By TVG Admin|2018-08-26T19:30:37+10:00November 11th, 2017|Categories: Farm Services|Tags: cattle, dairy, drench, drenching, faecal egg counts, FEC, heifers, heiferwise, Monica Ryan, ostertagia, worms|
Dr Monica Ryan Best practice for worm drenching is to Faecal Egg Count (FEC) test before you drench. No longer does worm control advice advocate routine drenching at set intervals. Drenching only when needed saves money and reduces the chance of resistance developing to the drench through overuse. Well grown heifers meeting their weight targets
By TVG Admin|2018-01-14T16:57:36+11:00October 31st, 2017|Categories: Farm Services|Tags: cattle, dairy, herd dynamics, Peter Younis|
Peter Younis We are often asked about the benefits, costs, workload or complexity of herd oestrus synchrony programs. There are, as most farmers know, a multitude of options, each with pros and cons. The answer is that each program is very different and may or may not be suitable on different farms for a variety
By TVG Admin|2018-01-14T16:57:46+11:00October 30th, 2017|Categories: Farm Services|Tags: cattle, dairy, John Ryan, pregnancy, reproduction|
Dr John Ryan Herd reproductive performance is a common frustration for many dairy farmers. The old adage, “you can’t improve what you don’t measure” holds true when applied to herd reproductive performance. With a little planning and preparation pregnancy testing can provide you with accurate and detailed information allowing you to: Identify empty cows Plan
By TVG Admin|2018-01-13T18:24:51+11:00October 13th, 2017|Categories: Farm Services|Tags: cattle, dairy, foetal sexing, Tom Walsh|
Dr Tom Walsh Ultrasound technology now allows us to determine the sex of calves between 9 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. Farmers who are taking advantage of this service are able to take their cow and calf management to a whole new level. Knowing the sex of a calf six months before it is born
By TVG Admin|2018-01-13T18:24:39+11:00October 12th, 2017|Categories: Farm Services|Tags: cattle, dairy, David Colson, reproduction, ultrasound|
Dr David Colson When used by a skilled professional, ultrasound technology provides farmers with information that can be used in the reproductive management of their herd; it allows for early pregnancy diagnosis, foetal sexing and is gentler on both cow and operator. Advancements in the technology have made the ultrasound units very portable and more
By TVG Admin|2018-08-26T19:32:05+10:00September 30th, 2017|Categories: Farm Services|Tags: cattle, dairy, iodine, mastitis, milk quality, milkwise, teat spray, Zoe Vogels|
Dr Zoe Vogels Most bacteria that cause mastitis get into the udder through the teat canal. It follows that the more we can reduce bacteria on the teat end, the better we can reduce the risk of mastitis. Post milking teat spray is important for two reasons: the first is that it helps kill any
By TVG Admin|2018-01-13T18:24:11+11:00September 20th, 2017|Categories: Farm Services|Tags: Alex Crosbie, cattle, dairy, mastitis, mycoplasma mastitis|
Dr Alex Crosbie Mastitis in any form is a costly frustration for many farms. While the majority of cases in Victoria continue to be caused by bacteria acquired from the environment, serious outbreaks of contagious mastitis have occurred in some herds. Mycoplasma is a mastitis-causing pathogen capable of causing such outbreaks, because it can spread
By TVG Admin|2018-01-13T18:07:48+11:00September 10th, 2017|Categories: Farm Services|Tags: cattle, dairy, mastitis|
The World Health Organisation warns that the increasing emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) will be the number one cause of human death in the next 30 years, if judicious and strategic use of antibiotics/antivirals in human and animal medicine is not put into daily practice. As reported last month, increased pressure will be applied to
By TVG Admin|2018-01-13T18:08:11+11:00August 30th, 2017|Categories: Farm Services|Tags: antibiotic resistance, antibiotics, cattle, dairy|
You will all be familiar with the media stories of superbugs resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is a growing worldwide problem in both human and animal health. Over the past two seasons outbreaks of multi-drug resistant Salmonella on local farms have brought this issue into sharper focus. The Australian Government has released the first National
By TVG Admin|2018-01-13T18:23:41+11:00August 20th, 2017|Categories: Farm Services|Tags: calving, cattle, dairy, Liz Hancock, metrichecking|
Dr Liz Hancock Reproductive management for every calving period on your farm will contribute to better reproduction outcomes. In the lead up to each mating start date, managers should consider examination and early intervention treatment for at risk cows. Endometritis is an infection of the inner most layer of the uterus and is a common
