Articles

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

Heifer Teat Sealing

  Heifer teat sealing is one of the most effective interventions we can perform to improve animal welfare on farms across New Zealand.   Heifer mastitis before or after calving, or during the first lactation, significantly affects udder health and lifetime milk yield.   Heifers have been shown to have a higher risk of clinical mastitis…

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Hawkes Bay Together!

HAWKES BAY TOGETHER The Vet Services team joined the sea of black and white across Hawkes Bay on Thursday 6th April. Wearing our local colours to show our support for the regions recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle. If you would like to support Hawkes Bay Together please text GIVE to 2923 to make an instant $3…

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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…

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black cow on green grass field during daytime

GET READY FOR DRY-OFF THIS AUTUMN

With the typical Hawkes Bay summer weather upon us it is time to start thinking about the wind-up of this milking season. There are many aspects to consider when it comes to drying off your herd (think BCS, long term weather forecasts, expected calving dates, production goals etc), but on the top of the list…

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black fly on white surface

Flystrike Warning

  The weather conditions are ripe for getting flystruck sheep. Flystrike is a devastating disease that starts with flies laying eggs in an area the size of a 5cent piece in the fleece of the sheep. The maggot larvae that hatch from the eggs then start eating skin tissue, which attracts more flies to lay…

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Farming in Challenging Times

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…

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Facial Eczema Workshop

Facial Eczema Workshop Join our vets for a Facial Eczema Workshop on Thursday 11 February to hear about the prevention, monitoring, and management of this potentially devastating disease. Waipukurau Clinic 10am – 12pm Vet Services will be providing light refreshments Name* First Last Farm Name Email* PhoneAny others coming with you?Let us know how many…

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Facial Eczema Weekly Monitor – Week ending April 1

Hastings Update: Regional average spore counts are around the 10,000 mark, with hotspots across the region indicating the risk is not over yet. Areas around Waiwhare/Taihape Road had hotspots reaching 45,000. Best advice is to monitor the spore counts on your pastures to assess risk more accurately. Waipukurau Update: Spores are still present although not…

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Facial Eczema Spore Count Monitoring 2022

Facial Eczema Pasture Spore Counting 1 April 2022 WAIPUKURAU HASTINGS Spore counts for this part of Hawke’s Bay have increased this week and are on average at a dangerous level of 71 000 spores per gram of pasture. With many farmers busy fixing fences and clearing slips after mammoth downpours, the number of samples we…

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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…

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