Renewing pasture is crucial for maintaining healthy dairy farms, and there are four primary methods to consider: cultivation, spray-drilling, undersowing, and oversowing.

White clover is a top-quality feed used widely in New Zealand's dairy pastures. Different types have varying purposes in dairy farming. Italian and Annual ryegrass, and Red clover perform well in summer dry areas, complementing white clover in mixes.

Dead stock management is the process of dealing with farm animal fatalities. It is important to appropriately dispose of carcasses to avoid spreading diseases, contaminating water, and harming the dairy industry's public image.

Giant buttercup, one of 14 weedy Ranunculus species in New Zealand, is harmful to dairy pastures because cows find it distasteful due to its toxin, protoanemonin. This weed spreads across dairy farms, damaging pasture quality.

Cows with heat, swelling or pain in the udder, or changes in their milk (wateriness, clots, discolouration) that persist for more than three squirts have clinical mastitis, and require treatment.

Summer dairy farming involves efficiently using spring pasture before summer heat and dryness diminish its quality. You should formulate a summer management plan early to ensure profitable production.

Kikuyu-based pasture can offer similar profits to ryegrass-based farms when managed well. Common in Northland and coastal areas of the Upper North Island, kikuyu thrives in summer and autumn.

Late summer strategies in dairy farming involve continuous monitoring of feed demand and body condition score (BCS). This page discusses how managing pasture effectively, considering factors like over-grazing and dry periods, is crucial.

Yellow bristle grass (YBG) is a pest plant harmful to pastures. This fast-spreading weed lowers pasture quality as cows avoid eating it. YBG spreads mainly through its seeds, which can move via dung, water, animals, or contamination in hay and maize.

Body Condition Score (BCS) is a critical element in managing the health and reproduction of your dairy herd. It's essential to maintain BCS targets, as too thin or too fat cows can negatively affect reproductive performance.

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.

If you experience issues with somatic cell count, have a number of clinical cases, or rough teat conditions are persistent, professional help should be sought.

An endophyte is a fungus naturally found in ryegrass and tall fescue pastures, helping to protect the plants from insect damage. In New Zealand, many ryegrass plants contain this fungus, passed down through seeds.

Cocksfoot is a resilient pasture grass, ideal for dry conditions and resistant to many pests. Though its feed value is typically lower than ryegrass, it supports summer growth in dairy pasture mixes, especially in drought-prone areas.

Johne’s disease is a long term, infectious disease that affects the gut of cows and reduces their ability to absorb nutrients. There is no cure, so management focuses on reducing the risk of spread.

Drought management in dairy farming is about preparing for and recovering from dry conditions. This page provides you with various options to deal with drought.

Using the LEAN principle, DairyNZ developed this training programme to help enhance dairy farm management by identifying and eliminating waste, improve safety, streamline milking times, and enhance team communication and engagement.

DairyNZ's research farms are an important industry resource that provide 'real farm' platforms with associated science resources, enabling pasture and animal trials to be carried out.

Volcanic eruptions pose a risk to dairy farm animals due to toxic ash containing fluorine. Hungry animals grazing short pastures are especially at risk, but rainfall can reduce the danger as fluoride is soluble.

DairyNZ is leading a potentially game-changing catchment project to test the benefits of plantain in local pastures.