The Better Herd Podcast

CRV's myDNA Product Manager Anna Morrow and Hawera dairy farmer Hayden Lawrence discuss the benefits of DNA testing dairy herds.

Our host Anne-Marie Case-Miller is joined by CRV product development manager Peter Van Elzakker and West Coast farmer Mark Van Beek to discuss how breeding can help you achieve your farming goals.

We talk about a healthy and efficient herd, and the importance of tailoring your breeding programme to help unlock the potential of your farm business.

Facial Eczema is a devastating disease that costs New Zealand dairy farmers hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost milk production each year.

Not only is it costly in dollar terms, but it can also have severe implications for animal health.

In this episode, CRV’s Mitchell Koot is joined by CRV head geneticist Phil Beatson and VetEnt vet and research head, Emma Cuttance.

Listen as they discuss why FE is such a concern for our dairy industry, and the short and longer term options available to manage it.

Dairy farmers and their staff spend about 50% of their time milking. Milking times have a big impact on the structure of the working day.

An increasing number of farmers are looking for more flexibility in their milking routine and considering alternative options to twice-a-day.

CRV’s Rosanna Dickson talks to DairyNZ Senior Scientist Dr Paul Edwards about how farmers can maintain productivity and profitability, while reducing the number of milkings per lactation. They also discuss how genetics can help farmers breed cows suited to a flexible milking regime.

Breeding for increased numbers of heifers has become popular for dairy farmers wanting more from their top cows.

An increasing number of farmers are considering sorted semen as a tool to get more from their herd improvement programme, getting replacement heifers from high genetic merit heifers and top producing cows.

There are also significant benefits for farmers in using sorted semen to reduce their number of bobby calves and potentially have easier calvings for heifers. Decisions based on animal welfare outcomes is becoming an increasingly important consideration.

Rosanna talks about the ins and outs of sexed semen with Marleen Broekhuijse from CRV HQ in The Netherlands and Canterbury dairy farmer Ian Hopping.

NZAEL manager Brian Wickham gives us an update on the new animal evaluation system and what dairy farmers can expect over the coming months.

We discuss the automatic transfer of data from your herd recording service provider to NZAEL.

We talk about NZAEL’s new model for fertility evaluation and other traits being reviewed.

Lastly, Brian talks about NZAEL’s efforts to ensure data quality, its work with breeding societies and the National Breeding Objective review.

CRV’s latest bull team offers more than just high index. The 2021 line-up responds to farmer demand for genetic solutions to tackle challenges around the environment, herd efficiency and animal welfare.

CRV has introduced a wide range of new sires to its portfolio for 2021, with 22 newly graduated sires and 15 new genomic InSires, in addition to 13 new sires in its global portfolio.

Rosana chats to our Product Development and Product Manager Peter van Elzakker to find out more.

It’s conference time for The Dairy Women’s Network (DWN).

CRV is proud to be an event sponsor and supporting dairying women across the country.

Together with Allflex, the DWN is this year bringing networking and professional development opportunities to the regions. They will be holding three one day events in Taupo, Queenstown and Ashburton.

With an impressive line-up of speakers and workshops, the conferences are shaping up to be fun, informative and entertaining.

Rosanna Dickson is joined by DWN Chair and Atiamuri dairy farmer Karen Forlong to chat about what conference delegates can expect and some of the challenges she believes we face as an industry.

To register for one of the upcoming “Step Up Together” conferences, click here.

Mastitis can be a costly animal health condition and treatment often requires the use of antibiotics. With the growing demand for a reduction of antibiotic use on farms, it is increasingly important to have healthier herds with a lower incidence of mastitis.

Join CRV’s Rosanna Dickson as she chats to DairyNZ Senior Scientist Jane Lacy-Hulbert and CRV Breeding Programme Manager, Aaron Parker.

DairyNZ and AgResearch have jointly released findings from a study that shows New Zealand dairy farmers have the world’s lowest on-farm carbon footprint.

In fact, their emissions are half of other international milk producers.

Commissioned by DairyNZ, the study was independently produced by AgResearch and peer-reviewed by an international specialist in Ireland.

CRV’s Rosanna Dickson is joined by André Mazzetto from AgResearch, who is one of the scientists behind the work. Andre talks about people’s reactions to the findings, how science could help the industry reach its targets and the role genetics could play.