Kiwi farmers continue to put their best foot forward when it comes to best farming practices.

Total sales of veterinary and horticultural antibiotics in New Zealand are down for a sixth year running.

“Antibiotics are essential for the treatment of bacterial infections in humans, animals, and plants. But they need to be used responsibly to prevent antimicrobial resistance (AMR),” New Zealand Food Safety acting deputy-director general Jenny Bishop said.

“The World Health Organization has identified AMR as one of the top 10 global health threats facing humanity. So, it’s vital we ensure our current antibiotics can continue to be used.

“These results, released today [18 September] in our latest Antibiotic Agricultural Compound Sales Analysis, are a clear sign that antibiotics are being more carefully used, which is great news for human and animal health.

Bishop said the results are a direct result of the concerted effort by veterinarians, farmers, industry and New Zealand Food Safety to ensure these life-saving medicines are used appropriately so they stay effective.

The latest report evaluates 15 classes of antibiotics sold during 2023 for use for farm animals, pets and horticulture. We use this sales data as a proxy for measuring use. 

Antibiotics sold for animal use were distributed among 24 million sheep, 10 million cattle, 124 million poultry, 600,000 pigs, 148,000 horses, 2 million household pets, and many other species.

“Since a 2017 peak of 71,361kg, total antibiotic sales have dropped to 39,549kg in 2023. That’s an impressive 45% decrease.”

“Apart from tracking sales for the valuable insights they provide, New Zealand Food Safety is doing other important work to help decrease AMR.

She said New Zealand Food Safety is currently reviewing regulatory oversight of antibiotics used in plants and animals. This could lead to a further reduction in antibiotic use, as controls for some antibiotics might be tightened.

“This extensive piece of work, which involves reassessing hundreds of antibiotic products, has been divided into 4 tranches.

Tranche one has been completed and tranche two is underway.”

Two Hawke’s Bay residents will be serving community time for crimes against horses in their care.

The pair were sentenced in Hastings District Court last week, for failing to provide protection against injury or disease for four horses and failing to provide sufficient water for three more horses.

Having both pleaded guilty to multiple charges, one offender was sentenced to 200 hours community work and the other to 100 hours community work. Both were disqualified from owning equids (horses, asses and donkeys et al) for a period of five years.

“The state of these horses brings tears to the eyes,” SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said. “The pain will have been constant and inescapable.”

After a call from a concerned member of the public an SPCA inspector visited a property on January 6, 2023 and found seven miniature horses grazing in a paddock with overgrown grass, tall thistles and shrubs.

There was no water provided for the horses.

The inspector gave water to the horses which they drank rapidly and to excess. The inspector also noted four of the seven horses had severely overgrown hooves curled upwards at the toes. The horses were reluctant to move and their ability to walk normally was compromised.

The inspector then removed the four horses from the address for veterinarian examinations.

It was found that all horses showed symptoms of dehydration and were lame from chronic laminitis. Some of their hooves were split, adding to their intense and unnecessary pain.

The vet concluded that the horses suffered from severe and chronic neglect.

Over the ensuing five months, 12 re-inspections at the address revealed the three remaining horses did not have enough water.

On May 30, 2023, the three horses were removed from the property.

The offenders were also ordered to pay reparations of $4,761.07 and $800 towards legal costs.

By Chris Balemi, founder and managing director of Agvance Nutrition.

Farmers are in a critical window now to ensure optimal fertility and high in-calf rates in their dairy herds. Once lactation begins, we are aiming to get our cows to peak milk as quickly as possible and it is important this is well supported with good nutrition so that cycling and fertility do not suffer. Finding the balance between peak milk and fertility can be done, and it involves more than just feeding and breeding management. 

Many farmers ease off mineral supplementation as mating approaches and become very complacent mid-season once cows have been mated and are well into lactation. Mineral deficiencies can directly impact the health of the cow, particularly fertility and reproduction, at any time of the season. 

Conception is just the beginning – maintaining the pregnancy needs to be the goal. Mineral composition and liver health play key roles throughout the season, making sure your cows are ready for mating and that a healthy pregnancy is maintained through to the next calving.

Minerals such as selenium, copper, cobalt, iodine, manganese and magnesium all play an important role in a cow’s reproductive health and correct forms and ratios are critical in supporting fertility. 

Selenium, for example, is critical for good immune function and overall health, which impacts fertility. Copper influences enzyme systems related to fertility and energy metabolism. Selenium and iodine support thyroid function, and cobalt supports good digestive health. 

These all come together to support metabolism and reproductive cycles. Cows need to receive a balanced mineral supplement alongside quality nutrition. Regular blood tests will help monitor mineral levels and signal any necessary supplement adjustments.

A cow’s powerhouse is her liver – without healthy liver function, she’ll struggle at every step, with potentially fatal results. Central to many bodily functions, the liver supports detoxification, metabolism, and nutrient storage. 

Proper liver function drives the cow’s ability to metabolise energy efficiently. During early lactation, the liver works overtime to manage energy demands. High-energy diets, including high-quality pasture and feeds, are essential. 

Incorporating specific types of bypass fat in the diet can boost energy density without overloading the liver. Practical steps farmers can take to support a healthy liver include ensuring that the cow is eating well and maintaining healthy body condition, while monitoring liver health through regular vet checks and blood tests to catch any potential issues early on.

Body condition scoring (BCS) is a practical method for assessing whether cows are at an ideal weight and health status. A BCS of 5.0-5.5 is generally recommended for cows at the start of mating. 

Cows in this range have enough body fat reserves to support the demands of lactation and pregnancy. Energy density in their diet is crucial – ensure cows have access to high-quality pasture and supplementary feeds. 

Peak milk production places significant energy demands on cows, making it all the more important to provide balanced nutrition to maintain their body condition. 

Planned feeding that will put condition on cows during periods when the cow is still lactating, yet past the peak of lactation, works well. This ensures the fat is stored below the skin (adipose fat) and not around the organs (visceral fat). 

Adipose fat acts as a natural energy reserve and can be readily mobilised, whereas visceral fat, when mobilised, tends to clog the system and is particularly detrimental to liver function (fatty liver disease). Proper BCS management is critical and leads to better reproductive performance and overall herd health.

Correct mineral levels, healthy liver, and good body condition work together to put cows in a strong position for successful mating. Adequate mineral levels ensure all physiological processes related to reproduction are functioning correctly. Healthy liver function supports efficient energy metabolism, which is essential for maintaining body condition and supporting reproductive cycles. 

By focusing on high-quality pasture and feed and including bypass fats, you can provide the necessary energy to support peak milk production and pregnancy. When these elements are managed effectively, cows are more likely to have good fertility, be actively cycling, and be ready for mating.

A new, rapid and cost-effective test for bovine tuberculosis being developed by Otago University could cut diagnosis times from 72 hours to about an hour.

The three-year project has just received $1 million in funding in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s latest Endeavour Fund investment round.

Tb is caused by Mycobacterium bovis and is a highly infectious livestock disease that costs Aotearoa’s primary sector $160 million a year. 

Otago University Rutherford Discovery Fellow at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Dr Htin Lin Aung, said the current testing regime for Tb requires a 72-hour turnaround, specialist equipment, skilled staff and laboratory infrastructure, which prevents diagnosis of the disease on farm and leaves infected animals in their herds while the results are pending.

He hopes the new test will reduce that time to one hour.

“This is a very lengthy process if you are the one doing the test or if you are the farmer waiting for the result,” Aung said.

It would also eliminate the need for skin tests, which can produce false-positive and false-negative tests, and the blood test, which confirms if the animal has Tb or not.

“I think it could be a game-changer because our test will be very quick, and it doesn’t have to be a vet or a skilled technician – farmers can do it as well.”

The test will also be non-invasive with no blood samples taken or injections, which the current testing system relies on.

Aung said they hope the test they develop will be similar to how people tested themselves for covid-19, which used a nasal swab, but based on a different technology.

Business development manager and patent attorney Tomas Ribeiro said that as well as providing farmers with a much faster diagnosis, it will be better for animal welfare.

“If you have a positive test in a large herd and you have to wait three to four days to get that result back, you have to cull the entire herd.”

A quick diagnostic test would allow the farmer to quickly separate those that test positive and those that are negative, and prevent the mass culling of herds, he said.

“There’s a massive economic benefit and there’s a massive animal welfare benefit.”

Aung said they will be working closely with stakeholders over the next three years as the test is developed and moves into the trialling stage.

It could also be used overseas to fight Tb and could serve as a platform technology for the detection of other pathogens in animals as well as humans.

“It has a lot of potential and we’re very excited by it.”

While it is a three-year project, the science behind it is well developed and the team is optimistic a prototype could be ready in 18 months.

A damning report on the failure of OSPRI’s IT upgrade did not come as a surprise to stakeholders.

Farmer’s Weekly reported last week that OSPRI has apologised to farmers and shareholders after major flaws were found in a technology upgrade project.

An independent review of its Information Systems Strategic Programme (ISSP) identified issues with the technology project, which was meant to integrate its animal disease management and traceability systems.

Southland dairy farmer and chair of OSPRI’s farmer committee Nigel Johnston said the issues had been evident for years.

Johnston said that in its annual reports for the past three years, the farmer committee had highlighted concerns about IT issues, the slow progress to fix them and a lack of accountability. Working groups had asked for an independent look into the matter, with the independent review highlighting failures the end result, he said.

NAIT uses old technology, is cumbersome and because of the age of the technology there isn’t a user-friendly phone app, he said.

The decision to upgrade the software platform was made five years ago, but the ensuing project had “significant cost overruns, mainly because we wanted to do it once and do it right”.

Despite setbacks, a well-made “skeleton” now exists. It provides OSPRI with a workable solution without requiring too much further farmer input, Johnston said.

Compliance is still possible and relatively easy for dairy farmers, especially those who use third-party software such as LIC’s Minda, he said.

Farmers running beef as part of their operations and who work directly with NAIT will  experience some user-friendliness, he said. 

OSPRI tried to make a future-proofed solution but ran out of money, he said.

Recent changes at OSPRI “refreshed the focus” on the project, he said.

Ospri chief executive Sam McIvor said OSPRI is currently undertaking the work to redefine the future NAIT replacement solution. The goal is to develop a system that is more user-friendly, more efficient, cost effective, and ultimately saves time for farmers, he said. 

“The focus will be on ensuring the system effectively supports farmers needs while improving traceability and disease management capabilities.”

It is important to note that the issues highlighted by the review relate to future technology at OSPRI only, McIvor said. 

“OSPRI is currently in a replanning phase, which will take up to six months. During this time, we are developing a realistic and achievable roadmap to complete the NAIT replacement. Once this phase is finished and the programme plan is approved, we will be in a position to confirm the timeframes for delivery of the new system,” McIvor said.

“We will only announce a new delivery date when we are confident it is both financially sustainable and achievable within the timeframe.”

The current NAIT system is functional, and the data farmers provide continues to improve and support the disease management programmes at OSPRI, he said.

Chair of DairyNZ Jim van der Poel said DairyNZ was disappointed with OSPRI’s performance in relation to this project and the findings of the review of the ISSP.

“We are working with shareholders Beef + Lamb NZ and Deer Industry NZ, as well as [the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)], the OSPRI board and recently appointed CEO to take urgent steps to get this project back on track.

“It is important to note the ISSP IT issues relate to a technology upgrade and do not affect the functioning of NAIT, the TB Free Programme or M bovis eradication. 

“Earlier this year shareholders, supported by MPI, requested an independent review of OSPRI’s IT system rebuild. We made a strong contribution to the terms of reference for that review to extract clear information about the ISSP, due to concerns about delays, lack of reporting and questions about the accuracy of the information shareholders were receiving regarding this project.” 

OSPRI’s efforts to get the project back on track will occur alongside shareholders progressing recommendations for constitutional changes to strengthen OSPRI’s governance, transparency and technology capability, he said.

In Focus Podcast: Full Show | 13 September

Farmers are being encouraged to join the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Sheep Poo study, a crucial part of the Eliminating Facial Eczema Impacts programme ahead of the new season.

About 200 farmers have already signed up for the study, but more are needed. Farmers do not need to have had facial eczema (FE) on their farms to take part.

Dr Suzi Keeling, BLNZ sector science strategy manager, said the work will build greater knowledge of the extent of FE throughout New Zealand and the potential impact of a changing climate on the disease.

“We need 350 farmers, 22 each from 16 regions around New Zealand to join the programme,” said Keeling.

“It’s very straightforward and just involves collecting some sheep poo samples fortnightly from October-May. BLNZ covers the cost of the sampling kits and the return packaging.

“Greater knowledge about the prevalence of FE spores throughout New Zealand is important for developing tools to help farmers mitigate the impacts of the disease.”

Researchers will analyse the sheep poo samples to see if they contain the fungal spores associated with FE, which indicates the risk of FE on the farm. Farmers will receive free FE spore counts over the season, access to an online map showing results and opportunities to network with other farmers.

 Paul Crick, chair of BLNZ’s Farmer Research Advisory Group, is taking part in the study on his Wairarapa farm.

 “Facial eczema is a growing challenge for many farmers. Being part of the Sheep Poo study is a practical way to contribute to critical research that aims to eliminate the impact of FE in New Zealand.”

 The disease, associated with a toxin-producing fungus, affects pasture-grazing livestock and there is no cure. The toxin can cause permanent liver damage resulting in reduced fertility, weight loss, slowed growth, photosensitivity and sunburn. If the animal survives, its production will be limited for life. BLNZ estimates FE costs the New Zealand economy around $332 million every year.

Farmers can register their interest in participating in the Sheep Poo study by October 4.

Ben and Samantha Tippins milk 950 cows once a day on 300 hectares just north of Tokoroa. 

With three young kids in tow, they’re in their sixth season on the farm and their third season variable order sharemilking. In their first season, the switch from twice-a-day milking to once-a-day led to a spike in mastitis cases and higher somatic cell counts.

“We thought we could keep doing what we’ve always done, but some of the cows didn’t handle it well,” Samantha said. 

“You’re only seeing the cows once a day, so you have to be more onto it.” 

Long milking times, increased labour costs and ongoing treatment expenses prompted Ben and Samantha to seek outside help. 

Early in the 22/23 season, they reached out to their local FIL area manager, Tania Earnshaw, who observed their milking routine and suggested several changes for the rest of calving.

“Tania has been a massive help. The first time she came into the shed, she rolled up her sleeves and was milking cows. FIL is more than just a chemical company; they offer technical support and staff training. We didn’t realise until we went with FIL that the support you get as part of the package is priceless,” says Ben. 

The first step was teat spraying the springers before calving. Earnshaw recommended wearing milking gloves to prevent bacteria spread, pre-spraying with an iodine-based teat spray, and trimming tails while waiting for the iodine to work. This was followed by fore-stripping, teat wiping, milking, and post-spraying. They also did a rapid mastitis test (RMT) to check cows before they entered the supply vat.

 “Tania showed us the importance of spending time with our cows during the first milking and the procedures involved around cleanliness,” says Ben. 

With two permanent full-time staff and two casuals over calving, they organised staff training with Earnshaw to make sure everyone understood the new procedures and their benefits.

 “The staff really responded to hearing things from an outside perspective.” 

With a plan in place and training complete, the Tippins started the new milking procedures. 

“We saw results pretty quickly,” Ben said. But during peak calving, with around 60 new mums coming in each day, they skipped some steps to save time and noticed somatic cell count (SCC) levels started to rise again. 

Determined to turn things around, they committed to the full 10-step process from the start of the 23/24 season. Another team refresher with Earnshaw before calving helped set the stage. This time, they stuck to the plan throughout the season. 

The results were impressive. They had 100 fewer mastitis cases, their average SCC dropped by 100,000 and they have cut treatment costs. 

“There’s been less red drugs purchased and needed on farm. There wasn’t as many repeat cases of mastitis as well,” said Samantha. 

They have also saved time in the cowshed, reducing milking times by an hour and a half. 

Ben said they’ve still got a long ride ahead but if they keep implementing the procedures, they’re on the right track.

 “We’ve saved a lot of time and labour by preventing mastitis and spending a little extra time with the mums after they calve. The team’s motivated by the results. It’s more positive to be preventing mastitis rather than treating it.” 

Success with udder health has also boosted morale for Ben, Samantha, and their staff. 

“Spending less time in the shed means more time at home with family, and we want that for our staff too,” Samantha said. 

Going into the 24/25 season, Ben and Samantha continue to follow the calving milking procedures, aiming for an average SCC of under 150,000 and less than 8% mastitis cases. With their first pickup of the season at 62,000, they are well on track to achieve their goal. 

A petition has been launched to stop imports entering New Zealand from countries that allow farming practices that would be illegal in this country.

The petition, by animal law expert and University of Auckland Associate Professor Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere and supported by Animal Policy International, was launched at an event at Parliament.

It urges the government to enact legislation ensuring all imports meet New Zealand’s domestic animal welfare standards.

“In my view, allowing imported animal products with lower standards than NZ undermines the spirit and effectiveness of our laws and our commitment to animal welfare, and creates an unfair double standard that privileges overseas producers over domestic farmers,” Ferrere said.

Animal Policy International investigated egg farms in India earlier this year, filming hens confined in battery cages, raising concerns about these eggs or egg products imported into the New Zealand market at a time when NZ and India discuss the potential for a bilateral trade agreement.

The footage showed overcrowded conditions with up to 10 hens crammed into cages typically used for 2-3 birds, hens with injuries, swollen glands and beaks, dead birds left lying around the cages and insufficient and poorly maintained water access points.

Battery cages have been banned in NZ since 2023 due to animal welfare concerns.

Animal Policy International co-executive director Rainer Kravets said after he witnessed the conditions in India for himself, he was sure New Zealanders would be horrified at what those hens endured.

“New Zealanders have made it clear that they don’t support cruel farming practices like battery cages. Allowing cruel imports produced under conditions we’ve banned here undermines our values and undercuts our farmers. It’s time to close this loophole and ensure all products in our market meet our ethical standards.” 

New Zealand imports a large number of products produced under conditions that are illegal domestically, such as the use of battery cages for egg-laying hens, sow stalls for pregnant pigs, and the mulesing of sheep.

This was highlighted in a report released in March, Closing the Welfare Gap: Why New Zealand must apply its animal protection standards to imports.

NZ Pork chief executive Brent Kleiss backed the report’s findings, saying they align with what the organisation has been advocating for some time.

“We import pork from 22 countries and those countries – they are providing pork that’s been raised to lower standards of care than what we expect of our own producers,” he said at the time.

Care is needed when pursing low-methane genetics in livestock so it does not disrupt the genetic gains already achieved that increase profitability for farmers, AbacusBio director Peter Amer says.

Speaking in a webinar on breeding for low-methane-emitting animals, he said there was already a good story from sheep and cattle breeding and it is important not to disrupt these gains in the pursuit of adding on low-methane genetics.

As selection emphasis shifts away from traits that drive profitability onto a new methane trait, there is an opportunity cost as more and more emphasis is put on the new trait, he said.

Some have questioned whether selecting animals for feed efficiency is a better option than selecting for methane.  

If a large, inefficient animal is replaced by a smaller, more efficient one, it could lead to a feed surplus, which the farmer would then feed to these or other animals.

“If we improve feed efficiency in a pastoral situation, we may not have any material impact on the national inventory or overall emissions,” he said.

This supported the argument for pursuing a methane trait, which improves both emissions and intensity and gross emissions.

Modelling showed that the additional benefits of this trait for the sheep, beef and dairy industries in New Zealand and Ireland came to 1-3% per decade, he said.

He believed this was a realistic amount that can be delivered through genetics.

AgResearch scientist Suzanne Row said the tools that are being developed to measure methane are becoming more advanced. 

Low-methane genetics is a relatively benign trait that is available for selection and we just need to get on and measure it, she said. In sheep, every breeder can get a breeding value for methane emissions.

“There’s still a barrier, and at the moment we’re measuring using chambers.”

Those chambers are transported using a 3 tonne trailer and the resulting transport difficulties mean they do not have the scale yet for a genetic trait.

One of the alternatives scientists have been working on is an oral swab, where DNA is extracted from the swab and analysed. The predictions from this oral sample appear to be just as good as if it were taken from a gastric tube.

“That’s really exciting when we think about larger animals, animal welfare and non-invasive samples.”

Low-methane sheep have been bred for 15 years and scientists now know the differences between the high and low emitters and what the indicators are for what is occurring in the animal as well as potential predictors.

The webinar was organised by the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre and Irish agricultural research and development agency, Teagasc.

The key indicator of ewe flock performance is the number of kilograms of lambs weaned per ewe mated. This is determined by two factors. Firstly, the number of lambs weaned and secondly the lamb weaning weight. 

With drought affecting many areas of New Zealand during the summer and autumn, mating performance wasn’t as good as it could have been, meaning the number of lambs we are likely to have by the time we get to weaning will be down. 

Also, many ewes will be lambed in less than ideal condition or on very low pasture covers. This has a flow-on effect through poor milk production to their lambs, leading to lower weaning weights. This means that the overall kgs of lamb weaned per ewe mated is likely to be down. On the brighter side, the lower lamb crop is likely to keep lamb prices up through procurement competition. This means we need to maximise the potential of every lamb we have to realise their value.

Zoetis consulting veterinarian Dr Clive Bingham shares some key areas for farmers to consider to get their lambs thriving – disease prevention, mineral supplementation, feeding and protection from internal and external parasites.  

If a ewe is in poor condition she is less likely to have mounted a good immune response to her pre-lamb vaccination, meaning less maternal antibodies are passed on to the lambs once they suckle. Lower levels of passive protection mean the lambs will become susceptible to disease sooner. 

A field trial looking at lamb loss periods from docking through to pre-lambing found the greatest periods of lamb loss occurred after docking and weaning ¹.

It is therefore important that we begin our clostridial vaccination programs as early as possible, with the initial sensitiser dose given at docking/tailing and complete the booster vaccination prior to or at weaning. This will maximise the lamb’s chance of developing its own immunity before their maternal antibodies are all gone, and in the case of pulpy kidney, they are protected before the period of greatest risk which is around weaning.

Even on farms where trace element deficiencies (selenium and/or cobalt) are not usually seen, deficiencies can occur where ewes are chronically underfed, and this can pass onto their lambs. 

Consider supplementation of lambs at docking with vitamin B12 and/or selenium to top up their levels. This can be done in conjunction with the clostridial vaccination of the lambs using Ultravac® 5 + 1 SeB12 at docking. 

Ewes that produce less milk will have lambs that are smaller at weaning. This means more lambs will be retained on the farm for longer. Depending on the timing of shearing, consideration should be given to treating the lambs at docking to prevent flystrike. Consider a long-acting treatment (e.g. StrikeForce®-S) sprayed over the tail stump and scrotum to protect them up to shearing. 

When ewes don’t produce as much milk or lactate for as long, thought should be given to weaning lambs early onto a high-quality diet. This can be pasture with a high legume component or a specialist finishing crop. These crops not only provide better nutrition so the lambs grow faster, but also aid in parasite control by decreasing exposure of the lambs to the infective parasite larvae.

Poor condition lambing ewes are likely to lay down more contamination on the areas they were set stocked on. Combined with less milk production, this means that contaminated pastures will become a greater proportion of the lambs diet sooner, compared to better fed milk lambs. It is recommended that you start taking fecal egg count samples (FEC’s) from these lambs prior to weaning to detect any early buildup of parasites that will slow down lamb growth rates. For lambs weaned onto pasture it is important that they are weaned onto low contamination areas of the farm where no ewes have lambed in order to promote optimal lamb growth. Monitor the lambs on these areas using FEC’s to balance your drench inputs with the level of pasture contamination. Also ensure you do a drench check early in the season to ensure you are using an effective drench and not contaminating your farm with drench resistant worms.

Lambs are the main contaminators on the farm. Removing these young susceptible stock as quickly as you can will help decrease the worm burden and therefore help improve overall health for ewes and the remaining lambs.

Although you cannot fully compensate for low lamb numbers, working on maximising the survival and growth of the lambs that you do have, goes a long way to improving your bottom line and allows you to take full advantage of any better store or schedule prices.

Zoetis New Zealand Limited. Tel: 0800 963 847; www.zoetis.co.nz. Ultravac and Strikeforce are registered trade marks of Zoetis. ACVM Nos. A11349, A11606

1. Bingham, C. M. & Hodge, A. (2022) Lamb mortality and clostridial disease. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 70 (1) 49-54.