NZ Dairy Exporter – March 2017 issue

Heal thy cows Heal thy cows is how the boss read our Special Report cover (he was reading it upside down at the time, to be fair) – and he was almost right. We take a look at how to make your cows healthy and keep them that way – free from a host of seasonal issues going into the winter, so that spring is chaos-free and animal-health issue-free. We take a look at the latest science and treatments for a host of old perennials – trace element deficiency, BVD, mastitis, abortion, lepto – as well as a couple of new issues – subclinical ketosis infectious rhinotracheitis and Johne’s disease. We also cover the country in terms of weather conditions – with advice for Northland farmers struggling with drought down to West Coast farmers inundated with metres of rain and slogging through the water and mud. New Zealand farmers certainly get everything chucked at them! Back to the future of Dairy Russ Tillman gave delegates to the recent Fertiliser and Lime Conference a glimpse of a fascinating future where, due to astute branding and competition between farmers, water quality is improving and the industry is on a path of profitability and continual improvement. Tracing back to the basics Te Awamutu vet Krispin Kannan outlines how farmers need to test cows to understand trace element levels and identify whether they are deficient, sufficient or toxic. Making a link with dairy Moves are afoot within the industry to achieve an interconnection between the dairy industry and the food people love to eat.