand dairy farms that had used QuadSense for at least six months.

Based on an average installation of 29 units at $500 each (total investment $14,500), the company says the estimated annual benefit of $29,547 equates to a payback period of around six months.

According to Bovonic founder Liam Kampshof, the study was commissioned to move beyond anecdotal feedback and better understand the impact farmers were seeing on farm.

"We knew QuadSense was delivering value, but we wanted a more analytical understanding of its impact," says Kampshof. "The results back up what farmers have been telling us and giving everyone confidence that the technology is delivering consistent, repeatable value where it matters."

Kampshof says studies like this are also important for farmers weighing up where to invest.

"Farmers are spoilt for choice when it comes to technology, and that can make it difficult to know where to invest," he says. "Access to credible information and feedback from other farmers helps them assess new technology more clearly and decide what's right for their own system."

Read More:

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• New facility allows mastitis technology production
• AI tackles mastitis, helps lift profit

What the study found

The biggest gains came through improved milk quality. Across the farms surveyed, bulk somatic cell count (SCC) dropped by an average of 37%, unlocking processor incentives of between $3,900 and $14,300 per season, depending on the farm. Based on a DairyNZ calculator, which gives a percentage production increase for lowering SCC, earlier detection and treatment were also linked to an estimated $17,550 lift in production from improved yields.

Time savings were another consistent theme. Farmers reported saving an average of 3.7 hours a week - roughly 155 hours a season or $5,905 a year - alongside smoother milking routines and less fatigue during busy periods.

Animal health improvements also stood out. Seventy four per cent of farmers reduced antibiotic use, delivering an estimated $2,192/year in savings, along with fewer culls and faster recovery times.

Real results

Since installing QuadSense, one contract milker in Morrinsville recorded a 40% reduction in SCC, securing $8,700 in seasonal milk processor incentives, the company says.

By removing around 30 minutes of manual stripping from every milking, the farmer saved close to five hours a week. Earlier detection also meant affected cows could be treated using a non-withholding product, keeping milksolids in the vat and helping the farm exceed its production contract by 3000 kgMS for the season.

A Waikato farmer also credited QuadSense with removing the need to add an extra labour unit in the shed when SCC levels spiked. He achieved a 30% reduction in SCC and reached 90% Days of Excellence near the end of the season. The system delivered immediate labour savings and, following veterinary advice, has since been used to support dry cow therapy decisions by adjusting detection thresholds.

Beyond numbers

Alongside the financial returns, farmers using QuadSense also pointed to a range of lifestyle and day-to-day benefits. Ninety-six per cent said the system reduced stress, and 95% said it helped them make better business decisions.

Many farmers described the reassurance of knowing every cow is checked automatically at every milking. That consistency was especially valuable on farms with multiple staff or relief milkers, giving owners more confidence to step away from the shed without worrying about missed cases.

Earlier detection also supported better antibiotic stewardship, with more cases addressed before becoming clinical. Farmers said this not only reduced antibiotic use, but also led to healthier cows, quicker recovery, fewer chronic issues, and better herd longevity.

“The numbers matter,” says Kampshof, “but what farmers kept telling us was how much easier mastitis management felt. Less stress, more consistency, healthier cows. And we know how much those things make a real difference on farm.”

The full return-oninvestment study is available at www.bovonic.com.

Whether it’s sheltering his 500-strong herd from Southland’s winter weather, fully feeding without wastage or allowing cows to rest and ruminate between milkings, the barn is the engine room of Ian’s operation, providing year-round flexibility, feed efficiency and comfort.

Ian has sharemilked and leased the 200ha Southland farm from his family trust for the past 25 years and, alongside partner Kath Taylor, has built a system that not only supports his highproducing Holstein Friesian cows – producing 500kgMS per cow – but mitigates the challenges of flat land, heavy animals and unpredictable weather.

“The farm is flat and, supporting heavy Holstein Friesians, means the water either evaporates or runs off – it doesn’t go through,” Ian says.

The barn allows Ian’s herd to lie down to rest and avoid the stress on paddocks that occurs when cows hit the pasture hungry. It also buffers against common agricultural risks.

“There is also the risk of crop failures – they don’t always emerge,” Ian says. “Over winter, fully feeding without wastage is critical. We can also milk out of the barn during those months.”

How the barn is used changes with the seasons. Around May, when the weather turns wet and unpredictable, the cows graze during the day and sleep in the barn at night. In June and July, the herd is in the barn 24/7, with some still milking.

In August, when calving begins, the cows go back to spending the day in paddock and the night in the barn.

Supplementary feeding is tailored to the time of year, with Ian using a mix of quality silage, straw, dried distiller’s grain (DDG), pellets, molasses, and palm kernel (PK) in varying amounts. They are all delivered through a mixer wagon in the barn, ensuring consistent nutrition and minimal waste.

“Holstein Friesians really respond well to being fully fed,” Ian says.

Milking takes place year-round under a unique management structure where cows are dried off in staggered phases: August cows at the end of May, September cows in June, and October cows by the end of August. In June, cows shift to once-a-day (OAD) milking, scheduled for 10am to let frosts thaw - a practical adjustment to Southland’s chilly mornings.

Ian milks through any empty cows that are first-time offenders for not getting in calf, as they still out-produce the younger heifers. Each cow in the herd follows a 300-day lactation with a 60-day break, and calving officially kicks off on August 10. About 20% of the calves are kept as replacements.

A major benefit of milking through, Ian says, is the ability to quickly reintegrate cows into the herd after calving. “Once the cow is cleared after birth - around four days - she can go back into the milking herd,” he says.

Mating begins November 1, starting with 4-5 weeks of artificial insemination (AI) using nominated semen, followed by a ‘saturation’ of the herd with the farm’s own Holstein Friesian bulls. In recent years, the whole herd has been DNA tested, including the calves, to confirm parentage - something Ian finds reassuring.

“It’s been quite good to ensure my recording is accurate,” he says.

When choosing semen Ian focuses primarily on milk components, followed by careful attention to traits like udder conformation and cow stature. Overseas genetics have played a strong role in improving udder quality.

“Good udders generally come with using overseas genetics,” he says, adding that while he’s ‘aware’ of breeding worth (BW) and production worth (PW), he’s cautious not to breed cows that are too large.

These changes can negatively affect cow performance. Farmers often observe a subtle drop in dry-matter intake, along with a drop in milk production, with no obvious reason. Cows can become fidgety and touchy in the shed. These signs could be the first indicator of an increase in ergot toxin, a toxic fungus that takes hold in ryegrass seed heads during times of plant stress. Ergot doesn’t come with a warning sticker, but it can bring a host of problems.

<pWhat are ergot toxins?

Ergot is a fungus (Claviceps purpurea) that can infect grasses and cereals, particularly ryegrass. When it infects a seed head, it can replace the normal seed with a hard, dark body called a sclerotium. If cows eat ergotcontaminated pasture or conserved feed, ergot alkaloids can affect appetite, blood flow, hormones, and heat control. New Zealand cases have linked ergotcontaminated feed with serious illness. Deaths from ergot toxicity are rare, but when they occur they are sudden and can affect large numbers of animals with little warning.

Why the seed head matters

As ryegrass goes to seed, cows can take in more seed head material in each mouthful. That is when exposure can rise, especially if ergot bodies are present. While seed heads are a sign of grass maturity, they’re also a prompt to look closer.

A simple paddock check works well. When pasture is starting to seed, walk the paddock and inspect seed heads. If you can see dark, hard bodies in the seed head zone, treat that paddock as higher risk.

MPI has also warned that feed affected by ergot is not fit for purpose under the ACVM Act, and it should not be fed to animals.

Early signs you might see

Ergot does not always look dramatic at first. On many farms it shows up as performance going backwards.

• You may notice that cows are slower to graze, they pick around the pasture, or they do not clean out a paddock as they would normally.
• You may see milk yields flatten or dip even though feed looks fine and there is no obvious disease pressure.
• You may notice more cows standing near troughs or shade on mild days, because ergot can reduct blood flow to the skin and make heat control harder.

More serious signs can include swollen feet, increased lameness, or tissue damage to feet, tails, or lower legs in severe cases.

What it can look like in the paddock

If ergot is part of the picture, the pattern is often consistent across a mob and across breaks on the same paddock.

• Cows can be reluctant to get stuck into a fresh break.
• Milk response can drop without a clear feed shortage.
• Cows tend to stand around more, graze less, and spread out.

You can see changes earlier in the day than you would normally expect.

Ergot vs other ‘endophyte’ problems

Ergot can get lumped in with other pasture issues, so it helps to separate the likely culprits. Ryegrass staggers is linked to endophyte toxins like lolitrem B. It tends to show up as a ‘drunk’ gait, tremors, and coordination issues, worse when cows are moved or stressed. Ergot is different. The red flags are appetite and heat control first, then circulation problems in harder cases. You can have both problems occurring together, so don’t rely on one sign.

When risk lifts

Ergot pressure increases when there is humidity and heat. Under these conditions, grasses come under stress and start going to seed. The problem only gets worse when seed heads are present, especially if paddocks have been left longer, there is more stem, and cows are forced to graze tighter. It can also turn up in baleage, hay, or silage made from seeding pasture. Stock class matters. Lactating cows are less forgiving when intake drops, and pregnant animals are particularly at risk if blood flow is constricted.

If you suspect ergot, take photos of seed heads, keep a sample of the feed, and record which mob and paddock were involved. That gives your vet something to work with and helps you avoid repeating the same risk across the rotation.

What To Do Now

There is no antidote for ergot poisoning. The job is to avoid exposure early and get cows off suspect feed. Many cows improve once they are removed from the source.

• Start with a regular pasture check. If seed heads are forming, inspect them weekly.
• If you find ergot bodies, keep cows out of that paddock and talk with your vet or feed adviser about alternatives.
• Graze earlier where you can, before seed heads form.
• Top or clip paddocks before grazing if seed heads are present
• Use other paddocks, silage, or bought-in feed when the risk is high.
• Consider adding a mineral-based toxin binder to supplemental feed; these can be effective at binding the toxin.
• Check hay and silage sources, because conserved feed made from pasture containing seedheads can also carry ergot.
• Contact your vet straight away if you suspect ergot toxicity, especially if you see swelling, lameness, or tissue damage.
• If you keep one habit through late summer and autumn, make it this: When ryegrass starts to seed, take a close look at the seed head zone.

At J Swap Stockfood, we’re seeing a clear shift in focus toward Mineral Boost Zinc as herds begin their prevention programmes.

Facial eczema is caused by spores produced by the fungus Pithomyces chartarum, which thrive in warm, moist pasture conditions – particularly in the base of the sward where dead material/litter is found. When ingested, these spores release a toxin that is absorbed into the bloodstream and damages the liver, leading to reduced production, weight loss, photosensitivity, and in severe cases, significant animal welfare impacts. Prevention is essential, and early planning makes a real difference.

Zinc plays a crucial role in protecting the liver by preventing the fungal toxin from being absorbed in the rumen and GI tract. Consistent dosing before spore counts rise is the most effective defence farmers have. Ensuring cows receive the correct daily amount early (i.e. before spore counts get dangerous) is vital for maintaining production and minimising the long-term effects FE can have on herd performance – not just this season but throughout their milking career. When compared to the consequences of FE liver damage, appropriate zinc dosing is cheap insurance.

Accuracy is important. Ensuring every animal gets the correct dose every day means your money spent is achieving the desired goal. In addition, due to high-dose zinc’s tendency to reduce calcium absorption, supplementation with calcium and magnesium is a wise precaution.

If you’re planning your FE prevention strategy, now is the time to get organised. J Swap Stockfood can work alongside the Mineral Boost team to take a joint approach on the right blend, delivery method, and inclusion rates for your farm. Talk to your local J Swap Stockfood representative to arrange a discussion with both teams and ensure your herd is fully protected heading into the high-risk months.

Joe Hardman is stockfood sales manager for J Swap Stockfoods.

In essence, you're making a decision that won't impact your milk production immediately but will shape the herd you'll be milking in two years' time. So, what cows do you want in your future herd?

Every month, the Animal Evaluation (AE) run incorporated new herd test results and Traits Other than Production (TOP) data. This data gives us a clearer picture of how bulls purchased four years ago are now proving through their daughters' performance. As more data flows in, movements occur. These movements are then reflected in bull teams. Each update ensures farmers have access to the best teams possible, backed by the most up-to-date and reliable information.

These ongoing changes highlight a key point: relying on a single bull is risky. Genetic merit can shift over time and if you've pinned your hopes on one sire, your herd's progress could stall.

By taking a team approach, the average genetic improvement across your incoming replacement heifers will be significantly higher than if you rely on one bull who may shift in his gBW over time. By taking the team approach, you are safeguarding your future herd, as it spreads risk and ensures that your herd's overall genetic progress remains strong and consistent. In short, using a team of bulls protects your future milk production and helps you achieve better long-term results across your replacements.

Our teams aren't just a collection of bulls chosen for their average breeding worth. They are constructed based on minimum criteria. While the team's average gBW reflects what you can expect to see on farm, every bull must first meet minimum thresholds for key individual traits before being considered for inclusion.

The traits we focus on are those that matter most to farmers: milksolids, fertility, liveweight, capacity and udders. By selecting bulls that exemplify these traits, we ensure you see ongoing improvement in the areas that matter most.

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Take the LIC KiwiCross Forward Pack as an example. Within this team, the lowest fat kg BV in the team is delivering 28kg more than the 2015 base cow, while the highest is delivering a massive 68kg. Given the criteria used to select these teams and the strong genetic merit of the bulls within them, we are confident there's a team to suit everyone's needs.

Even if you're not the one making breeding decisions right now, this is an area worth understanding as you move forward in your farming career. The choices made today shape the herd you'll be working with for years to come. Genetics isn't just about numbers, it's about building a herd that delivers long-term profitability consistently.

David Power is LIC's product manager - Dairy Genetics.

International customers like Nestle are placing greater emphasis on sourcing products pivotal, and increasingly, technology is helping with this.

DairyNZ scientist Dr Stacey Hendriks has studied the behavioural and environmental needs of grazing dairy cows and reviewed technology-enabled indicators that apply particularly to New Zealand's pasture-based dairy cows.

Her research won her the prestigious T.R. Ellett Agricultural Research Trust Emerging Scientist Award at the 2025 International Precision Dairy Farming Conference held in Christchurch in December.

Hosted by DairyNZ, the event was the first time the event had been held in the Southern Hemisphere. It was attended by almost 400 farmers, researchers, advisors, and technology developers from 22 countries.

During her presentation at the conference, Hendriks showcased the potential use of technology in monitoring animal welfare for grazing dairy cows, emphasising a shift from traditional, subjectived measures to more objective, data-driven approaches.

Historically, animal welfare assessments in dairy farming have relied on animal-based indicators like body condition score and coat condition. While often considered the gold standard for evaluating the health and welfare of dairy cows, they come with significant limitations.

"Animal-based indicators are subjective, require trained assessors, and only provide a snapshot of an animal's experience at a given moment," explains Hendriks.

Additionally, many other indicators have been developed for use on housed cows, making them less applicable to the unique needs of New Zealand's pasture-based grazing dairy cows.

Hendriks and her research team at DairyNZ identified animal-based welfare indicators specifically suited for New Zealand pasture-based dairy systems, and then categorised these based on feasibility, validity and potential for wider uptake.

"We found that technology can play a significant role in improving the scalability and real-time monitoring of animal welfare," says Hendriks.

The team found most practically-feasible indicators related to health and nutrition while fewer options were available for assessing the physical environment and behavioural interactions (both human and animal interactions and cows' social behaviours).

The team identified seven indicators related to the physical environment and five focused on behavioural interactions, which can now be measured using commercially available technologies.

Interpreting animal welfare based on individual behaviours, however, is complex.

"Lying behaviour, for example, can vary significantly. Both increases and decreases in lying time have been observed in cows experiencing clinical health issues or lying deprivation. This highlights that the relationship between behaviour and animal welfare is not always linear and is influenced by many factors," she says.

As a result, future research aims to explore more comprehensive approaches, such as combining multiple behaviours and other physiological and environmental data, to provide a more complete picture of a cow's lived experience.

Promising Future

Hendriks sees a promising future for the integration of advanced analytics like machine learning into building a bespoke tool for pasture-based welfare assessment.

She says that by combining multiple data streams from behaviour to environmental conditions, researchers could develop composite models that offer a more nuanced understanding of animal welfare.

"We believe technology-enabled indicators could provide real-time, scalable monitoring solutions for pasture-based welfare assessment," she says.

"If technology can also alert farmers to potential welfare challenges, such as heat stress, it allows them to take proactive steps to mitigate the problem. This not only improves animal welfare but can also result in economic benefits, like reduced milk production losses."

By focusing on providing farmers with timely and relevant information, Hendriks believes that technology can complement traditional stockmanship, empowering farmers to make informed decisions that improve both animal welfare and farm performance, while demonstrating the high standards of animal care on New Zealand dairy farms.

With a history of resilience - particularly after the devastating flooding of May 2021, in which their farm was severely impacted - the Stewart brothers, alongside Mark’s wife Stacey, are once again reinventing their approach to dairy farming.

Their latest transition sees a move back to spring calving after many years of running a successful winter milking operation – with their free stall barn remaining at the centre of their operation.

The Stewart farm has been in the family for 70 years. It was originally a sheep and cropping property before being converted to dairy by TJ and Mark’s parents, David and Maree, in 1982. They began milking 300 cows, laying the foundation for what would become a much larger operation. In 2001 the brothers took the reins, buying the cows and machinery, and steadily expanded the business.

Today, the property supports 600 Holstein Friesian cows on 180ha effective. While David and Maree have stepped back, they remain an integral part of the family trust, which leases the land to the younger generation.

One of the major turning points in the farm’s development was the construction of a 140m x 70m, 500-bed free stall barn with 40 x 35m straw loafing area in 2013.

“Being autumn calving at the time, we were sick of mud everywhere,” TJ says.

The barn, built in collaboration with Rakaia Engineering, revolutionised their system - offering a warm, dry environment which drastically improved feed utilisation and animal health outcomes.

“The barn gave us options to sustain production and maintain cow comfort,” TJ says. “Benefits include not having milking cows pugging up grass during winter, it is warmer and drier and ensures 99% feed utilisation. Animal health has improved as the cows are not trying to survive wet, cold, miserable weather while making milk.”

An environmental benefit is that effluent is captured and put onto pasture at a suitable time and is not going onto wet paddocks.

“It’s been a great add-on to the farm, and we wouldn’t farm without it now.”

The barn allowed the Stewarts to transition into a high-input winter milking system, achieving up to 70% autumn calving at one point. This set-up enabled them to secure premium winter milk contracts with Synlait, helping generate a consistent milk flow and strong income even during traditionally low-production months.

It came in particularly handy in May 2021, when a catastrophic ‘1-in-200- year’ flood hit their farm, leaving 14.5 hectares buried under riverbed rubble and a further 20 hectares covered in silt, stones, and debris.

A portion of their herd - dry cows at the grazier - had to be moved, and the family was evacuated. Despite the devastation the Stewart family rallied, aided by community support.

Thanks to strategic planning and the infrastructure already in place, particularly the free stall barn, the farm not only recovered but continued to operate successfully, achieving higher than average production within their pre-flood feed budget.

Despite the success of their winter milking programme, the Stewarts chose to return to spring calving in the 2024/25 season.

“It basically came down to the cost of feed production,” TJ says. “With the rising cost of farm workings, shifting to spring calving made more economic sense.”

More Feed, More Milk

Today the cows’ diet, designed to maximise production, is comprised of the following: DBC Milk Maker pellets (550kg/cow), PKE (450kg/cow), grass silage (450kg/cow), maize silage (700kg/ cow), lucerne silage (200kg/cow), sunflower and soya protein (150kg/cow) and straw (300kg/cow).

Feed is adjusted seasonally with pellets and PKE fed year-round in the shed, grass silage fed during the shoulders of the season, when required, and maize, lucerne and protein fed in the barn between April and October.

Straw is fed to dry cows, and cows are on grass between October and April.

The cows have proven to do well under this regime, averaging 600 kgMS/cow per season.

The calving season now begins on July 15, with mating starting around October 20. The Stewarts perform four-six weeks of AI to Holstein Friesian sires, then switch to beef genetics through to December.

They prioritise health, fertility, and production traits in their sire selection and are particularly drawn to smaller-framed cows. Bulls like Westcoast Alcove and Walnutlawn Solomon have produced progeny the Stewarts are proud to have in their herd.

In 2022, the family adopted Allflex collars for heat detection, allowing them to move to 100% AI breeding and eliminate bulls from the herd. This technology has proven particularly useful for identifying heats in barn-housed cows where visual cues are harder to detect.

The Stewarts have bred some standout cow families, including progeny from the renowned Fairview Goldc Frosty-ET EX line. One of her heifers, Barwell Mercy Frosty-ET, was sold at the 2024 NZ DairyEvent for $8,500.

The family enjoy participating in shows and competitions when time allows and Mark and Stacey’s children Paige, Olivia, and James are involved in calf club.

The family has also had success in the Regional Semex On-Farm Competition: in 2024, they placed second in both the Five-Year-Old Cow category with Barwell Solomon Lilly-ET EX and the Mature Cow category with Barwell Solomon Aimee VG87. Back in 2019, Barwell Wbrook Annie-ET EX2 claimed first place in the National Semex On-Farm Competition in the Five-Year-Old Cow category.

TJ, Mark and Stacey have a strong appreciation for pedigree cattle and enjoy the aesthetics and performance of Holstein Friesians.

“There’s just something about them,” TJ says. “Their size, their frame, their capacity - you can get a lot of milk out of them. I love looking at good cows.”

Stacey says that while they are transitioning to spring calving, they are maintaining flexibility within the operation. <p“We’re figuring out what works best for us in terms of cow numbers, which cows to breed from, and how much to feed under the new system,” she says.

The Stewarts remain focused on balance: between production and animal welfare, and tradition and innovation. Their approach is shaped by a strong understanding of what their land, herd and business need to thrive.

Stacey, originally from Tasmania, sums up the unexpected journey. “I came to New Zealand 18 years ago, planning to stay for one year. Now I’ve got one husband, three kids, and a dairy farm.”

“Cows suffer heat stress in summer which affects milk yield – sometimes as much as providing four litres less on a very hot day,” says Chubb.

“So, it was just common sense. Whether you’re a human or a dog or a horse or a cow, it’s the same thing. You don’t like to be standing in the paddock in the middle of summer with no shade.”

Snow says the decision paid itself off “in spades”. His cows were producing between 400 and 440 kgMS with a grass-based farming system, with hay silage and a bit of grain in the spring.

“Because my cows always had shade, they used to just waltz through the summer.”

The decision was also a key reason he scooped the inaugural Waikato Environmental Award, the forerunner of today’s Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

The awards were mooted in 1991 by Waikato farmer and chair of the Waikato Conservation Board, the late Gordon Stephenson, as a way to celebrate farmers who were demonstrating excellence in sustainable land management and environmental stewardship. In the first year of the awards, 40 Waikato farmers entered and Snow impressed the judges with his planting of deciduous trees for his 80-strong herd of cows and his awareness of the importance of water quality.

“I’ve always had an appreciation for water. It’s the first building block of everything because without water you’ve got nothing.

“It made sense to me way back then to use biological-type fertiliser so we weren’t degrading our water quality.”

Snow started sharemilking on his parents’ farm, which he eventually took over from them.

“I was always curious about utilising the land the best way I could. The farm was in terraces so mostly easy farming, but there were gullies that were a natural fit to being planted with natives or production species.”

Snow and his wife Sue planted nearly 3500 trees on the property, a mix of commercial varieties such as pine, blackwoods and lusicanita, which were planted east to west so they would cast shade on themselves and not the grass, and deciduous trees, which were facing the other direction so in winter when they lost their leaves, it stopped the hard frost from staying on the ground.

“Entering the awards was such a great experience because I was actually relieved to have people say, yep, what you are doing does make sense.

“The neighbours thought I was a bit abnormal, so it was good to get positive reinforcement from all the different judges that I was doing the right thing.”

He adds it was equally gratifying to see 150 people turn up to a field day to see what he was doing after he won the Waikato Farm Awards.

“It was an opportunity to put a positive spin on farming and build relationships, including with the council.

Snow went on to become a judge in the Waikato Environmental Farm Awards for the following nine years.

Long-Term Approach

Thirty two years later, Snow Chubb still remembers how exciting it was to actually get to meet Gordon Stephenson.

“It was an awesome experience, and we went on to become good friends,” he says.

Over the following years, Snow and wife Sue strengthened their friendship with Gordon and his wife, Celia, working on several conservation projects in the area. This included building the first 10km of walking tracks, bridges, and boardwalks for the Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari project, an ambitious plan to ring-fence the 3400ha Waikato mountain to create a mainland conservation ‘island’. The park is New Zealand’s largest fenced eco-sanctuary.

Snow also formed the Pokaiwhenua Stream Care Group and, with the help of the Hora Hora school teachers and parents, planted 2500 native trees in the catchment.

He says his approach was always to take a long-term approach to looking after the land so it would prosper for future generations. “I believe that if you are not improving the land, you are stealing off the next generation.”

From fields to forests, as a young farmer, winning the inaugural Waikato Farm Environment Awards allowed Snow to help shape New Zealand’s farming future.

This year, the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust is celebrating 30 years since the Waikato Farm Environment Awards Trust was formed, paving the way for the nationwide Ballance Farm Environment Awards programme we know today.

It says the World AMR Awareness Week last week has been a part of global action plan to tackle the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), where pathogens such as bacteria become resistant to critical antimicrobial medicines like antibiotics.

Dr Annabel Harris, chair of the NZVA Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Committee, says judicial use of antibiotics is a priority for the animal health sector.

“Bacterial infections that are resistant to antibiotics can affect our pets and our livestock, and transfer between animals and humans and into the environment.

“We need to manage AMR as a One Health issue – that is that humans, animals and the environment are all connected. And we all have a role to play.

“Part of that is preventing the need to use antibiotics by keeping our pets healthy through good nutrition, good hygiene, regular health checks and vaccinations. And when antibiotics are prescribed by a veterinarian it is essential to give them to your pet as directed.”

“We should be proud of that. However, AMR is not going away. Bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics not only go on to reproduce survivors but can buddy up with other bacteria to share that resistant genetic material.

“So, we have to be judicious in how we use antibiotics and focus on the overall health of our animals to ensure these life-saving medicines continue to work as intended.”

Harris says for farmers, managing AMR requires a more holistic approach where antimicrobials like antibiotics are just one part of an integrated disease control programme.

“It’s about careful attention to a range of farm practices, including biosecurity measures, vaccinations, hygiene, disinfection procedures, good animal nutrition, appropriate housing, close herd/flock monitoring and staff/ management training.

“This can feel overwhelming for farmers. Have a chat to your vet. They are trained scientists who stay abreast of new research and are well-positioned to help you work out what is a good plan for you and your operation.”

Coat patterns are some of the oldest traits selected by humans, likely since the dawn of domestication, showing how farmers have long shaped cattle populations.

For other breeds, the DNA variants behind unique patterns, such as the white face of Herefords or the belts of Galloways, are already known. Now, a study involving Massey University’s Professor Matt Littlejohn has solved the mystery of the Holstein’s unique coat.

Using genomic techniques, the team analysed the coat patterns of thousands of cows and identified two specific DNA variants controlling two different genes – KIT and MITF – that explain much of the variation in Holstein spotting.

“These genes are well-known for controlling pigmentation in humans, mice, dogs, horses, birds and other species,” Littlejohn says.

The KIT gene variant found in Holsteins is unusual because it doesn’t sit within the gene itself. Instead, it regulates the gene from a different position on the chromosome.

“Think of it like a light switch turning on a light in another room,” he says.

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The MITF variant is also unusual for its ability to create unique coat patterns when different breeds are crossbred.

“This variant can create black speckles in dairy crosses, ‘black socks’ in Belgian Blue cattle, or reversal of the white face expected from a Hereford cross.”

While these patterns are interesting to look at, they aren’t simply aesthetic.

“Many dairy farmers cross Holsteins with Herefords to produce calves that will perform well in beef systems. The white face is important, since this marks the calf as a Hereford cross,” Littlejohn says.

“When ‘splotchy’ faced calves are born as a result of the MITF variant, these calves are harder to recognise as beef crosses and are often less valuable. Genetic testing could help produce calves with more predictable coat patterns in the future.”

Other practical applications of the research include possible animal welfare benefits. Skin pigmentation affects heat absorption and UV protection. Black coats absorb more heat but also provide better UV protection. Knowing how genes control pigmentation could help farmers select coat patterns that improve cattle comfort and performance.

“This research not only solves the mystery about how the Holstein gets its spots, but also shows how genes can interact to create unique and unexpected patterns,” Littlejohn says.

“It’s a great example of how modern genomics can uncover the hidden mechanisms behind traits we often take for granted.

Charbelle Tatoo Pix was named North Island Supreme Champion, as well as North Island Senior Champion, best udder, and placed first in the 5-and-6-year-old cow in milk category.

It is the third time that the highly decorated cow has won the title of North Island Supreme Champion.

Her daughter, Charbelle Hero PeeJay - 'Pix Junior' - was named North Island Junior Champion and placed first in the Junior Yearling Heifer category.

Significantly, PeeJay's full sister, Charbelle Hero Popcorn, was named North Island Junior Champion at the 2024 North Island Championships, held at NZ Dairy Event in January 2025.

Charbelle Holsteins' Annabelle Scherer says they were "super chuffed" with the win.

"The 'P' family just keeps on giving," she says. "You just can't beat that feeling; even though we've won before, it still feels great, like 'we've done it again'. We are just so proud of them."

Read More:

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Annabelle, who is the vice president of Holstein Friesian NZ, says the wins were particularly sweet because the Holstein Friesian classes were so strong right throughout the competition at the Waikato A&P Show this year.

"I was so happy to see all the Holstein Friesian classes were well-represented," she says. "The numbers were great; there were even new exhibitors there. The North Island Champs are often well attended; people consider it an important event."

Earlier this month, Charbelle Tattoo Pix was pointed EX95 under the new Pointing Excellent Cows guidelines, which aims to identify cows that are the absolute elite in their breed for type.

Charbelle Hero Peejay at the Waikato A&P Show.

Deemed by her classifier as likely to score higher than 92 points, Pix was re-inspected and scored 95 out of a possible 97. 

The pointing of excellent cows will bring New Zealand into line with the rest of the world and aims to enhance consistency and recognition within the classification system, supporting breeders in identifying and celebrating top-conformation cows.

But even the best ration won’t deliver if the mineral balance is off. Too little, and production slips. Too much or in the wrong form, and you waste money or risk creating new problems.

Mineral supplementation is about keeping goats productive and healthy through every stage of the season.

Why do minerals matter?

Minerals are involved in every system within the body – metabolism, immunity, milk production, bone growth, and reproduction. Trace elements, like copper, zinc, selenium, manganese, and iodine, are especially important for fertility, kid survival, and disease resistance.

Research shows that mineral imbalances often first appear as vague issues like poor milk yield, delayed cycling, weak kids, or slower recovery post-kidding. These show up long before any signs of deficiency become clear.

Goats are also different from cows and sheep. Their capacity to store minerals, especially copper, is much lower. That means they rely on steady intake, not the occasional top-up.

Performance starts in the minerals

Mineral balance directly affects how well a goat converts feed into milk solids. Trials have shown that goats receiving consistent trace mineral supplementation (particularly highly bioavailable chelated forms) produce more milk and have stronger immune function than those on standard salts.

Beyond yield, mineral supply also influences milk quality. Elements like calcium, phosphorus, and zinc contribute to milk composition and stability, and small shortfalls can reduce fat and protein percentages, cutting into the return per litre.

Reproduction and longevity are also tied to mineral status. Kiwi soils are often low in selenium and iodine. These two trace minerals support thyroid and metabolic function, which are the basis of fertility, embryo survival, and kid health. Zinc and manganese help with uterine repair post-kidding, while copper supports hormone function.

The effects of mineral imbalance reach far beyond milk loss and into performance for seasons to come.

The tricky part

The thing is, not all mineral sources are equal. Chelated or proteinbound forms are more easily absorbed and less likely to interact with other minerals in the rumen. While oxides and simple salts may look cheaper, they’re less bioavailable and more likely to upset rumen performance, costing you in the long run.

Mineral interaction adds yet another layer of complexity. Too much of one mineral can block another – zinc can suppress copper, as can high sulphur or molybdenum in pasture. Chelated trace elements are less prone to negative interactions in the rumen. Seasonal changes in soil and fertiliser can also cause imbalances.

Goats bring their own quirks, too. They’re selective eaters, often leaving fine mineral powders in the trough. Pelleted or in-shed feeding systems can be more reliable. Our pastures also need to be treated with balanced fertiliser, as many are naturally low in iodine and selenium.

Another complication is timing. Demand peaks in late pregnancy, early lactation, and during mating. Pasture growth fluctuates with the season. By the time performance drops, reserves are already gone, so we need to be acting to prevent, instead of reacting after the fact.

Feeding for performance

A good mineral programme begins with data. Before you adjust anything, test your pasture or soil and run blood or liver samples. This gives a clear picture of what’s missing and what might already be too high. Testing helps target exactly where support is needed and identifies any antagonisms that could be limiting uptake.

Once you know what you’re dealing with, tailor your mix. The ratio of macro and trace elements needs to reflect your pasture profile, herd size, and production goals. That’s why custom-blended minerals can sometimes perform better long term.

Delivery matters as much as formulation. Goats are picky eaters and will often leave behind the mineral powders. Consistent intake makes all the difference, so minerals are best provided in a form they’ll reliably eat, such as pellets, prills, or via in-shed feeding. Keeping intake steady prevents the highs and lows that can undo an otherwise well-designed mineral plan.

Monitoring progress is important – watch milk yield, milk solids, fertility, and kid health through the season. If performance starts to slide, it’s often the first sign of a mineral imbalance creeping back in. Pasture quality and environmental conditions change, so retesting regularly helps to refine your approach. Effective mineral nutrition is an ongoing exercise based on what your goats and data are telling you.

Finally, think of minerals as an investment. A wellbalanced mineral programme often pays for itself in the form of better feed conversion, fewer health issues, and more consistent production. Even small gains, like a few extra litres of milk solids per doe, or fewer mastitis cases over the season, can make a big difference to the bottom line.

Feeding for performance means feeding the whole system, from soil to rumen, and keeping minerals in balance every step of the way.

Chris Balemi is managing director of Agvance Nutrition

It says that selenium deficiency has long been a silent threat to livestock productivity and animal wellbeing across the country due to New Zealand’s selenium-deficient soils. From poor growth rates to compromised immunity and fertility in livestock, the production consequences are costly.

Inovata supplies veterinarians with a range of treatments designed for New Zealand’s farming conditions. Through working with veterinarians Inovata developed a single mineral selenium topical trace element treatment for dairy, beef and deer.

Inovata general manager Steve Judd says Inovata Selenium Pour-On is the only selenium-specific pour-on for dairy, beef cattle and deer available in the New Zealand market – filling a need for strategic supplementation of this critical trace element.

“Simple to use selenium pour-on treatment options, which were once a prevalent tool, have been unavailable in New Zealand for several years, leaving veterinarians and their farmer clients with few convenient solutions to address this key driver of animal health,” Judd says.

vets and their farming clients, and they said they were seeing seleniumdeficient stock and asked us to look at developing a pour-on to add to the tools they could prescribe. We listened and brought Selenium Pour-On back.

“Being a topical product, it is easy to use in cattle and deer which can be difficult to inject or treat orally, or for stock on run-off blocks where farmers can’t supplement via water supply, or where prills in fert were just not doing enough across all stock.

“Inovata Selenium Pour-On is ideal for setting up dairy and beef youngstock as it can be easily and effectively applied to match their changing growth rates and protect them as they grow.”

In trial work on beef cattle Selenium Pour-On elevated selenium levels six weeks after treatment. The product has nil meat and milk withholding, enabling it to be used in lactating and pregnant dairy cows and animals that may be sent for slaughter.

“It has been developed to be easy for farmers to work into their stock programmes. For example, Selenium Pour-On can also be used as frequently as once every 3 weeks. This gives farmers the flexibility to fit selenium supplementation around their regular drenching and weighing programmes. It is a simple, reliable way to boost selenium levels, especially around critical times like mating and protecting young cattle.”

The product is formulated to provide the ideal dose for treatment of selenium deficiency – 0.15 mg Se per kg in cattle, 0.3 mg Se per kg in deer, regardless of the weight range of the animal.

“This makes it a good tool for vets to address selenium deficiency and selenium responsive diseases in cattle and deer,” says Judd.

“From a farmer’s point of view Selenium Pour-On is also cost effective. If all you require is selenium supplementation it is cheaper to use a product with only selenium in it because you are not paying for minerals that you may not necessarily need.”

Judd says it is important that farmers work with their veterinarian on the best way to supplement selenium on their farm and what best fits their situation and the stock class to be treated.

Industry data shows bobby calf numbers are down significantly – 18.5% in the North Island and 28% in the South Island.

CRV managing director James Smallwood says the shift reflects the industry’s growing focus on, efficiency, and value creation.

“Farmers are making smarter breeding decisions that not only support herd improvement but also deliver stronger returns,” says Smallwood.

“By using beef genetics across their lower-performing cows and sexed genetics on their best, they’re adding value to every calf born and meeting increasing demand for quality dairy beef calves.”

CRV’s sales data shows dairy beef straws now account for 14% of total straw sales – up from just 8% in 2021.

The most popular breeds remain Charolais and Hereford. A new entrant to CRV’s line-up, Changus (Charolais and Angus cross), has also been well received, making up 10% of dairy beef sales in its first season.

Maddie Drew, CRV’s product manager for dairy beef, says rising demand for beef from dairy herds and farmers’ strategic use of beef genetics are driving growth.

“Farmers now have better access to herd data and tools that help them identify their top and bottom performing cows,” she says.

“That insight means they can make more informed breeding decisions – not just which cows to mate to beef, but also which beef breeds best suit their farm system and goals.

“When selecting beef sires, calving ease continues to be the number one priority for dairy farmers,” Drew adds. “Coat colour also plays an important role, as it can influence the marketability and value of calves, plus allows for easy identification.”

Meanwhile, Smallwood says processors and beef suppliers right through to the consumer are putting more emphasis on sustainability – a focus that isn’t going away any time soon.

“This shift is about more than just genetics,” he says.

“Beef suppliers and consumers are increasingly focused on sustainability, and that’s shaping demand right through the supply chain.

“Our job as a sector is to work together to ensure dairy farmers have the right range of beef genetics – along with the advice and data – to fit their mating plans and make every calf count. The momentum behind dairy beef is clear, and farmers are seeing real value in being able to choose sires that align with their herd goals.”

Despite this, lameness remains one of the hardest issues to get on top of.

More than 80% of lameness in New Zealand dairy cows is caused by claw horn lesions (white line and sole disease). These injuries are hard to spot early and slow to heal. The longer a cow stays lame, the greater the inflammation in the hoof, which can lead to permanent damage. This increases her risk of further lameness down the track. A previous case is one of the biggest risk factors.

Around calving, changes in the hoof make cows more vulnerable to lameness. The fat pad thins, and the ligaments relax, leaving the corium (the soft tissue inside the hoof) more exposed to damage. This is known as the calving effect.

When combined with other cow, management and environmental risk factors, it can significantly raise the risk of lameness. If left untreated, inflammation in the corium can lead to permanent changes in hoof structure, increasing the chance of ongoing or future issues.

Reducing lameness starts with understanding how often it’s happening, and what’s causing it. Benchmarking your lameness levels against similar farms can help show whether there’s more going on than you realise.

Recording cases helps build that picture, so you can spot patterns and identify risk factors like cow condition, calving timing or track quality. With that insight, it’s easier to move from reacting to problems to preventing them. That saves time and money, and most importantly, spares your cows unnecessary pain and disruption. It also helps you have better conversations with your vet or hoof trimmer when you need a second opinion or extra support.

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Simple recording tools, even just a notebook or spreadsheet, can make a big difference. Some use apps or a shed whiteboard to keep track. Staff training is just as important. Making sure everyone knows how to spot early signs of lameness and respond quickly helps keep the whole herd in better shape, and lifts animal care across the board.

The Three 'Es'

• Identify Early
• Lift It Early
• Trim It Effectively

Spotting lame cows is just the first step – acting quickly is what makes the difference. Ideally, cows should be examined and treated within 48 hours of being identified, or within 24 hours if they’re severely lame.

If the numbers feel overwhelming, bring in support. Your vet or hoof trimmer can help get things back on track, so you can stay focused on the rest of the herd.

Effective treatment starts with getting the hoof off the ground. Trimming helps identify the cause and relieve pressure. Use a wooden or rubber block, or a Cowslip, to take weight off the affected claw and help it heal, unless it’s not suitable in the situation.

Kaahu Wimbledon Halo, bred by Mark and Suzy Riddington (Black & White 2010 Ltd), is out of Paragon Portion Honey ET, purchased by the Riddingtons at the Canterbury Collection Sale.

Holstein Innovation Chair Doug Courtman says Halo’s dam hails from a world-renowned cow family, developed in New Zealand by Rikus Scheepers.

“Paragon Portion Honey ET is a granddaughter of AOT Modesty Hoss ET, who was herself a granddaughter of Cookiecutter Mom Halo ET,” he says.

“This family is celebrated as one of the most prepotent worldwide. Popular sires such as Mr Ernest Anthony Havenofear and Ducket PFCT Has It All are just two examples from this line making their mark in New Zealand.”

Backed by proven sires Wimbledon, Portion and Mookie, Halo is well placed to suit a range of New Zealand breeding programmes.

Holstein Innovation is a joint sire proving scheme between HFNZ and LIC, designed to select and prove Holstein Friesian bulls for New Zealand dairy farmers. Genomic screening identifies elite young bulls for artificial breeding, while giving LIC access to diverse cow families within Holstein Friesian NZ member herds.

Understanding how to set up your crop for success is critical, and Pioneer’s national research & agronomy manager, Dr Rowland Tsimba, says it all begins with knowing your growing environment. Rowland recently joined Matt Dalley and me on our “Feed for Thought” podcast to unpack the science behind growing a high-yielding maize crop.

“The key to cropping success is a combination of understanding the science and good strategic planning,” says Rowland. “While factors like temperature, radiation levels, soil type, and moisture availability are largely beyond a grower’s control, understanding them allows for better management decisions that can mitigate their impact on yield”.

Soil testing is one of the first critical factors to consider in the planning process. Maintaining the correct soil pH (ideally around 6.0 for maize) ensures nutrient availability and prevents potential toxicity issues from micronutrients like aluminium and iron. Beyond pH, understanding your soil’s nutrient profile helps determine fertiliser requirements based on realistic yield targets for your specific environment.

Hybrid selection is important, and growers should consider a range of factors, including the crops’ end use, key agronomic traits, and paddock yield potential. Always choose hybrids that have been tested across a range of growing environments over several seasons.

Plant population represents another crucial planning factor. Modern maize hybrids have improved stress tolerance ratings, allowing for higher plant densities in suitable environments.

Rowland points out, “Provided water is not limiting, yield is largely determined by the amount of radiation that the crop can intercept”.

The higher the number of plants, the greater the potential for light interception; however, the population must be matched to the growing environment. This is why we typically reduce plant numbers in moisturelimited areas or for late plantings. A simple visual assessment conducted after maximum leaf size has been achieved (about a week or so after silking) can help determine if you’ve chosen the right population. This can be done by estimating the amount of light penetrating the leaf canopy onto the soil on a sunny day around midday. Ideally, light penetration below the leaf canopy should not exceed 5% of the soil surface area below the canopy.

Timing of planting is essential for crop success. It is recommended that the soil temperature at planting depth should be 10-12°C and rising (measured just after sunrise). Soil cultivation can influence temperature, with conventional tillage or strip-till warming soils faster than no-till systems. Moisture levels at planting are critical too; soil that can be moulded into a non-breaking ribbon is too wet and should be given more time to dry. When planting into dry conditions, increasing seed depth (up to 7.5 centimetres) to reach moisture can promote uniform emergence, which is essential for maximising yield potential.

Post-emergence management includes monitoring crops at the V2-V3 growth stages (when plants have two to three fully expanded leaves) for potential pest issues or weed competition. This early vegetative stage represents a vulnerable period when plants haven’t yet developed sufficient leaf area for vigorous photosynthesis. Understanding the V-stages is more reliable than using plant height alone for timing management decisions, particularly herbicide applications, that need to be completed before tassel initiation around V5-V6.

Successful maize crop production hinges on understanding the environment and using this information to inform decisions around nutrient application, hybrid choice, plant population and planting conditions. This should be followed up with crop monitoring and an appropriate weed and pest management plan.

To hear more on this topic, check out our latest Feed for Thought podcast with Rowland Tsimba, available on the Pioneer website and all major streaming platforms.

Wade Bell is Genetic Technologies farm systems manager. Contact him at wbell@genetic.co.nz

Partnership & demonstration lead Antoinette Archer says the farm is adopting a “tactical milking” system that considers individual cow needs and can flex to seasonal and management triggers.

LUDF’s involvement in monitoring programs, comparing data from wearables and productivity, has aided researchers in providing farmers with more informed guidelines at an individual cow level, she said.

The farm will initially milk transition cows (post calving) once-aday (OAD), monitoring rumination as a predictor of post-calving recovery.

When transition cows meet rumination criteria they will shift to twice-a- day (TAD) milking to support peak milk production.

Archer said that Increasing milking frequency early in the season drives milk production and pasture demand at a time where pasture growth is at its maximum.

“The goal is to ensure we harvest as much pasture as possible, which sets the farm up for an increased feed conversion efficiency, which will improve the farms outcomes for efficient and profitable milk production.”

LUDF will maintain milking frequency flexibility by moving to a 3-in-2 or 10-in-7 milking regime, post mating, depending on the animal and people conditions during the season. For the animals, the triggers to adjust milking frequency will include body condition score, and weather conditions, including heat or prolonged wet periods.

Archer said the “people triggers” would consider staff needs and distribution of workload. “These triggers offer flexible management levers to optimise milk production, animal health, and environmental outcomes, while looking after our people.

“The rationale behind this approach is rooted in generating more profitable and environmentally friendly milk, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas intensity - measured through FPCM – and supporting feed management during peak growth.

“This strategic shift aims to provide resilience against seasonal challenges, support animal performance, and help meet our environmental targets and commitments.”

LUDF will also return to a two-herd system, which will enable targeted care of animals with divergent requirements and give management additional flexibility ensure our reproductive performance and animal welfare targets are achieved.

2021-22 was the first full season of ten-inseven variable milking on the farm, milking twice a day three days a week but only once a day otherwise. Small losses in production were expected to be offset by various gains including energy and labour costs, while bringing significant gains in staff and herd welfare.

At that time, they expected a 6% drop in production due to the variable milking regime. Archer said that the actual recorded drop averaged 8.4%, but that was across a period with three unusually wet seasons when even farms continuing conventional twice a day milking also suffered production decline. Benchmarking against a sample of those farms showed they recorded drops of 3.2% - suggesting LUDF’s weather adjusted production drop was only 5.2%.

Archer said the South Island Dairying Demonstration Centre (SIDDC), the partnership that runs the farm, will elaborate on the changes at an upcoming Focus Day on October 8. The focus day will also hear insights from an Emissions and Profitability Project that has been running in conjunction with Fonterra, DairyNZ and LIC.

Closer to home, the disease is widespread in parts of Indonesia.

International collaboration between US company Tibia BioTech and the New South Wales (NSW) government means Australia is poised to begin producing the first mRNA vaccine against FMD domestically, aimed at keeping the country safe from the ravages of an outbreak.

The vaccine, successfully tested at the German Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) in large animals, also offers short production timeframes, meaning response time to outbreaks is slashed.

Traditional FMD vaccines involve using large quantities of the virus cultivated under strict safety conditions, whereas mRNA vaccines can be produced without this process. The mRNA vaccine is fully synthetic and said to be safer and much faster to produce without the need to use infectious material. According to FLI, mRNA vaccines can be produced without any special biosafety requirements.

The vaccine was developed by Tiba scientists as part of an international research collaboration with the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute and the RNA Institute at the University of New South Wales, with support from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Meat & Livestock Australia.

This success builds on earlier livestock vaccine research supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Canada's International Development Research Centre.

"With this new development, Australia is now one of only a small number of countries with local capacity to produce a foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccine," said Tara Moriarty, Minister for Agriculture, Regional and Western NSW.

"Developing local manufacturing capacity to produce vaccines against emergency animal diseases is a critical priority so we can protect Australia's livestock industries, our economy and our food supply.

To vaccinate vulnerable cattle, it has been suggested it might require up to one million doses in a region, so currently there is a need to scale up the vaccine and accelerate its journey from the lab to local mass scale production. However, before it can be made available and scaled for markets, the vaccine needs to show that it meets Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority standards.

The FLI has said that studies are also needed to determine whether adequate protection can be achieved with a single dose of the vaccine, and how quickly that protection develops after vaccination. Further information notes that the vaccine can be stored long-term at standard refrigeration temperatures, or at room temperature for at least 1 month - a critical advantage in livestock applications.

Although Australia has been FMD-free since 1872, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences estimates the impact of a widespread incursion of FMD could cost AU$80 billion to Australia's livestock industry over a 10-year period. Australia's national science agency CSIRO says the disease is still considered the most serious biosecurity threat to Australia's livestock industries.

How well the cows cycle, express heats, and conceive this spring is a direct reflection of the mineral balance they received during the allimportant transition period.

Watching for and understanding those signals now can help farmers improve outcomes for the rest of this season and build a better plan for next year.

Why transition still matters now

The three weeks before and after calving will set up the cow’s reproductive system for the whole season. Mineral imbalances in that window, even when clinical milk fever and ketosis may not have been evident, can lead to silent heats, delayed cycling, or low submission rates months later.

By the time mating starts, those imbalances can’t be completely undone. But they can be measured, managed, and used to improve both current and future mating performance.

What to look for in the herd

1. Heat expression

Weak or silent heats can indicate trace element imbalances, particularly copper and selenium, which influence hormone production and uterine repair. If heat activity seems low despite good energy levels, it’s worth checking mineral status.

2. Cycling patterns

Delayed cycling, cows not showing heats by the planned start of mating, often stems from mineral- related disruptions to ovarian function. These cows often look healthy, but are hormonally behind.

Read More:

• Reproduction starts in the liver
• Still feeding minerals like its 1991?
• Keeping cows stress free during transition period

3. Retention of late-calvers

Cows calving late are already under pressure to get back in-calf. Any mineral issues from transition can compound that challenge. Tracking latecalvers’ heat activity can help flag if minerals were part of the problem.

Checking mineral status now

Blood tests taken in early lactation that assess both mineral status and liver function enzymes can show whether transition minerals have been adequately dosed. While this won’t change what’s already happened pre-calving, it does two things: Firstly, it guides supplementation during mating, i.e., correcting copper or selenium levels to support conception now, and secondly, it informs next year’s dry cow and transition plan, avoiding the same gaps repeating.

Pasture and feed tests are useful, but they don’t always reflect what cows absorbed. Liver testing gives the clearest picture of trace element reserves heading into mating.

Managing reproduction for the rest of this season

While pre-calving minerals can’t be changed at that late stage, there’s still value in supporting cows through mating:

Targeted trace elements: If testing shows low levels, supplementing during mating can help improve conception rates later.

Body condition checks: Thin cows take longer to cycle. Although minerals won’t fix this, knowing which cows are behind helps prioritise management.

Focus on heat detection: Heats can be harder to spot when expression is weak. Supplementing with key trace elements such as iodine and selenium supports increased thyroid hormone production, which in turn stimulates better liver function, leading to stronger heats and better conception.

Learning for next season

The biggest gain from monitoring now is in planning ahead. If low heat expression or late cycling is widespread, it’s a signal that transition nutrition, especially minerals, needs reviewing.

Questions to ask:

• Were cows blood- or liver-tested before calving?
• Were key minerals, calcium, magnesium, selenium, copper, and phosphorus levels within the target range?
• Did conserved forages or feed changes shift mineral profiles?
• Were pre-calving and post-calving aligned or did they stay static despite changing feed rations?

Answering these helps build a more accurate mineral plan for the next dry period, reducing the risk of repeat issues.

Why it pays to act on the signals

Poor reproduction is expensive, with more empties, late-calvers, and replacements to rear. Earlier conceptions tighten the calving pattern, boost days in milk, and reduce workload. Fixing mineral gaps doesn’t just avoid metabolic disease, it also improves fertility and herd longevity.

For many farms, even a modest lift in first-round in-calf rates translates to significant gains in milk and fewer headaches at mating time.

This spring, watch how cows are cycling. Weak heats or slow returns aren’t just bad luck; they’re a message from last season’s mineral management. The sooner that message is understood, the better decisions can be made for the season ahead.

Chris Balemi is founder of Agvance

“Halfway through an Agricultural Science degree at Lincoln University I realised that I much preferred to be outside doing practical things,” she laughs.

This practical approach has only worked in Megan’s favour, as she has thrived under the opportunities and challenges she has faced along her career path.

Megan was brought up on her family farm, with parents Stewart and Marie Morrison milking 400 cows at Inch Clutha, near Balclutha, Otago.

Five generations of the Morrison family have been farming on Inch Clutha since 1909. It is a 30 km₂ island which sits in the delta between the northern and southern branches of the Clutha River. The Morrison family own three self-contained dairy farms – Kemra Farm, Haswell Farm and Kilfinan.

The home farm, Kemra Farm, was once used to run sheep and grow potatoes, including the development of the Red King variety, until the conversion to dairy in the early 1990s.

“Dad has been a big inspiration for me, having converted the home farm to dairy back in 1992,” Megan says.

After her time at Lincoln University, Megan went calf rearing for Brent and Jenny Geddes in Christchurch for a summer before working for Dean Geddes (Tahora) for a couple of years as a farm assistant.

Megan then moved to Alexandra to be closer to family, working as a farm assistant on a dairy farm and training to become an AI technician.

She became pregnant with her first son, Harry, and decided to move home at the start of the 2021/22 season, managing Haswell Farm for her parents. Megan admits it was a challenging time, with Harry only six months old and her partner Craig Johnston working off farm in his building business.

Thankfully, things have settled; Megan is now milking 422 cows on 200ha, the majority of which are Holstein Friesian. “We also have a few ‘crossies’, and a few Jerseys, Milking Shorthorns and Ayrshires,” she says.

The block is a pasture- based, self-contained property, with all young stock kept on farm.

Megan says farms on Inch Clutha handle dry conditions well, due to its soil type. Having experienced dry weather during her previous roles, she says Inch Clutha is her preference, where “it’s quite nice not spending all day thinking about irrigation, because none is required”.

Megan is aiming for the herd to produce 440- 450kgMS/cow.

“We bought a whole new herd, which was made up of bits and pieces,” Megan says. “When we were buying there wasn’t a lot of Holstein Friesian herds on the market, so there has been a huge period of rebuilding.”

The herd is spring calving, with around 100 replacements kept annually. Mating starts November 10, with the established herd AI’d by Megan. The yearlings are run with Jersey bulls.

“There’s always a lot going on,” Megan says.

'Special' Cows

While they have used a lot of different bulls – with the majority of the herd put to sires that are part of LIC’s Customate programme in recent years - there is a small amount of ‘special’ cows that receive handpicked semen from either Semex, CRV or Samen.

“The special cows are the two cows we bought from Dean Geddes at Tahora, and a couple we purchased from the Fermoy Dispersal Sale,” Megan says.

She says they are selecting genetics to improve fat and protein content, and to build on milk production.

Megan says while she doesn’t want the cows too big, she’d like to see stature, capacity and a good rump angle.

“We are trying to bring the angle of the rump down, as a lot of the cows we bought were too high,” Megan says.

Megan says despite their appreciation for a good-looking cow, showing cattle is not on their radar.

“I experienced my first show while I was working at Tahora with Dean Geddes, and it was quite an eye-opener,” she says. “Seeing all the work that goes into the preparation was phenomenal.”

Despite this, Megan and her brother Brendan, who runs Kemra Farm, entered cattle from their farms in the 2023 Tokomairiro, Otago-Taieri and South Otago A&P Dairy Heifer Competition.

Kemra Farms won the calves section for a herd of fewer than 100 and placed third in the in-calf heifers’ section for a herd of fewer than 100.

Haswell Farm won the in-calf heifer section for herds fewer than 100 and placed third in the calves’ section for herds of more than 100.

Megan says she was very happy to win her category because the herd was the first young stock born since she moved home to manage the farm.

When it comes to business goals, Megan and Craig are hoping to go lower order sharemilking in a couple of years, with a view to work their way up to 50/50 sharemilking.

“We’d like to stay on my parents’ farm,” Megan says. “I would like to thank my Mum and Dad for all the opportunities they have given us; we appreciate all their support. We couldn’t do it without them.”

The couple is kept busy by sons Harry and Oliver.

Megan says she believes that women in dairy are not given the kudos they deserve.

“Things have improved a lot, but we still get underestimated.”

While the SCC issue was resolved, an unexpected benefit emerged - cows began cycling significantly faster.

In the second season on the program, Halter data showed cows were returning to heat just 24 days after calving—far below the national average of 42 days.

“The first season I used Rumicell just to the milking herd, cycling premating was phenomenal,” says Wills.

“There was no need for Metrichecking or CIDRs, and our 3-week submission rate rose to 93% - a 5% increase.”

Wills had tried various products to fix his SCC issues but switched to Probiotic Revolution’s Rumicell after reading about another farmer, John McCarty, who went antibiotic-free using probiotics. Rumicell combines live yeast with carefully selected bacterial strains to support digestion and immunity.

He began with autumn calvers and carryovers in May 2023. With 480 cows, most calving in spring, the cost of switching from a live yeast product was negligible, and the usual spring SCC spike was greatly reduced, avoiding any grades.

Read More:

• Probiotics help calf rearing systems
• Reducing mortality, achieving high growth rates in calves
• Probiotic additive helps farmers achieve target lightweights

Probiotic Revolution’s Chris Collier points to research showing that feeding cows three strains of probiotics 21 days pre calving as well as post-calving helped improved production as well reducing sub-clinical ketosis, which is strongly linked to several early lactation issues such as mastitis, calving difficulties, milk fever and post calving cycling.

Consequently in 2024, when Wills added Super- Start Lead Feed to his springer mob, his cows were cycling on average just 24 days post-calving, compared to 40 days for other farms in the district.

Collier emphasises that rapid post-calving cycling depends on cows avoiding metabolic issues.

“We’re using nine targeted probiotic strains in SuperStart Lead Feed. If cows have ketosis, milk fever, or retained membranes, cycling gets delayed but with these probiotics we must be firing up cows’ production and intake to get them cycling so quickly.”

He shared cases where farmers under work pressure stopped feeding SuperStart to late-calving cows.

While early calvers cycled in under 30 days, the late ones blew out past 30 days and bore the brunt of calving and mastitis problems.

“It’s easy to use in transition diets or water troughs, giving nearly every farmer the chance to improve mating outcomes.”

Tucked behind the rumen and largely invisible to farm-level observation, it quietly carries the burden of converting nutrients, detoxifying metabolites, and producing energy in the form of glucose to fuel lactation. But during early lactation, when energy demands are highest and intake is lagging, the liver is often overwhelmed. When this happens, fertility can suffer.

It’s time we looked at ketosis not only as a milk production or animal health issue, but as a reproduction issue too. Without a functioning liver, you won’t get functioning ovaries.

The hidden chain reaction

During early lactation, the cow enters a state of negative energy balance. She can’t eat enough to support her output, so she starts mobilising body fat. This fat is converted into non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and sent to the liver for processing. In a well-functioning cow, the liver turns NEFAs into usable energy or exports them as fat. Reductions in liver performance are a common problem across many herds during early lactation when maximum liver capacity is of utmost importance. In cows where the liver is not fully functional, NEFAs are not efficiently utilised, leading to the production of ketone byproducts such as betahydroxybutyrate (BHB) and acetoacetate. This is ketosis in action.

When this imbalance continues, the cow’s immune system weakens, milk production drops, and ketosis, either clinical or subclinical, can set the cow up for fertility issues later on. Ketosis interferes with calcium metabolism and disrupts insulin signalling, which can lead to suppression of ovarian function, delayed estrus, and an increased risk of early embryonic loss.

Read More:

• Still feeding minerals like its 1991?
• Keeping cows stress-free during transition period
• Managing blood pH pre-calving 'can be a game-changer'

Ketosis isn't one thing

Not all ketosis is created equal. Ketosis can be categorised into three nutritional causes:

• Type 1: Poor nutrition - Often from low propionic acid or amino acid intake. These cows are not getting enough nutrients from their diet to meet glucose requirements.
• Type 2: Fat cows - Over-conditioned cows which have mobilised too much fat, overwhelming the liver.
• Type 3: Bad silage - High butyric acid from poor silage risks higher ketone levels due to higher butyric acid, a precursor for the ketone BHB.

In all cases, the liver’s ability to oxidise fat and fuel the cow is compromised. But each type requires a different nutritional strategy to resolve it.

Fertility fallout

Why does this matter for mating? Because reproduction is an energy-intensive process. The cow must not only resume cycling but also produce viable follicles, ovulate, support embryo survival, and maintain a pregnancy. All of that depends on glucose and, by extension, on a liver that is in good working order.

Insulin resistance, triggered by elevated NEFA and BHB levels, blocks ovulation and can delay return to oestrus. Progesterone levels are affected, conception rates fall, and early embryonic death becomes more likely, leading to apparent failures to conceive or early pregnancy loss.

What you can do now

So, how do we set cows up for better liver function and reproductive success?

Feed for the liver, not just the rumen

Focus on propionic acid precursors (e.g.maize, molasses, protected starches) and bypass amino acids to support gluconeogenesis in the liver. It’s not just about energy, it’s about the type of energy.

Use DCAD strategically

Consider a controlled negative DCAD (dietary cation-anion difference) approach pre-calving to improve calcium availability and reduce metabolic stress. Stable calcium levels in the blood support uterine recovery and ovarian function.

Target minerals that support the liver

Selenium, cobalt, and zinc play important roles in antioxidant activity and enzyme function. Liver health depends on it.

Test, don't guess

Monitor BHB levels in fresh cows to catch subclinical ketosis before it cascades into something worse. A cow with BHB levels above 1.2 mmol/L might look fine, but her liver is under strain, and her reproductive future is at risk.

Watch your silage

Don’t assume goodlooking silage is harmless. High butyric acid can depress appetite and spike BHB production, which are hallmarks of Type 3 ketosis.

When your cows aren’t getting in-calf, it might not be about bull management, synchrony, or timing. It might be about the liver.

Chris Balemi is founder of Agvance Nutrition

And mineral supplements manufacturer C P Lime says meeting these demands with effective and targeted mineral supplementation is key to reducing clinical issues and enhancing productivity.

It says the use of its product Vitalise — a pelletised mineral supplement — is proving to be an innovative and practical solution for supporting herd health throughout this critical period.

The company says conditions like milk fever (hypocalcaemia), grass staggers (hypomagnesaemia), and facial eczema are prevalent across New Zealand dairy herds.

“Most farmers will experience at least one of these each season. While emergency supplementation during calving is standard practice, prevention is always preferable.

“Good mineral supplementation doesn’t just address visible health issues — it also supports cows at a sub-clinical level, helping maintain production and fertility even in the absence of outward symptoms. Waiting until blood tests reveal a deficiency often means the damage to milk production and long-term health has already been done.”

Vitalise provides more than just calcium and magnesium – it provides comprehensive nutritional support. It can be custom blended with essential trace elements like copper, cobalt, iodine zinc and selenium, depending on specific herd requirements and seasonal challenges such as mating or facial eczema risk periods.

Read More:

• Good nutrition will support smooth calving
• Minerals make a difference
• Pelletised minerals the way to go?

For herds on fodder beet diets, Dicalcium Phosphate can be added to prevent low calcium and phosphate levels, a common risk.

Biotin can also be a useful addition for skin and hoof health, and yeast cultures to improve rumen health.

Monensin, another additive option, improves rumen function and supports optimal cow condition, reducing issues like ketosis and bloat while enhancing in-calf rates and protein production.

The company says Vitalise’s pellet form ensures every cow receives an accurate dose, reducing waste and cost.

Its versatility — from standard to custom blends — and seamless integration into in-shed systems make it an ideal tool for modern dairy farming, it adds.

“It is 100% utilisable, ensuring accurate dosing either via a mineral dispenser or by pre-blending with your local feed supplier. Our ethos is “little and often,” with easily adjustable dose rates to meet seasonal herd needs.

“Whether you’re preparing for calving, navigating mating, or simply maintaining optimal herd health year-round, Vitalise delivers the right nutrients at the right time.

“With over 10 years of proven performance, Vitalise is more than a mineral supplement; it’s a proactive solution to improve animal welfare, reduce stress during calving, and optimise farm productivity all season long,” the company says.

Milk that has the lowest risk of containing M. bovis bacteria comes in these forms: calf milk replacer powder, acidified milk, or pasteurised milk.

If you're feeding whole milk, consider the following:

• Discard milk from cows under treatment for mastitis or other illnesses.
• Aim for a pH level of 4.5 to reduce the risk of M. bovis. At a pH level of 4, the milk is unpalatable, and the calves will refuse to drink it.
• Pasteurisation will kill M. bovis if the machine is working correctly and the proper procedures are followed.
• Adding yoghurt to milk is a less reliable way to reduce the pH, as this process takes more time and is temperature, dependent to get the culture growing.
• If the pH doesn't drop below 5 for at least 8 hours, M. bovis will not be killed.
• The addition of potassium sorbate preservative does not kill M. bovis.

Advice for acidifying milk

Do not acidify below pH 4 as this will result in thickened milk and risks complete coagulation. Calves will not drink milk with a pH of 4 or below.

Milk must be less than 24°C to minimise coagulation or clot formation.

Always add acid to milk, not milk to acid.

When using citric acid, the rate is 5.5g citric acid per litre of whole milk, or 550g per litres of whole milk, or 5.5kg per 1000L of whole milk. The acid needs to be sprinkled on top of the milk while it is being agitated.

Milk at pH 5 and below separates, but with gentle mixing goes back into a homogenous solution. Gentle mixing of the milk twice a week is the recommended method. Continuous or vigorous mixing causes coagulation.

Use pH strips or an electronic pH meter. Note meters must be kept clean and calibrated when working with milk.

Systems that pipe milk may have coagulation in the pipes/tubes causing blockage of lines and nipples. This may result in the feeding of "whey" to calves.

Article - DairyNZ

Recent research suggests that feeding a higher daily allowance, split into multiple feeds, is better for calves. When choosing between whole milk and milk replacer, both can be economical, but precautions should be taken. Selecting the best system for your farm will help reduce the stress of calf rearing, and ensure your calves get the best start to life.

To ensure optimal growth, health, and wellbeing of calves, feeding strategies should be considered carefully. Recent research suggests that feeding a higher daily allowance, split into multiple feeds, is better for calves. When choosing between whole milk and milk replacer, both can be economical, but precautions should be taken. Selecting the best system for your farm will help reduce the stress of calf rearing, and ensure your calves get the best start to life.

How often to feed calves?

Feeding strategies should provide calves with enough energy for growth and play, ensuring they can mount a strong immune response, and also meet their behavioural needs.

Recent research shows that feeding calves once a day (OAD) for the first two to four weeks until they can digest solid feed, does not fully provide for their daily nutritional needs. Calves cannot consume enough milk in one sitting to meet their nutritional needs and will experience hunger. While they can tolerate OAD feeding, it's not ideal for their welfare.

Feeding milk twice daily for two to four weeks, allows the calf to consume and digest adequate amounts of milk, and therefore energy, to maintain good health and growth. More energy also supports positive behaviour such as running and playing. Ad lib feeding systems also provide these benefits while conserving labour.

Some farms in New Zealand opt to use automated calf rearing systems, which allow the calf to choose when and how often they feed. This mimics the natural feeding behaviour of a calf on a cow. Properly managed, automated systems have been found to reduce nutritional or non-infectious scours and the need for additional labour.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) consulted on proposed changes for the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare from April to June in 2022. In response to recent research, the Committee proposed that calves must be fed twice daily for the first three weeks.

To ensure optimal growth, health, and wellbeing of calves, feeding strategies should be considered carefully. Recent research suggests that feeding a higher daily allowance, split into multiple feeds, is better for calves. When choosing between whole milk and milk replacer, both can be economical, but precautions should be taken. Selecting the best system for your farm will help reduce the stress of calf rearing, and ensure your calves get the best start to life.

Whole Milk or Milk Replacer?

Calves can be reared economically on both whole milk or high quality, reputable milk replacers. In seasonal dairy systems there is often an abundance of surplus milk over spring, and many farms cannot justify the use of milk replacers on economic grounds.

Raw milk is a high-risk pathway for the spread of Mycoplasma Bovis (M. bovis) and certain other infectious diseases. Ensure any milk you sell or purchase is traceable by completing a feed declaration form.

There may be other drivers for farmers to use milk replacers, including:

• Surplus milk is not readily available
• Milk prices are high
• Prevent infection from the herd
• Control of diseases such as M. bovis and Johne's
• Automated calf feeding systems

When choosing to use a milk replacer, calves need time to adapt to the new diet. This can be achieved by initially mixing replacer with colostrum/whole milk to let them adjust between the two feeds. Consistency is key to the success of milk replacers. Always read the label and mix according to the directions.

Automated calf feeding systems can achieve good results with milk replacers, as the preparation and mixing is consistent. Delivery to the calf and cleaning of the system is often easier and works better with freshly mixed milk powder.

Choosing Replacers

Protein and fat are two key components of your feed that should be considered when comparing milk replacers.

Protein

Protein content and source of protein in milk replacers can vary significantly. Calves respond best to dairy-based proteins compared to plant-based proteins. Not all milk replacers will state the protein source, so ensure that you use reputable products that have proven results when feeding young calves.

Fat

Milk replacers commonly provide less fat than whole milk, ranging between 18-22% on a dry matter basis.

Article - DairyNZ

The DairyNZ Beef + Lamb New Zealand Compensation Assistance Team (DBCAT) was set up in 2018 to help farmers prepare compensation claims during the M. bovis outbreak. During the past seven years, 1370 farmers have used the free service with more than 2310 claims being finalised.

More than $161 million in claims were submitted by the service on behalf of farmers, including $88 million from dairy farmers and $40 million from beef farmers.

It is estimated that the service saved the M. bovis eradication programme more than $10 million by finding smart farm-systems solutions that mitigated the need for a claim.

DairyNZ head of biosecurity Fi Roberts said the service played an important part in supporting farmers through a tough time.

“We know how hard it was for farmers, which is why we wanted to support those affected by getting them through the compensation claim process as quickly as we could. By having a dedicated team, claims could be processed faster and farmers compensated more quickly,” she says.

DairyNZ Chair Tracy Brown says eradicating M. bovis has been one of the most significant biosecurity challenges the sector has ever faced.

“That’s why it was important that the service was operated independently of government so we could provide specific advice and guidance to help farmers through.”

Beef + Lamb New Zealand chair Kate Acland said DBCAT played an important role in helping farmers navigate what was one of the toughest times in their farming careers.

“The service not only made the compensation process more accessible and efficient, but it also ensured farmers had someone in their corner who understood their operation and their stress.

“We’re proud of the partnership that delivered this support and of the legacy DBCAT leaves in showing how the sector can come together in a time of need.”

DairyNZ partnered with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and B+LNZ to lead the response phase of the M. bovis eradication programme.

The M. bovis programme is now seven years into a 10-year eradication plan, with currently no active, confirmed properties. The programme transitioned to the M. bovis National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) on 1 January 2025, which Ospri is implementing.

The DBCAT service closed on June 30 with MPI directly handling any new or unresolved claims.

Lessons learned and expertise developed within all the partners continues to inform planning for future incursions, such as Foot and Mouth Disease.

Another 10 seasonal field technicians start later in the year.

Ospri took over the TBfree national eradication programme in 2013, and testing was done by AsureQuality.

Ospri general manager disease control, planning and implementation, Simon Andrew, says it now makes sense for Ospri to do the testing, and the transition should be smooth for farmers and the livestock industry.

"Testing in-house is a very important step for Ospri, as an integrated disease control eradication agency," he says.

"We're looking forward to carrying out end-to-end control of TB.

"We've recruited a strong team of technicians. The expertise they bring will expand our capability and add value to our other programmes.

In any one year, a large proportion of the national livestock population is skin tested for TB. The programme undetook about 1.7 million TB tests in the 2023-24 year.

"We know our farmers and our funders, MPI and livestock industry bodies Beef + Lamb NZ, DairyNZ and the Deer Industry Association, want to see us make more efficient use of the levies paid for the TBfree programme," Simon says.

"We are anticipating the cost savings we gain from doing testing in-house will allow us to increase the investment made into possum control, which is the key to achieving TB eradication."

Farmers don't need to change what they do. Routine testing will be scheduled when required and to go through normal channels to book a pre-movement test.

Along with TBfree, Ospri also manages NAIT, the national system for tracing cattle and deer, and MBfree, the national eradication programme for Mycoplasma bovis.

Since its inception in 2017, Probiotic Revolution has brought in three different probiotic products to help calf rearers rear bigger healthy calves and around 120,000 calves a year are being reared on their products.

"Initially, to help calf health we relied on high doses of beneficial live bacteria in daily doses of Calf Xtreme boosting their immunity," explains Matt Collier of Probiotic Revolution.

"In order to get over scours we just doubled or quadrupled the dose rate. This works extremely well if the issue is just Rotavirus. However sometimes the issue may lie with just a few calves in a pen, so to just treat individual calves we now provide BioRescue paste in a convenient applicator. We have farmers who treat some extremely sick calves that have bounce back within 12 hours.

“We are so confident in this product that we are making it stronger this year and are providing an offer to allow many more to see its benefits.”

He also cites an example of Top Notch Calves who reared 7000 calves last year, but by using Calf Xtreme and BioRescue had 3% go through sick pens and just eight deaths.

Often bull calf rearers find their calves health is not the best when they arrive so last year the company proved BioCalf electrolyte, with its bacteria in it, to either help prevent scours or assist health when scours occur. For some this is now an essential tool to minimise health issues.

Despite improving health, Collier claims the biggest benefit of using Calf Xtreme daily is to boost growth rates. He says research has shown that if early milk volumes are high, better tissue is being laid down in the udder in the first 5 weeks of a calf’s life, and this impacts subsequent heifer milk production.

“With Calf Xtreme, we get to once-a-day feed rates that are not far off ad-lib rates, but there is great consumption of meal, hay and grass and better rumen development.”

This approach prevents nutritional scours, when the excess milk carries Calf Xtreme into the rumen, boosting digestion and intake of hard feed.

“The result is faster growth, with a survey showing calves reaching target weaning weights 11 days earlier,” he explains.

Collier cites an example of a Stratford farmer who used Calf Xtreme to change from feeding two litres twice a day to 7 to 8 litres once-a-day by day 10.

“Calves can’t normally get to this level of milk without getting scours but accompanied with a higher intake of meal and grass, they are initially growing at up to 1kg per day as well as better after weaning off milk. Milk production from these heifers compared with mixed age cow production has lifted from 74% to 86%. That’s a lift of 50kg milk solids or over $500 per heifer for about $10 of Calf Xtreme.”

Collier says the company is committed to promoting the use of their products with high milk rates to minimise health issues and raise higher producing heifers.

Meeting these demands with effective and targeted mineral supplementation is key to reducing clinical issues and enhancing productivity.

CP Lime says that the use of its product Vitalise — a pelletised mineral supplement — is proving to be an innovative and practical solution for supporting herd health throughout this critical period.

Tackling clinical and sub-clinical deficiencies

Conditions like milk fever (hypocalcaemia), grass staggers (hypomagnesaemia), and facial eczema are prevalent across New Zealand dairy herds. Most farmers will experience at least one of these each season. While emergency supplementation during calving is standard practice, prevention is always preferable. Good mineral supplementation doesn’t just address visible health issues — it also supports cows at a sub-clinical level, helping maintain production and fertility even in the absence of outward symptoms. Waiting until blood tests reveal a deficiency often means the damage to milk production and long-term health has already been done.

Comprehensive nutritional support

Vitalise provides more than just calcium and magnesium. It can be custom- blended with essential trace elements like copper, cobalt, iodine zinc and selenium, depending on specific herd requirements and seasonal challenges such as mating or facial eczema risk periods.

For herds on fodder beet diets, Dicalcium Phosphate can be added to prevent low calcium and phosphate levels, a common risk.

Biotin can also be a useful addition for skin and hoof health, and yeast cultures to improve rumen health.

Monensin, another additive option, improves rumen function and supports optimal cow condition, reducing issues like ketosis and bloat while enhancing in-calf rates and protein production.

CP Lime says Vitalise’s pellet form ensures every cow receives an accurate dose, reducing waste and cost. Its versatility — from standard to custom blends — and seamless integration into in-shed systems make it an ideal tool for modern dairy farming. The company says is it 100% utilisable, ensuring accurate dosing either via a mineral dispenser or by preblending with your local feed supplier.

But this progression, for some reason, doesn’t translate through to minerals. We see a lot of farms relying on the same old mix (and same old thinking) they were using 20 years ago.

It’s not that those approaches were wrong at the time; they were based on what we knew then. But we know more now, and when margins are tight and animal health is under pressure, mineral nutrition is one area where a few small shifts can mean big gains.

Good enough isn’t always good

Plenty of cows get through calving without major issues, but that doesn’t mean their mineral programme is actually working well. A cow can calve down, get milked, and head out to pasture, and still be underperforming in ways that are easy to miss.

Sluggish starts, inconsistent appetite, poor cycling, failure to conceive are things that are often hard to put your finger on but are all signs that something is not quite right.

Often, the underlying issue is less than optimal mineral levels. There may be a good range of minerals in the mix, but for a cow to fully utilise the minerals, the mineral form can be critical.

Bioavailability matters

One of the biggest changes in mineral nutrition over the past 10 to 15 years is the shift from quantity to quality. It’s not just about ticking the boxes; the focus now is on maximising absorption.

It’s not just about the essential elements, calcium, magnesium, or selenium and the levels on the label; it’s all about the potential availability of these minerals when in combination.

For example, some forms of magnesium, like magnesium oxide, are commonly used, but their quality can vary depending on the manufacturer and purity. Trace minerals like zinc, copper and selenium can also vary widely in their effectiveness based on their form (sulphate, oxide, chelate, rumen protected etc.) If the mineral forms are not right, depending on the diet and other minerals in the diet, a good percentage of what you’re paying may be passing straight through the cow.

The same goes for timing. A cow’s mineral requirements don’t start on the day of calving, but the weeks leading up to calving are vital. Most of the critical shifts, like calcium mobilisation, liver loading, and immune priming must be addressed well before expected calving in order to achieve good results.

If your minerals are going in late or in the wrong form, they won’t be there when the cow needs them most.

Don't leave springers ahead

An effective transition program translates to increased productive performance (up to 10% gain), better reproductive performance, and higher immunity.

Mineral nutrition doesn’t fix everything, but it’s an essential piece of the puzzle.

If your springer programme hasn’t changed in 10 or 15 years, it’s worth having another look. New research, better and more innovative mineral forms, and improved understanding of cow physiology can lead to more effective ways to support your cows in that final stretch.

Other sources of minerals matter too

It’s also important to factor in what the cows may be getting in their water and feed. In some areas, bore water can be high in iron or sulphur, and grasses can also be very high in sulphur. This can seriously limit copper and selenium absorption. High potassium is a major issue during the transition period and needs to be mitigated by feeding a balance of other key minerals.

It is important during this period to look at the total makeup of the diet and address the limiting factors correctly. Applying the correct balance of major elements – Ca, Mg, P – along with the addition of rumen-protected or organic forms of selenium and key trace minerals in chelated form ensures absorption.

Careful formulation can make all the difference to the end result.

Time for a rethink?

If your current approach is working well and the cows are performing, that’s great. But if you’re seeing more metabolics than you’d like, or just not quite hitting the production or reproduction targets you are aiming for, it might be time to review what you’re feeding, how you’re feeding it, and when.

The solution isn’t feeding more, it’s feeding smarter.

Chris Balemi is founder and managing director of Agvance Nutrition

Centred around a onetime administered, lifetime bolus, the device monitors body temperature and drinking behaviour, looking at both frequency and intake volumes. Other key indicators monitored include rumination, via reticulum contractions, general movement activity and optional reticulum PH monitoring.

Collected data is passed seamlessly to a Base Station, where an integral climate sensor provides additional information on ambient temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure. The combined data stream is moved to The Cloud, to be analysed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) alongside long-standing , proven and evolving algorithms.

Recognising every dairy farm is unique, SmaXtec has recently updated its health management offering to deliver even more personalised, intuitive, and efficient notifications.

The latest software known as smaXtec Web fits seamlessly into daily dairy operations, with an AI-powered digital assistant.

The system helps farmers keep an eye on their animals and simplifies everyday tasks on the pasture, with automatic reports, practical lists, and clear actions and recommendations.

A completely redesigned user interface now displays key information in a clearer and more accessible manner, with easier to interpret graphs making navigation more straightforward and significantly improved usability. A quick glance at the dashboard offers new updates, such as: Which cows are due for hoof trimming? Which freshly calved animals need special attention, and potential mastitis cases are also automatically listed. Farmers not only see which animals are affected but also receive concrete action recommendations from the AI-powered digital assistant, such as performing a CMT test.

The Woolover covers for lambs and calves have been around for a while now, and their worth had been verified in the field and also in trials, here and in North America. The concept is simple: fit a wool cover that costs a few dollars to protect newborn lambs or calves to maximise productivity across the animal's life - easily covering the small cost of the cover. It can also reduce the percentage of fatalities due to harsh weather.

"What we do know is, when the temperature drops to say plus 4 degrees C, we know that two thirds of the calves' food intake is now simply directed to trying to get warm, as opposed to using that food intake into growing," says Brown.

Brown says by covering a newborn from day one, you ensure the animal's core temperature is constant, day and night. He says that even if young stock are kept in a pen or barn, if they are not covered, they will still be cold.

"Our US trial data suggests that over a 60-day period, Woolover covered calves gained a total of 39lb by weaning," says Brown.

The 2017 trial involved 100 bull calves on Busse's Barron Acres farm in Wisconsin, where long, cold nights are common. The results were similar to another trial the company did a year earlier.

The covers are widely used in New Zealand, sold through good merchants like PGG Wrightson and Farmlands.

Warren & Denise MacPherson, Springhills, Southland have been using Woolover Calf covers for the past four years, putting them on their dairy replacements from 2-3 days old. They say calves with Woolover covers on can be introduced to the cold outdoor conditions sooner.

"It is lovely to see the contented thriving calves that look so cuddly in their woolly coats. The calves are very active and playful with growth and weight gains obvious."

Having seen productivity gains from using Woolover covers with their dairy replacement heifers, the MacPhersons are now using them on all calves born to dairy stock that are reared. They say it is much easier to rear thriving calves that are always warm, and that their calves are now stronger, bigger and healthier.

The Foot and Mouth Disease Operational Agreement confirms how government and industry will jointly prepare for, and respond to, a possible outbreak - including how costs will be shared.

Under the deal, industry will contribute 40% of readiness costs and 15% of response costs - capped at $450 million. The dairy sector will contribute over 60% towards these costs.

Dairy farmers will meet 41.85% of costs and dairy processors 18.85%. Sheep and beef farmers will foot 20% of the costs with sheep and beef processors 16%.

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says the agreement marks a major milestone in New Zealand's readiness for a potential FMD outbreak.

The deal takes effect from 1 July 2025 for five years.

"An outbreak could cost up to $3 billion to eradicate but doing nothing would be far worse; potentially slashing export values by $14.3 billion per year until it's controlled," says Hoggard.

"Through this agreement, we're locking in a truly collaborative approach. Industry will contribute 40% of readiness costs and 15% of response costs - capped at $450 million - and in return, they'll have a formal seat at the decision-making table."

Hoggard says the agreement reflects years of work and a shared commitment to protecting New Zealand's vital livestock sector.

"This is a significant and practical step forward for our national biosecurity system."

DairyNZ chief executive and inaugural chair of the Foot and Mouth Disease Council Campbell Parker welcomed the signing.

"Biosecurity is a key priority for DairyNZ as it helps us to power more productive and resilient farms - with dairy farmers the biggest sector investors in the biosecurity system," he says.

"Dealing with an outbreak of FMD would cost the livestock sector billions, and we want to be involbved in deciding how those costs would be best spent."

Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand executive director Kimberly Crewther says the agreement is a major milestone after over a decade of engagement to establish the foundations for partnership in addressing this most significant biosecurity risk for the livestock sectors.

"Recent overseas FMD outbreaks, including Europ, reinforce the importance of getting to this point and ensuring government and industries' combined resources, knowledge, and capability can be deployed in the most efficient and effective way to reduce risk and impacts."

The Crown's reference exposure is $2.5 billion million; however, its liability is uncapped, meaning it may spend more in the very unlikely event of multiple responses during the FMDOA's term.

The industry contributions are split between the different sectors based on their relative size in terms of value, with a further adjustment to account for any market access agreements that allow product to be traded, even if FMD is present in New Zealand.

Value is calculated on what different sectors add to the value of a product. The value of the farming sector is calculated on farm gate sales, and the value of processors is the difference between farm gate value and export value.

But reproductive performance starts long before the AB technician shows up or the bull goes out. One of the most overlooked drivers of poor in-calf rates is what happens during the transition period (the three weeks before and after calving).

Transition Stress

We always look at the transition period as one of the most metabolically stressful stages of a cow’s lactation. At calving, her demand for calcium spikes, her dry matter intake lags behind her energy requirements, and her immune system is under pressure. Most farmers are familiar with the risks of milk fever and ketosis, but even when cows don’t show obvious signs of trouble, subclinical issues often take a toll on reproductive systems.

A cow dealing with negative energy balance in early lactation will start mobilising fat reserves. This releases non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) into the bloodstream, which puts pressure on the liver. High NEFA levels are associated with fatty liver and impaired liver function, and that matters because the liver plays a vital role in hormone metabolism and immune function.

A compromised liver delays uterine recovery and ovulation, as well as affecting milk production. That’s why cows that have a rough transition, even if they don’t show signs of metabolic disease, will often cycle late and have a lower chance of holding to first service.

Mineral status matters more than you think

Trace minerals are another piece of the puzzle. Low selenium and zinc levels impact immune function and uterine repair. Copper is essential for hormone production. If cows calve down with borderline or deficient levels, their ability to clean out, fight infection, and return to cycling is compromised, often without any clear outward signs.

In a seasonal calving system like New Zealand’s, timing is everything. Cows that don’t cycle within the first 30 to 40 days post-calving are unlikely to conceive early. That means fewer first or second-round pregnancies, making for more late-calving cows next season. These issues can just keep flowing on unless drastic measures are undertaken to tighten the calving spread.

It's not just the sick cows

One of the most frustrating things for farmers is when healthy-looking cows fail to get in-calf. No lameness, no milk fever, no mastitis, but they don’t cycle in time, or they keep coming back empty.

The issue is often subclinical. These cows might be running on marginal mineral levels. They may have struggled with mild ketosis or liver stress that didn’t show clinically. If we could look under the bonnet, we would see that their systems aren’t quite firing, and by the time it comes to mating, the window to fix the problem has passed. That’s why a proactive approach to transition is important. It’s not about putting out fires after calving. It’s about setting up every cow, especially those in their first and second lactation, to glide through early lactation without compromising fertility.

Supporting cows with the right mineral plan

A successful transition programme starts with the right pre-calving minerals. A negative DCAD supplement helps cows mobilise calcium efficiently at calving, reducing the risk of subclinical milk fever and supporting metabolic balance. That sets the foundation for good intake and energy status post-calving.

After calving, cows need a mineral blend that supports liver function, maintains trace mineral balance, and aids immune recovery. This helps cows get back on track quickly, reducing the risk of delayed heats and silent ovulation.

It’s also important to keep the programme going for an adequate amount of time. Transition minerals should be in place for at least 21 days pre-calving and continued post-calving through the early stages of lactation. This supports mineral availability during the peak stress window and helps the liver recover from the load of fat mobilisation and hormone cycling.

Reproductive gains start earlier than you think

When transition is done well, cows bounce back faster, cycle sooner, and hold better to first service.

Good reproductive performance is always a result of multiple factors, but transition is one of the few that you can lock in ahead of time. You don’t need to wait for problems to show up. With the right nutrition plan and the right minerals, you can improve your odds before the season even starts.

Chris Balemi is Agvance Nutrition founder and managing director.

This will lead to slower pasture growth rates, and with calving only 10–12 weeks away, many farmers are turning to maize silage as part of their winter-feeding strategy.

While it’s well known for boosting summer and autumn production, maize silage also plays a critical role in winter by helping to build body condition, maintain consistent intakes in poor weather, and support cows through the transition period.

Building Body Condition Score (BCS)

During early winter, the main focus is on BCS. Spring calving cows should now be on a planned nutritional path to achieve BCS targets of 5.5 for younger cows and 5.0 for mature cows.

For cows due to calve around mid-July, the window for condition gain typically begins in April and May. From mid- May, a 475kg cow will need to consume around 10 kgDM/day, increasing to 11 kgDM/day by mid- June as pregnancy progresses and maintenance demands increase.

When you factor in feed utilisation2, this means dry cows should be offered 12–14 kgDM/ day to meet their requirements. In most regions, winter pasture growth rates are modest, and even under favourable conditions, pasture might only supply half of the daily demand. That leaves a gap, which is where maize silage can play a role by providing a consistent energy source to drive efficient BCS gain over the winter months.

Maintaining intake when conditions change

One of the key advantages of incorporating maize silage in winter diets is the ability to maintain drymatter intake when pasture utilisation drops due to poor weather. In good winter grazing conditions, pasture might be utilised at around 80%, but in wet, cold, or muddy conditions, this can easily fall to 70% or lower.

Table 1 illustrates how maize silage offers flexibility in this situation. On a good day, cows may comfortably meet intake targets with 7 kgDM of pasture and 4 kgDM of maize silage to reach an 11 kgDM per cow intake. However, when pasture utilisation drops, the pasture component provides less actual intake, meaning cows fall short of their needs unless additional supplement is introduced.

During poor weather conditions, increasing the amount of maize silage offered by just 1 kgDM ensures that total intake is restored to the target level. Because maize silage is fed in winter on a feedpad, the feeding rate is easy to adjust and less vulnerable to weather-driven losses. This flexibility helps maintain a consistent energy supply when cows need it most.

This approach ensures feed consistency, helps avoid intake dips, and supports continuous progress toward achieving BCS targets.

Transition feeding and DCAD management

Maize silage also brings significant benefits during the springer period (3 weeks pre-calving). Its low potassium and naturally low DCAD (Dietary Cation-Anion Difference) make it an ideal base for pre-calving diets, particularly when compared to high-potassium pasture (especially from effluent paddocks).

Feeding low-DCAD diets 2–3 weeks before calving improves calcium mobilisation and reduces the risk of milk fever. Maize silage also keeps dietary calcium levels low (<0.5% of DMI), which helps regulate calcium absorption. Once lactation begins and demand skyrockets, cows are better primed to absorb calcium from the diet.

To fully unlock these benefits, it’s important to test feed components and complement the diet with appropriate anionic mineral supplements such as magnesium chloride or sulphate. Your vet or nutritionist can help set appropriate DCAD targets and ensure overall diet balance during this crucial phase.

If you’d like support with feed budgeting, mineral balancing, or getting the most from your maize silage this winter, talk to your nutritionist, vet, or one of the Farm Systems Specialists at pioneer.co.nz.

Wade Bell is Genetic Technologies farm systems manager. Contact him at wbell@genetic.co.nz

Thriver teats, designed and developed in New Zealand by Skellerup engineers and in-field specialists, take calf comfort during feeding to the next level. Thriver Screw-In Calf Teat was the first product released in September last year, followed by the Thriver Pull-Through Calf Teat in November 2024.

Sam Purdy, Skellerup Product Development Engineer says the team looked at common pain points for calf rearers - teats leaking, poor fit onto feeders requiring multiple teats during a calf’s feed cycle and calf comfort during feeding.

“We were inspired by the natural feeding experience between a calf and a cow and improved it with engineering,” he says. To avoid leaking the team employed a concave tip design which allows the slit to seal itself. Using ozone, UV and tensile testing they were able to develop a compound which is soft and strong.

Purdy explains that this balance is crucial - “Younger calves need a soft teat to feed comfortably, but it still has to withstand the strength of older calves as they grow.” To attract calves to the teat, Thriver teats come with a vanilla scent.

“Calves have a strong sense of smell, so we’ve added vanillin to encourage the calves to find the teat and latch.”

Thriver teats also feature a leak-resistant design and dual-material valve. The geometry is inspired from the natural feeding experience between a cow and a calf.

Purdy says a semi plastic retainer adds rigidity to the valve and the valve allows a one-way milk flow.

“The valve creates second milk chamber – this mimics an udder which encourages the natural feeding of a calf.”

Thriver’s naturally antibacterial rubber material helps reduce cross-contamination, supporting healthier feeding.

Skellerup key account manager dairy, Rebecca White says the Thriver development process included extensive on-farm trials with calf rearers globally.

“Skellerup has a long history of manufacturing high-quality rubberware since 1910, Thriver is our latest innovation focused on animal rearing,” says White.

White says there has been a positive response from calf rearers and retailers who have seen great results using Thriver. “Anecdotally we’re getting feedback on the softness of Thriver Calf Teats with the added vanilla scent aiding to easy latch making the younger calves easier to train and most importantly no leaking so tidier pens. We’re looking forward to supporting rearers over the coming season and helping others transition to Thriver.”

Skellerup’s team will be at the Fieldays - site PC29, where they “look forward to seeing calf rearers and talking all things Thriver”.

ST Genetics distributes Genetics Australia (GA) semen in New Zealand and Macky joined her GA colleagues and several Kiwi farmers on the recent World Jersey Conference tour in Australia.

“I love the capacious style of the Australian cow and I need to convince more New Zealanders about them,” she says.

“There is a misconception that cows are treated differently in Australia and there is a different style of farming, but in reality, it’s very similar.

“Generally, the New Zealand Jersey has become too small, in my opinion, and I think they lack a bit of the depth and strength of Australian Jerseys,” she said. “They seem to be getting smaller and winters are very tough in New Zealand but we can learn a lot from Australia.

“A lot of farmers have gone into KiwiCross but if they could see this modern style of Jersey cow, they probably wouldn’t have gone into the crossbreed. They wanted to get away from the smaller and bigger cows so they’ve created this mid-sized cow – but that’s what the Jersey is in Australia.”

Macky said she was pleased to see so many New Zealand farmers joining the Australian tour. While Jersey numbers are growing in most countries, they have been declining in New Zealand.

“Hopefully after this trip, demand will really grow because we’ve seen so many good cows and I will be trying to spread that word,” she said.

Jersey New Zealand president Julie Pirie also joined the tour to Australia and said she wants to reverse a trend that has seen the breed in decline over the past two decades.

“The future for Jerseys in New Zealand should be bright; the issue is the mindset of farmers who need to understand that milking modern-day Jerseys is different to milking Jerseys from 20 years ago,” Pirie says.

“We’ve got a stronger animal that can withstand a lot tougher conditions than 20 years ago.

“Jersey cows are better able to withstand the effects of increased temperature, convert feed into milk far more efficiently than other breeds and because they have a smaller frame, they are better for our soils and environment.

“It’s a matter of convincing farmers to move away from KiwiCross.”

Jersey Australia, Genetics Australia and Agri-Gene will have a site at Mystery Creek Field Days in June to promote the breed.

This month, 42 selected dairy farmers are the first of 100 in New Zealand to go live with Herd-i's BCS system.

These early adopters are integrating this new AI technology into their dairy sheds to monitor cow health year-round with near real-time, daily body condition scores. Farm sizes of the first 42 operations from 263- to 1972-cow herds.

Traditionally, dairy farmers rely on manual body condition assessments, which can be inconsistent, time-consuming, and typically done only a few times a year. Herd-i's AI-powered system eliminates these challenges by providing consistent, daily body condition scores, enabling farmers to monitor trends in their cows' conditions year-round.

Amanda and Dean Benson, who own and - together with second-in-charge, Josh - manage a 250-cow dairy farm in South Waikato, are the very first of Herd-i's group of 100 BCS launch farmers to have the technology installed during May.

For Amanda, the decision to adopt Herd-i's system was all about gaining consistent data and being able to make fast, informed animal health decisions.

"When we learned about Herd-i's BCS system, it didn't take much to convince us to integrate it into our operation. We were already familiar with how manual body condition scoring works, and we knew the inconsistencies we faced using this method.

"With Herd-i, we'll have daily data, which means we can make quick, proactive and informed decisions, not just react when a cow is clearly in a poor state," she says.

"Herd-i will allow us to monitor every cow's trend, address health issues before they become severe, and improve the overall health and productivity of our herd."

According to Marty Orange, Herd-i's sales manager, "Herd-i provides farmers with daily body condition data which is presented as rolling average trends. This allows farmers to more closely monitor small changes in the body condition of their herd".

"These small changes in individual cows include data that shows the cow is losing or gaining the body condition at a different rate to the rest of the herd. Getting this data in near real-time allows farmers to more quickly adjust their farming practices when required."

Herd-i chief executive officer Liz Muller told Dairy News that AI and Herd-i are both changing the game for kiwi dairy farmers.

Muller says Herd-i is using AI to enable the early detection of lameness using 14 annotated key points on a dairy cow.

"We track the gait of the cow and identify when the gait changes which may indicate the early signs of lameness.

"Early detection of lameness - ability to treat early and cost effectively and get faster recovery times and less reoccurrence of lameness, maximised milk production, improved reproductive performance and improved animal welfare."

Muller says AI has a significant role to play on NZ dairy farms where there is the opportunity to automate work that is subjective - AI removes the subjectivity - where consistency, speed, precision and sensitivity are required.

"The ability to detect small changes that are not easily detected by humans for example," she says.

Herd-i will be at the Fieldays - at stand K24 where a large LED screen will show farmers how the technology works.

There will also be displays of videos of cows being scored for lameness and BCS. "We also are running a 'Guess the Lameness Score' competition where farmers can win a free Herd-i system for a year," says Muller.

But SealesWinslow dairy nutrition specialist Simon Butler cautions BCS gains are not easily won over the dry period and need good planning, feeding and commitment to be achieved.

"You are aiming at a calving BCS score of 5 for cows and 5.5 for first and second calvers. Realistically, you must allow 60-70 days to gain 0.5 of a BCS."

He says the time available may appear sufficient in early May, but it rapidly shrinks when key events are considered.

"You must assume no BCS gain over drying off, which occurs over about 10 days. Then you have the four weeks before calving when the cows' bodies can't gain any more condition because their rumen capacity is impaired and they're using more energy for the growing calf."

Taking these points iinto account, the time available to reach BCS targets is significantly reduced, and the number of days dry also affects other aspects of the herd's health.

"You also have to allow for the mammary gland to recover which takes about six weeks, and dry cow therapy withholding periods, and these can be up to 53 days."

All of these caveats mean every single day between now and calving, you need to optimise their nutrition. And the reasons for getting condition up to where it needs to be are compelling.

"For heifers, a 5.5 BCS is vital because they require more energy post calving to perform while continuing to grow.

"Meanwhile, mature cows calving lighter than they should will result in them taking longer to start cycling and they'll produce less milk during lactation. The risk of various metabolic diseases also increases the further the cow is from the 5.5 BCS target."

Simon urges herd owners and managers to take stock of current herd BCS while there is still time to do something about it.

"If you are still milking and have one eye on drying off, it pays to work backwards from a set drying off date and then make some late lactation dietary changes.

"At the start of that two-week drying-off window, you can start changing your cows' diet by reducing their protein content, while still maintaining dry matter and energy supply. Reducing protein content in their diets results in reduced milk volumes, helping reduce the risk of mastitis in the last few days of milking.

“Using fibrous feeds like lower quality baleage, or even hay, provides the energy required to maintain bodily functions and weight gain while limiting protein supply. Cows can be returned to previously grazed paddocks but high levels of bulky, high fibre feed should still be available.

“If not already employed, once-aday milking at the same time will aid in reducing daily milk flow, freeing up energy for the cow to store for later.”

Simon contrasts this with the conventional approach of “crashing” herd production over a few short days, replacing the milking diet minimal low-quality supplement and sometimes even restricting water intake.

While accomplishing the main aim of ceasing milk flow, it brings productive and animal welfare consequences.

“You risk the loss of BCS, making the dry period even more challenging in trying to get it back on. Mastitis risk also increases, because regardless of feed intake, that cow will still want to make milk for a short period of time, putting stress on the mammary tissue.”

In contrast the controlled process will achieve the two main goals: ceasing milk production while reducing mastitis risk and minimising BCS loss.

“A smarter more effective strategy is through diet composition, not restriction.”

These late lactation dietary changes also play well into the herd’s dry period.

If condition can be at least maintained over the drying off period, it is condition that does not have to be put on post-drying off.

Supplement Use

Warren Tanner, SealesWinslow’s north-west Waikato technical sales rep, says feeding a good carbohydrate rich supplement like maize silage while the herd is still milking can provide bankable BCS to carry into winter that is easier to retain, than try and gain once the herd is dry.

“But you also want to avoid the risk of simply pushing milking too far, encroaching on pasture cover and the time you have to hit calving BCS targets.”

The decisions made now heavily affect next season, setting the baseline for cow condition and pasture covers in spring.

“Allowing for the pre-calving period and dry-off, you really need 90 days to build 1BCS, and that’s assuming cows can overcome the usual metabolic and energy challenges over winter,” says Tanner.

“Supplement should be used strategically to support cow condition and covers going into winter. Try and minimise what body condition they do lose whilst drying off and have a robust winter nutrition plan ready.”

Drying Off?

Key points for successfully ending the season

1. Be realistic – allow adequate time to put condition on over the dry period- work on 0.5 Body Condition Score needing 60-70 days, 1 BCS 90 days.

2. Aim for 5.5 BCS for heifers – they are still growing and need the 5.5 score to continue to do so, and to milk well.

3. Bulk up feed early – allow 2 weeks prior to drying off to shift diet to a bulky, high fibre, lower protein regime.

4. Condition kept is time saved – good management at drying off will reduce BCS loss and having to try and get it back on over the dry period.

A keen focus on autumn calves’ bodyweight targets will also reap future production and financial benefits.

However, for those farms closely monitoring autumn calf liveweights, they need to ensure they are focused on the right numbers.

SealesWinslow nutrition extension specialist Simon Butler says national industry liveweight targets for young stock are not optimal. In fact, he believes these are closer to what should be considered minimum weight goals.

“Young stock liveweight correlates directly with milk yield in a cow’s first lactation. Heifer calves grown well have the potential to deliver an additional 65kg milksolids each, or around $650 per head a year as lactating cows.

“With the average herd having 100 head of replacements, that’s $65,000 a year. This is a lot of money to leave on the table by not investing in autumn calves’ nutrition at this early stage of their lives.”

Regardless of when a calf is born, it needs to hit or exceed key bodyweight targets on time. And, depending on breed, calves must average 600g to 800g of daily bodyweight gains for the first two years of life.

“A heifer at calving should reach 90% of her mature body weight,” says Butler.

“Liveweight, not age, determines maturity. Reaching a mature liveweight faster means she will reach puberty earlier, will get in calf earlier, and be in the herd milking sooner.

“A heifer achieving her liveweight earlier will also partition more of her energy output into milk production, rather than into liveweight gain.”

Taking no shortcuts on meal quality becomes even more critical for autumn calves heading into winter.

“Autumn calves are entering a colder period when their growth rates must peak at a time when they are also adapting to an all pasture/forage diet. So early rumen development is critical. To take advantage of the feed available and avoid a weaning check, rapid and complete rumen development must occur.

“But the challenge is that calves are pre-ruminants. This means they lack the capacity to effectively convert fibrous forages into energy. For this reason, a quality hard feed is essential for achieving optimal rumen development.”

Feed Quality Crucial

Supplementing pasture with a high-quality hard feed is even more important for autumn calves, as they are likely getting a higher proportion of pasture in their diet earlier than their spring counterparts.

“A nutrient dense, low fiber, 20% calf meal with a high starch content and a quality suite of additives can develop the frame of the calf while also driving rapid rumen development. The result is better pasture intakes and less aggressive growth checks,” explains Simon Butler.

Quick and complete rumen development requires a hard feed containing a high starch component.

“Protein and energy are essential in developing the calf’s musculature and frame, and high levels are required to achieve good weight gains. But if starch content is low then the rumen won’t develop as well.”

That’s because rumen microbes break down carbohydrates to produce volatile fatty acids, the source of three quarters of a developed cow’s energy needs.

“Introducing a premium hard feed in these critical early days, and monitoring growth rates closely, will help ensure calves have what they need to get the best out of pasture and continue to grow during the challenging winter period,” Butler says.

“The end result is protecting yourself against leaving valuable milksolids income behind once they enter the milking herd.”

As part of a series looking at this year’s rural winners, Leo Argent talked with Mark Bryan, winner of the President’s Award for his meritorious career work in the veterinary profession.

You first started off in the UK before coming to New Zealand permanently. How did that come to be?

I qualified as a vet in Glasgow in 1988 and spent about 7 years in the UK before I moved out to NZ in 1995, and since 1997 I’ve worked down in Southland.

I used to be a very keen mountaineer and first came out here in 1989 because I had some mountaineering friends. I spent 6 months climbing the Southern Alps over winter and whilst I was travelling around I bumped into and met people… it also had some good vet practices. So, I thought I must come back to New Zealand. I went back to my job in the UK and finally in 1995 managed to get a job out here. For 6 months initially, then 12, then I never left.

Tell us about some of the positions you have held over these years.

I volunteered in various roles at the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) for over 20 years, starting on the Dairy Cattle Veterinarians (DCV) committee. I joined their committee about 20 odd years ago and was on the committee for 9 years, three rotations of three years. Then I was elected to the NZVA board (same rotation of three lots of three years).

In the meantime I was also on the NZVA’s antimicrobial resistance committee as the chair. I stayed on as the chair for a couple of years and just last year stepped down from that role. I’m still on that committee but I don’t have a chair role. In each case it’s a voluntary role, normally made up of practicing vets and clinicians but sometimes it might be people from industry or MPI.

How has the veterinary profession evolved over the last 20 years?

Even just talking about my 9 years on the DCV board, we went through a period of a significant number of inductions performed each year as part of standard practice to a place where we didn’t do any, or very few. That was a real step change for the industry and the profession, trying to get our heads around some of those changes.

More recently we’ve been moving down a path of a more careful use of antimicrobials, obviously recognizing the resistance risk is significant globally. We’ve been moving to ‘how can we prevent disease’ rather than just treat disease, so there’s been a greater focus on vaccinations and preventive management.

We had a goal in 2015 to significantly reduce antimicrobial use over the years to 2030. We’ve already halved our antibiotic use- and we were already the third lowest user for animal antibiotics in the world. Probably the most significant impact has been social media. That’s obviously had some good aspects but also some quite challenging aspects for the profession in terms of some of the feedback we get and the environment that creates.”

Does the veterinary and animal health profession encounter social media disinformation to the degree that is seen in human health (e.g. vaccine related autism)?

It’s less common amongst farmers, who have seen disease in their stock over the years and are very appreciative of all the initiatives around preventative animal health. [But] amongst pet owners there’s probably not that experience. Most pet owners, even if they’ve had a number of pets for 30 years, wouldn’t have experienced the trauma of parvovirus, for example. It’s only a small number of clients but certainly there are some out there with a different perspective.

What have your observations been on the shortage of vets in the rural sector?

It certainly isn’t straightforward in terms of getting vets into rural areas. Obviously, a lot of vets like to be in the cities; there’s more support and they often have after hours services so you might not need to do after hours work, which isn’t an option in rural areas. I think the opposite is true - being a rural vet is absolutely fantastic. You become part of an outstanding community and most of our young vets and students that come and experience work in a rural community find that really positive. 15 years ago, we set up a programme of a weeklong visit from students at Massey to come down to Southland over the winter, experience a different type of farming and lifestyle that they may not have been exposed to. I think that’s helpful for the students, exposing them to that sort of opportunity.

You are involved with the XLVets group. Can you tell us more about that?

XLVets was set up in the UK by a friend of mine about 20 years ago as a group of vet practices working together to share ideas and resources. As vet practices, we’re not good in working together, we tend to often be isolated rurally doing what we do. About 10 years ago I approached the head of XLVets in the UK to set up a New Zealand network. We wanted to develop an animal welfare plan for dairy farmers so we set up a program called WelFarm, which any vet or farmer in the country can have access to. That’s a standalone programme now.

One of the other winners of an award this year was Neil Chesterton who specialises in the impact of lameness in cattle plus the causes and prevention thereof. Have you had previous interactions with Chesterton?

I’ve known Neil for many years, he’s well deserving of that award. We’ve had him here talking to our trainee vets on many occasions and we’ve had him to farmer events. That’s the sort of thing Neil does across the country; he’s a fantastic communicator and educator. He’s a real diamond in the profession for New Zealand.

Poor nutrition through winter can lead to costly problems, including slow calving recoveries, retained membranes, ketosis, and subclinical milk fever.

Balancing energy and protein

Dry cows need a moderate- energy diet that maintains body condition without over-conditioning. If feeding fodder beet or brassicas, which are high in energy but low in protein, it is important to balance them with the right protein source, which can be based on either silage or hay, along with a well-formulated supplement. Research shows that a protein intake of around 12-14% is ideal for maintaining dry cow health and rumen function.

Cows in the early dry period can handle lower-energy diets, but in the final three weeks before calving, cows should receive gradually increased energy intake along with anionic salts so that the rumen is successfully conditioned to produce the energy required for calving and lactation. This has to be done carefully and in combination – incorrect feeding or over-feeding cows during the closeup period can lead to increased milk fever and ketosis.

Fibre and rumen health

Winter diets often differ significantly from lactation diets, making rumen adaptation critical. Sudden changes in feed type or quality can cause digestive upset, acidosis, and lower dry matter intake.

Cows need sufficient effective fibre to maintain a healthy rumen through winter. Feeding long-stem hay or straw alongside high-energy crops helps keep the rumen functioning properly and prevents digestive disorders. A good guideline is to ensure that at least 30% of the total dry matter intake comes from fibre sources.

For those wintering on fodder beet, keep in mind this feed is low in phosphorus and protein but high in sugar, making it easy for cows to over consume energy while missing out on essential nutrients. Slow adaptation, supplementing with phosphorus, and ensuring adequate fibre intake will reduce transition challenges.

Mineral supplementation: Preventing deficiencies and supporting calcium mobilisation

Winter diets can create hidden mineral imbalances that only become apparent at calving. Magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and trace minerals are needed for good metabolic health, and deficiencies in these can increase the risk of milk fever, retained membranes, and poor reproductive performance later.

Magnesium – Essential for calcium mobilisation and deficiency in winter can increase the risk of clinical and subclinical milk fever at calving. Supplementing with magnesium chloride or magnesium sulphate is common practice in the lead up to calving.

Calcium – While dry cows should not be overfed calcium during winter, they must be primed to mobilise calcium efficiently at calving. An acid salt supplement (negative DCAD) in the last 21 days is very important to prime cows for effective utilisation of calcium and phosphorus in the lead up to calving.

Phosphorus – Winter crops like fodder beet are low in phosphorus. If cows are deficient, they may experience weak calving contractions, retained membranes, or poor early lactation appetite. Supplementing phosphorus is particularly important when fodder beet makes up a large portion of the diet.

Selenium, copper, and zinc – These trace minerals play a key role in liver and immune function, leading to later reproductive success.

Feed testing and adjustments

Winter feed quality varies, and cows may not be getting the nutrients they need. Testing silage, hay, and brassica crops allows for more precise supplementation, helping to fill gaps before they cause health issues.

Forage testing can highlight energy, protein, and mineral shortfalls so farmers can adjust supplementation early.

Feeding Strategies

Maintain consistent dry matter intake (DMI) – Cows should be consuming roughly two percent of their liveweight of dry matter per day through winter.

Adapt cows gradually to post-winter diets – Rumen microbes need time to adjust to new diets. If cows are transitioning from fodder beet or brassicas to pasture and supplement, introducing changes over at least two weeks will prevent digestive issues.

Avoid over-conditioning – Targeting a BCS of 5.0- 5.5 at calving is ideal. If cows gain too much weight over winter, reducing high-energy supplements while maintaining adequate protein and minerals can help keep them on track.

Provide adequate shelter and water – Cold stress increases energy demands, while limited water intake can reduce overall feed intake.

Winter prep pays off

A well-managed wintering plan makes all the difference to your transitioning cows. Balancing energy and protein, maintaining rumen health, and supplementing key minerals means farmers can reduce the risk of costly metabolic problems and support better milk production and fertility.

But as history has shown, farming is cyclical. While times are good, farmers have a golden opportunity to invest in their herds – accelerating genetic gain now to build resilience for when conditions are less favourable.

With peak cow numbers reached, the next stage of dairy’s evolution must focus on maximising the performance of existing herds. Fortunately, the tools and technology available today make it easier than ever to make smarter breeding and management decisions that will drive efficiency and profitability in the long run.

The power of genetic gain

One of the most significant levers for improving herd efficiency is genetic selection. CRV myHERD Testing data shows that the top 25% of cows produce, on average, 165kgMS more per season and Fonterra data shows they are over 16% more methane efficient per kgMS than the bottom 25%.

Yet, a concerning statistic DairyNZ shared with farmers at CRV’s Better Herd events in March, is that 21% of New Zealand’s replacement heifers come from the bottom quarter of the herd.

Continuing this replacement strategy, or non-strategy as it is, slows genetic progress and reduces potential profitability.

The good news is that farmers can change this trajectory. Genomic testing provides insight into an animal’s potential at just a few days old, offering the same reliability as waiting for five herd tests. This means farmers can make animal selection decisions much earlier, making sure they are only keeping and investing in their most productive animals.

Connecting tech for better decisions

The rapid advancement of farm technology is removing human variability from decision- making, allowing for more precise and efficient herd management – for example heat detection. By integrating technology like cow wearables, herd records, genomic testing, and auto-drafting systems, farmers can more easily identify their topperforming animals and ensure that replacement heifers come from the best of their genetic pool.

The improved reliability of sexed semen is also a game-changer. Farmers can now breed heifers from only their top cows while using beef genetics on lower-performing animals. This approach enhances genetic progress and supports growing industry incentives for more productive, emissions- efficient herds.

The economic case for investing

While it’s tempting to focus on immediate returns, history shows that efficiency matters most when times get tough. The difference between the top and bottom quartiles in a herd becomes even more pronounced when milk prices drop. A 165kg difference in milk solids is significant at a $10 payout, but at $5 payout, that gap becomes even more critical to maintaining profitability.

Investing in genetic gain today is an insurance policy for the future. The more efficient a herd becomes now, the better positioned farmers will be to weather fluctuations in milk prices, environmental requirements, and production costs.

Working together

CRV works alongside farmers to help them make the best breeding decisions by providing the tools, insights, and expertise needed to breed a healthy and efficient herd, faster. Through initiatives like our involvement in Fonterra’s Co-operative Difference programme, we’re also making it easier for farmers to access tools that support efficiency and sustainability on their farms.

So, as dairy farmers ease toward the finishing line of this record-breaking season, I encourage them to take the opportunity to invest in their herds now. Use the tools and technologies available to make smarter breeding decisions. Doing so will put them on the course for ensuring their herds remain competitive, productive, and resilient for years to come.

James Smallwood is managing director, CRV NZ

That was the focus of CRV’s Better Herd on-farm events, held at eight locations across New Zealand last month. Now in their third year, these events bring together local farmers and CRV experts to share practical insights and advice on breeding more productive, efficient, and sustainable herds.

“With a stronger payout forecast and better mating results this season, farmers have more flexibility to make strategic breeding decisions,” says CRV managing director James Smallwood.

“Now is the time to focus on where replacements are coming from, improve herd fertility, and use the right genetics to strengthen herd performance and capitalise on the record payout.”

Helping farmers access the right tools

To build a stronger herd, farmers need the right tools - but cost can be a challenge. That’s why CRV is working with Fonterra through its Cooperative Difference programme to make herd testing and genetic tools like DNA testing more affordable and accessible, helping farmers improve efficiency and reduce emissions.

“Despite the benefits, for many farmers, the cost of these types of tools and services can be a barrier to making improvements,” says Smallwood.

“By working together across the industry, we can give farmers access to the right solutions and support to help them build more productive, lower-emission herds faster. For those committed to the Co-operative Difference, this is a great opportunity to strengthen their herd with funding support from Fonterra.”

The benefits of better herd management are clear. CRV myHERD Testing data shows that the top 25% of cows in every herd produce, on average, 165 kgMS more per season than the bottom 25%, while Fonterra data highlights that these top cows are over 16% more methane efficient per kgMS than the bottom 25%.

Strong mating results set farmers up for success

The timing for herd improvement couldn’t be better. Thanks to fine weather and good feed levels, this season has provided some of the best mating conditions in years. Early data from CRV showed a 4.3% increase in non-return rates compared to last year, with cows mated using sexed semen achieving an 8.4% year-on-year improvement.

“The data shows cows were cycling well and well-managed throughout mating,” says Smallwood.

“Even in Southland, where conditions were more challenging, farmers took quick action with OAD milking and careful management, leading to better-than-expected submission rates.”

These positive results set the stage for next season, as strong six-week incalf rates mean more compact calving, better recovery time, and earlier cycling and conception rates. With more farmers using sexed semen, the top 20% of cows are being selected for replacements, while conventional semen and beef genetics are being used more strategically across the herd.

“With the right tools and support, farmers can build a herd that’s not only more productive and fertile but also better prepared for the future,” he says.

“That’s exactly what our Better Herd events focused on – expert advice, practical tools, and proven solutions farmers can apply on their own farms.”

According to Probiotic Revolution’s Matt Collier, probiotics have proven to be a game-changer in large-scale operations where disease challenges are significant.

Collier has long advocated for the use of probiotics alongside higher milk feeding rates.

“This approach prevents nutritional scours, enhances digestion, and boosts intake of meal, hay, and grass. The result is faster growth, with a survey showing calves reaching target weaning weights 11 days earlier,” he explains.

Farmers consistently report notable improvements in calf health, with cleaner tails and shinier coats. Collier notes that one experienced farmer, who has reared 50 calves annually for 30 years, noted that for the first time, they had no sick calves or losses.

Health improvements are even more significant in large-scale operations, especially when bull calves come from multiple sources, where good colostrum intake cannot always be guaranteed. In such cases, rotavirus and cryptosporidium can have severe effects.

Kapuka dairy farmers Brooke and Blair McKenzie rear 800 heifer and bull calves annually.

Last spring, they experienced only two unexplained calf losses after they left their calf rearing shed.

They vaccinate half their cows for rotavirus, using their gold colostrum with a brix reading of over 22 to start the calves. However, with such a large rearing operation their calves still have some rotavirus challenges every year and some diarrhoea occurs after disbudding.

They primarily manage these health issues by strengthening immunity through daily feeding of Calf Xtreme. When disease strikes, they increase the Calf Xtreme dosage three to four times, administer BioRescue probiotic paste, and provide an electrolyte drink. They will also use an anti-inflammatory and a mild antibiotic if needed.

Brooke emphasises the role of nutrition in these results: “We now feed 7 to 8 litres of milk once a day by day 10, instead of 3 litres twice daily. This change has significantly increased hay consumption by 3 to 4 weeks of age, and the daily weight gains up to December are around 1kg/day. With faster growth and improved immunity from Calf Xtreme, our calves are better equipped to handle rotavirus.”

Successful large-scale calf rearing operations must prioritise feeding management and facility setup to provide the best possible environment to minimise disease and losses. Despite this, maintaining sickness below 8% and mortality under 4% for spring-born calves is challenging.

Top Notch Calves, a rearing operation near Okoroire that raises up to 7,000 calves annually, has seen remarkable results since implementing Calf Xtreme, Collier says.

Over half of their calves are reared in the spring, and for the whole year, they recorded just 212 calves in sick pens and only eight deaths. Chris and Karen Horan, Top Notch Calves, ask all their suppliers to use this probiotic before calves arrive at their rearing facility.

Probiotic Revolution is committed to maintaining these positive outcomes by strengthening its product formulations without increasing costs, says Collier.

“There are still many farmers who can benefit from our products to raise stronger, healthier calves.”

Kevin and Alison Hull have been the heart and soul of this 99ha dairy operation since 1985, but their connection to the land runs much deeper than that - reaching back nearly a century when Alison's grandfather first started farming the property in 1927.

Today, the couple peak milk a 200-strong herd of Holstein Friesian cows on an 80ha effective milking platform, a testament to both their commitment to the breed and the environment they nurture.

The farm's history is rich with transformation and adaptation. Alison's father, who preferred Jersey cattle, owned the property until Kevin and Alison purchased it from him in 1999, after 50:50 sharemilking for several years.

Kevin quickly saw the potential for Holstein Friesians, and they became the cornerstone of the Hull's operation.

Awakare Farm isn't just a business - it's a family affair. Kevin, Alison and their daughter Jude work together during the busiest times, with their son Johnny, who previously worked on the farm, now contract milking on another property. Their other daughter, Abby, is also involved in farm operations.

The next generation is already stepping up to carry the torch, with 12-year-old Jimmy, one of Kevin and Alison's eight grandchildren, taking an active role on the farm. Jimmy's passion for farming has blossomed, a sure sign that the Hull family's legacy is secure.

"When we see three generations in the cowshed, remembering the farm has been in the family for 100 years is amazing," Jude says.

The Hulls operate a pasture-based system 3 farm, utilising silage and supplementary feed such as turnip, chicory and kale to maintain cow health and milk production. The farm also incorporates a summer cropping programme to bolster the quality of pasture and boost milk production during drier periods. The cows are wintered off on a grazing block, with a 30-hectare runoff down the road serving as home to dry stock and springers.

The herd, which produces aroun 400kgMS per cow, is the backbone of the farm. While production can fluctuate depending on weather conditions, the Hulls remain optimistic about their herd's performance.

"We can have some dry summers and wet springs here which affect the production target, but 400kgMS/cow is what we aim for," Abby says.

Calving starts July 27 and around 50 replacements are kept annually. Bull calves are either sold at four-days-old or raised by Abby until 100kg and then sold.

"That's another reason we like the Holstein Friesian breed - there is a good market for Holstein Friesian calves, so there is no waste," Jude says.

They carefully breed for fertility and production, ensuring that high-producing cows that are easy to manage remain at the heard of the operation.

Holstein Friesians are a breed that Kevin and Alison have stuck with for good reason.

Known for their study build and ability to work well on rolling hills, these cows are not only productive but are what the family enjoys working with.

"We very much like the breed of cow and have no plans to change that," Abby says.

Careful Selection of Bulls

The family's careful selection of bulls each season plays a key role in maintaining the herd's desirable traits.

"Production is important, but not the be-all and end-all," Abby Hull says.

Fertility and temperament are just as vital, with the family selecting for cows that are neither too large nor too difficult to manage.

“We’re not breeding massive Holstein Friesians,” Abby says. “If they get too heavy, we will get pugging damage on our soils and not be able to run the stocking rate we want to suit our pasture growth curve. We want a practical animal that can get back in calf quickly and has good conversion efficiency.”

The Hulls’ dedication to the land extends beyond their herd. Recognised for their commitment to sustainability, Kevin, Alison, and Johnny were awarded the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award, the DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award and the Greater Wellington Regional Council Award in 2022.

Their conservation efforts, particularly in preserving Awakare’s waterways, have enhanced the property’s biodiversity. By planting native trees and protecting wetlands, the Hulls have created a haven for native birds and fish, further enriching the farm’s ecosystem.

“We want to protect the farm for the future generations coming through,” Abby explains.

Alison has long been a champion of planting waterways, raising seedlings in her nursery to later transplant on the farm. The Hulls’ low application of nitrogen, coupled with their ability to spread effluent over a large area, has helped reduce nitrogen leaching and improved soil health. They also employ minimum tillage techniques and direct drilling, further reducing their environmental footprint.

Jude’s husband Willy, the principal of a local school, has even brought students to the farm to help with planting efforts, giving them hands-on experience in environmental conservation.

“It’s always been a lovely natural habitat, but now there are even more birds, and Mum regularly feeds the pet eels in the creek,” Abby says.

With the next generation already showing a deep connection to the farm, the future of Awakare Farm looks bright. Jimmy in particular is following in his family’s footsteps.

His interest in showing cows began with his school pet day and since then, he’s taken three calves to pet days, with many first placings in care and condition and leading.

At a local A&P Show he took home first prize in leading, dairy type and care and condition. And the trophy he received was especially meaningful to Jimmy, as it bore the names of Kevin and his brothers from their own showing days.

As the Hull family celebrates a century on their farm, they continue to look forward to what the future holds. While expansion is always a possibility, they remain committed to running a sustainable, efficient operation that allows the entire family to be involved.

“I like the idea that it is a place where the kids can come and learn,” Abby says. “On a small farm, you have to do all the tasks, and it’s a good place to gain a strong farming knowledge base.”

Farm Facts

Owner: Kevin & Alison Hull

Location: Carterton, Wairarapa

Farm size: 99ha (80ha milking platform)

Cows:200 registered Holstein Friesian

Production: 80,000kgMS

Stud name: Awakare