Dairy

Flush Spring Grass

Are Your Cows Struggling with Flush Spring Grass? Written by Louise Salter, BSc (Hons) Agriculture, Animal Science. Levucell SC has been proven time and time again to enhance the digestion of lush spring grass, which can be harder for cows to break down. Studies¹ show substantial improvements in fibre digestion throughout the grazing season, with particularly […]

Dairy

New forage inoculant proving its worth

After 10 years in the making, New Zealand farmers and contractors have finally had the opportunity to try new bacterial forage inoculant technology. Feedback on the new L. Hilgardii bacteria has been overwhelmingly positive, with the unique combination of bacteria and enzymes in MAGNIVA® Platinum having a noticeable effect on silage quality, palatability and temperature. […]

Beef, Dairy

New technologies improve silage quality

New Zealand farm businesses can significantly reduce silage spoilage and retain more nutrients in their forage thanks to improvements in silage preservation technologies. At a time when feed costs are rising, it is now more important than ever to reduce the impact of silage losses to retain valuable, locally grown feed. What are silage losses? […]

Beef, Calf, Dairy, Miscellaneous

Should we stress about heat stress?

A large US study found that severe heat stress (above 25°C) can cause significant financial losses across all species (St Pierre et al., 2003). An estimated 80% of these losses were associated with loss of productivity and 20% with health issues. In ruminants many of those losses were due to rumen acidosis problems and related [...]
Beef, Calf, Dairy

Biotin and its role in improving hoof health.

Biotin (Vitamin H or B7) is an essential water-soluble vitamin. It is naturally present in some feeds and can be synthesised by rumen microbes.  Usually, ruminal biotin synthesis supplies sufficient biotin for biological functions, however, diets containing high quantities of grain may reduce the natural synthesis of Biotin by the rumen. Biotin for hoof hardness. […]

Beef, Calf, Dairy

Effective facial eczema prevention

Facial eczema is caused by a toxin, sporidesmin, which cows eat when grazing pastures high in fungal spores. Trials conducted at AgResearch by Dr Neale Towers calculated the effect of low doses of sporidesmin on milk yield. Over a three week period, production across the herd had dropped by as much as 25%. For a […]

Dairy, Publications

The Scientists Corner: Rumen epithelium inflammation in transition

The transition around calving is a critical time for the dairy cow with major dietary, metabolic, and physiological changes. In particular, the transition from a high-fiber to a high carbohydrate diet (or vice versa in the case of cows wintered on fodder beet) represents important challenges for rumen microbiota and, thus, rumen health with a [...]
Dairy

Nutritional Impacts of the Wet Weather

As we navigate another period of wet weather, there are some key points which we must keep in mind as we head into the new season. When grass gets covered in soil and dirt it leaves deposits of Ash and specific metals which can cause problems. Any pastures that have flooded or had lying water, [...]
Beef, Dairy, Deer, Forage

Transition Cow Nutrition

Various factors contribute to the profitability of any New Zealand dairy herd, production, longevity, fertility and cow health could all be considered key factors. Managing a successful transition period is a key element to achieving all these factors. Poor feeding and management during the transition period can result in a host of problems around calving [...]
Dairy, Publications