Early detection of clinical mastitis is key to protecting milk quality and cow health. Check regularly for signs such as, heat, swelling, pain in the udder, and changes in the milk. Learn how to recognise the signs and take appropriate action.

Integrated cattle handling facilities, including head bales, crushes, and AI races, are essential for safe and efficient animal health tasks for both cows and handlers.

Lameness treatment in cows is crucial for quick recovery. This page details how to effectively treat various hoof conditions, such as white line disease, sole bruising, hoof wall cracks, and digital dermatitis.

As a farm owner, you are responsible for a multimillion-dollar business. When looking to establish a successful relationship, an important approach is to view this as a business-to-business partnership.

Herd reproductive performance is a crucial factor in your dairy farming success. This page highlights the importance of accurate record-keeping, right from a calf's birth, to get a true picture of your herd's reproductive health.

Feed density and storage are crucial for dairy farming. Proper planning optimises storage solutions and maximises feed resources. Use our tables to help calculate storage space requirements when planning new or evaluating current storage.

Maize is an essential crop for New Zealand dairy farmers, helping enhance feed supply, manage climatic risks, and support pasture renewal. Growing maize on a dairy farm can also extract soil nutrients and reduce costs in high-fertility effluent areas

Proteins are essential for many metabolic functions in dairy cows, including growth, lactation, and reproduction. This page explains that the protein in feed, known as crude protein (CP), is calculated based on the feed's nitrogen content.

A successful dry period for cows entails hitting body condition score (BCS) targets before calving. This page emphasises the importance of meeting the cow's energy needs for maintenance, activity, BCS gain, and pregnancy during this time.

Feeding and nutrition play a critical role in a young heifer's development. A well-fed heifer grows more, produces more milk, and competes better with mature cows. Your heifer's diet needs sufficient energy and protein for optimal growth.

Early lactation once-a-day (OAD) milking is a short-term strategy used during the calving period. Understanding the benefits and trade-offs helps you make informed decisions for your herd and business.

Maize silage is a high-quality forage supplement made by ensiling maize crops in stacks or bunkers, used to supplement pasture. This silage has notably low levels of sodium, calcium, and phosphorus, making it a useful carrier to supplement magnesium.

Automated mastitis detection (AMD) systems are technology tools used on dairy farms to identify signs of mastitis in cows by monitoring milk for specific indicators.

Dry matter is a crucial dietary requirement for dry cows. This page outlines the energy a cow needs, considering its weight gain or loss. The feed requirement considers the cow's maintenance, pregnancy, and weight gain.

Tail management is crucial in dairy farming to ensure animal welfare and a positive working environment. Tail injuries can cause pain and impact how cows communicate.

Comparative Stocking Rate (CSR) is a tool to measure the balance between feed demand and supply on a farm. It is determined by calculating the amount of livestock weight per hectare versus the annual feed available.

Successful heifer mating is essential for their productive future. Targets include reaching puberty at 12-13 months, conceiving by 13-15 months, and being of adequate weight at calving.

Managing high-quality pasture during feed surplus periods is a crucial skill in pasture management. This page explains that pasture surplus often develops in spring, which if unmanaged, can lead to low-quality pasture affecting milk production.

Soil fertility is vital for optimal plant growth, with 16 essential nutrients needed by pasture plants. Five of these nutrients, N, P, K, S, and Mg, are often added as fertilisers.

Autumn pasture management in dairy farming involves focusing on average pasture cover and cow condition to prepare for spring.