Articles

Keep up to date with all our latest news, articles of interest, and case studies from the veterinary world around Hawke’s Bay.

black cow on green grass field during daytime

Bulls – Keep your eyes peeled!

With our scanning equipment all but back on the shelf for another season we’ve had a little time recently to reflect on another year of cattle pregnancy results and follow up on some of the more disappointing outcomes. Whilst there are potentially many factors involved in a poor scanning result, bull failure is undeniably one…

Details

black and white cow on brown field during daytime

Cattle Scanning – Bookings now open!

It’s that time of year again! Time for us to come out and scan your cattle with our BCF ultrasound scanners. Pregnancy scanning has many advantages when understanding your herd’s reproduction performance and planning ahead for the season. The earliest times for accurate testing following bull withdrawal is 49 days, this is especially important for…

Details

CATTLE SCANNING – 2024 BOOKINGS

Happy New Year! The Vet Services team are now taking bookings for pregnancy scanning in cows and heifers. Pregnancy scanning has many advantages when understanding your herd’s reproduction performance and planning ahead for the season. The earliest times for accurate testing following bull withdrawal is 49 days, this is especially important for ageing or identifying…

Details

two white cows during daytime

Common Diseases in Weaned Calves

Weaning is one of the most stressful event a calf will go through, which is why it can be the period when we see many disease related issues as the associated stress leads to immune compromise. Young cattle at weaning may also be going from a situation of being regularly observed to a less intensive…

Details

white sheep on brown grass field near body of water during daytime

Drench Checks

Do you know whether that drench you just gave your stock is working? They may look to be free from signs of parasitism, but a drench can have lost a significant amount of its efficacy before you will notice any clinical impact. Continued use of a poorly effective drench is a perfect recipe for building…

Details

Facial Eczema Monitor – January Week 3

This week’s pasture spore counts – Week ending January 24, 2021 Not unexpectedly with so much long, rank grass beginning to build we are seeing our first FE spores of the year. The warm, humid weather is also a concern. However counts at this stage are thankfully low and so not require any immediate intervention. Nonetheless the…

Details

Facial Eczema Spore Count Monitor – January Week 2

Waipukurau Results (11-17 Jan). Not unexpectedly with so much long, rank grass beginning to build we are seeing our first FE spores of the year. The warm, humid weather is also a concern. However counts at this stage are thankfully low and so not require any immediate intervention. Nonetheless the season has just begun and things are…

Details

Grass tetany in cattle (Grass Staggers)

We are hearing of lots of beef cows across Hawkes Bay dropping dead around calving this spring. That got your attention – and it is true!!! This spring is the perfect picture for cows getting grass staggers and we have confirmed this with bloods pre calving in many herds. Cold and wet season, short green…

Details