Anyika Scotland was recently involved in the Hawke’s Bay Farming for Resilience pilot project to help Hawke’s Bay sheep and beef farmers navigate challenging weather and economic conditions. The project is producing monthly reports from February through to July 2024, providing evidence-based local information, insights and analysis across three common farm types (summer dry…
Another year of feed which we can hopefully convert to lambs in the belly. We know for many of you there is still a lot of work to do. We hope you are all managing and we are only a phone call away if we can help. Let us start helping by locking in your…
Sheep performance vaccines Toxovax & Campyvax4 are now available to order. These vaccinations can be given to maiden hoggets and ewes anytime from now until 4 weeks prior to any ram being introduced to the flock. (Shearing may be a good opportunity).
It is that time of year again. Time for your rams soundness examinations and for your working dog team to have their annual health check examination and vaccination. Rams should be palpated and tested for Brucellosis at least 6 weeks prior to mating. Our Ram Run visits will begin in early November so that…
Sheep pregnancy scanning has become an annual pilgrimage for Welshman Steve. Steve Lloyd has been pregnancy scanning ewes for over 25 years. He has scanned in the UK, Norway and across New Zealand for the last 20 years. 2023 is his 6th season with the Vet Services team. Steve loves returning to Hawke’s Bay…
Imagine a farm with lots of worms and no drench to kill any of them. would that mean you couldn’t farm sheep? TRIPLE DRENCH RESISTANCE IS HERE NOW. While long acting anthelmintics have a role in the management of parasites in lambing ewes and the subsequent levels of pasture contamination, their use contributes to…
Bionic Sheep Capsules are unavailable for 2023 – What does this mean for you pre-lamb? Join Vet Services for an interactive planning workshop covering the available options and some important points to consider when developing a pre-lamb protocol. Our production animal vets will be on hand for information and advice as you work through the…
Any flystrike is bad news for sheep and devastating for production. With tupping fast approaching in one of the wettest summers in memory, it’s timely to consider the options for treating sheep against external parasites. Prevention of flystrike is always preferable to treatment. Vet Services sheep technicians offer jetting off the conveyor, a craigco…
It’s that time of the year again! We expect many of our vets to spend a good chunk of November behind large numbers of rams, palpating testicles to ensure they are fit for mating. Rams should be palpated and tested for Brucellosis at least 6 weeks prior to mating. Our Ram Run visits will…
It’s that time of year when we get phone calls about coughing lambs and ways, we can help to treat animals at the time. Unfortunately, pneumonia in lambs is very difficult to treat once symptoms have occurred, so the best treatment is prevention! Pneumonia in young sheep can be caused by a number of different…
Too hot to handle Crops are an integral part of many systems, supplying supplementary feed when pasture covers get tight during autumn and winter. Unfortunately, nothing in life is ever that simple with many of the popular choices for crop being higher risk for nitrate accumulation, placing us between a rock and a hard place…
The NZ Sheep industry is evolving, with the perception of strong wool reaching a tipping point and many farmers looking to convert flocks to finer wool and shedding breeds. Rising costs of using the woolshed and the declining prices of strong wool has made the future of wool a point of discussion at every level…
