For over 50 years, scientific and on-farm case studies have supported the importance of a well-executed transition period (three weeks before and after calving) on overall performance. More recently, cow-wearable technologies have given us a better understanding of why this period is critical to overall performance. A study in 2016 published in the Journal of […]
Good springer cow transition has been shown to reduce metabolic and infectious disease, while increasing dry matter intake, milk production and reproduction1, which means it is well worth the time and effort to get it right. One of the first places to start is to manage the ‘extremes’ of body condition scores within the herd […]
Our modern, domesticated horses live a very different life to the natural state, wild horses of 5,000 years ago. The monogastric herbivores would spend the majority of their day feeding little and often. The fibre in the diet, along with simple sugars, provided an adequate level of energy. Horses of today are likely to spend […]
Lallemand is a privately held Canadian company that specializes in the development, production, and marketing of yeasts, bacteria, and their derivatives. Lallemand provides microbiological solutions for dozens of different industries, from human and animal health and nutrition to baking, oenology, brewing, food ingredients, probiotics, and biofuels. Lallemand was founded in Montreal, Canada at the end […]
Despite the challenging conditions for many maize crops in the North Island this season, getting the most from your maize is still possible. Concentrating on reducing dry matter (DM) losses and reducing spoilage will mean you have a more high-quality feed with fewer spoilage microorganisms. For most maize silage crops, MAGNIVA® Platinum is the best-suited […]
This information aims to arm you with knowledge and options for a proactive response to the recent flooding of standing crops and cut silage. Do not panic – Harvest at optimal DM, if possible If the plant still functions, i.e. still able to photosynthesise, it will try to fill some grain and starch. Starch is […]
As we approach the summer months, not only does the weather heat up but so does the competitive season for horses. Whatever discipline your horse competes in, the general stress level through exertion can be compounded by the effects of heat in terms of temperature and humidity. Once the environment is above a specific temperature […]
Cereals provide tremendous flexibility for silage makers – they can be sown in autumn or spring and can be harvested at a range of growth stages from chopping green at the boot stage (before seed head emergence) to cutting whole crop cereals at the cheesy dough stage (when the cereal grain has the consistency of […]
We enjoyed running a GoodYarn workshop with the Nutritech team in September. Our facilitator, Igor Gerritsen, spent three hours with Nutritech staff in an interactive workshop which improves participants’ awareness of the signs that someone may need help or support with their mental health, builds their confidence to have a conversation with that person, and […]
Long before milk production or growth rates are affected, heat stress can be detected and recognised by changes in animal behaviour and or cow wearable technologies. Detecting the signs of heat stress as early as possible and implementing strategies to alleviate the adverse effects of heat stress will help maintain post-peak production and optimal animal […]
