Preliminary results on a ewe wastage study carried out on 37 sheep farms across New Zealand last year found that on average, 30 out of every 100 ewes left their flocks between mating and post-weaning.
Farmers are being reminded to be particularly stringent with their on-farm biosecurity as foot and mouth disease spreads through popular tourist destinations such as Bali and other parts of Indonesia.
You may be aware of a foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Indonesia.
Ensuring rams are in peak condition prior to mating will help maximise their performance and their contribution to the genetic improvement of the commercial flock.
Autumn rains bring with them the promise of high livestock growth rates, but this not always the case and it can be difficult to know why.
Michelle Simpson took over the mantle of Project Manager for the Ovis management programme in December 2021, replacing Dan Lynch, who has retired after heading the programme for 28 years.
Warm summer temperatures and high humidity create the perfect conditions for Facial Eczema and Beef + Lamb New Zealand is urging farmers to be vigilant.
Recent high temperatures and humidity have created perfect conditions for flystrike in parts of the country, but there are steps farmers can take to make sheep as unattractive to flies as possible.
Until recently, the use of sprays containing Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in vineyards has meant that sheep cannot graze between the vines due to the risk of persistent residues.
If farmers haven’t done so already, now is the time they should be giving their ram team a health-check to ensure they are fit and ready for mating in the coming weeks.
While most rams have yet to go out, farmers are being asked to book their sheep scanners in early to highlight any shortages in scanner availability due to COVID-19 border entry restrictions.
Facial Eczema spore counts in some regions are particularly high for this time of year and Beef + Lamb New Zealand is urging farmers to be vigilant.
