sheep, beef cattle and deer

20 June 2022

Sponsored by: 

Introduction | Amy Watts & Clive Bingham | 8am             

The 2021 velvetting survey summary and a draft informed consent form | Mark Gilmour & Amy Watts | 8.25am
In 2021 VPIS approached NZVA Deer Branch to share their concerns about the number of claims being made for stag deaths associated with sedation for velvetting. A survey was jointly developed and sent to Deer Branch members. This presentation will briefly cover the main findings. When asked if an informed consent form would be of value there was a very positive response by nearly all of the 64 respondents. A draft informed consent form will be presented for discussion.

Velveting: a refresher on the rules and regulations | Andrew Scurr | 8.50am
The laws, The NVSB, RCS

Exploring regenerative grazing practices | Alec McKay | 9.15am
This paper reports on a research question emerging from discussions with a group of farmers who are either exploring or who have adopted regenerative farming practices. A common interest in the group is the practice of maintaining a higher than currently recommended pasture cover in rotational stocking systems (both pre- and post-grazing), in conjunction with high stocking intensities during grazing. In the paper, current knowledge and learnings from these practitioners are used to examine the impact this adaptive grazing practice might have on pasture and animal production, nutrient cycling within the grazing system, nutrient requirements and the environmental footprint of the farm system.

Current and future use and management of land | Alec McKay | 9.40am
After people, soils are the most important resource we have. They underpin our primary industry and economy. The paper examines the increasing competition amongst users for this finite resource, some of the factors influencing current land use trends, the need to expand the proposed National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land to include all land, the risks to productive land and the use a new package to monitor soil health can have.  

Targeted feeding of sheep based on the hierarchy of demand | Paul Kenyon | 10.30am
Sheep farms in New Zealand are limited by the amount of feed they can grow. At any one time there are a number of priority stock classes, placing demand on the limited feed resource. Therefore, optimal management is about understanding which animals, at a given point, need to be prioritised to maximise overall flock performance. To achieve this, knowledge of the hierarchy of feed demand is vital.

Pre-winter finishing of deer | Jamie Ward | 11.30am
This presentation describes the full details of a transformational opportunity for deer farming to shift slaughter of R1 males to pre-winter. It outlines impacts of differential nutrition, pre- vs post-rut weaning on calves and dams. All building on the ‘100 kg weaner’ paper from 2021.

Angular limb deformity in deer: farmer survey and practitioner view | Samantha Elder | 12pm  
The prevalence and impact of Angular limb deformity in deer has not been previously established. The Deer Science for Success program (Agresearch and DINZ collaboration) funded a farmer survey to establish this information. This presentation will discuss the results of the farmer survey, likely impacts for the industry, welfare, experience of the practitioner trying to prevent the problem on farm.         

Benchmarking helps identify opportunities | John Stantiall | 1.30pm
Benchmarking helps identify opportunities for a farming business to improve. By looking outwardly and making comparisons, those who wish to improve will learn what is possible and will correlate inputs and practices to achieve high performance. Increasingly important is being able to maintain high levels of performance despite climatic and market extremes. Benchmarking can be undertaken for a range of aspects of the business if there is sufficient data to make useful comparisons.         

Grading-up to a self-shedding Wiltshire flock to reduce farm costs | Paul Kenyon | 2pm
The costs of harvesting wool from traditional dual-purpose breeds have surpassed the returns for wool on many New Zealand farms. Some farmers have graded-up to a Wiltshire flock but quantified and researched results that provide information to move to wool less sheep is lacking. To address this gap our research group is undertaking a multiyear flock study to record production and performance examining the transition from a dual-purpose breed to a shedding Wiltshire flock.     

The wool dilemma: which way for crossbred farmers? | Phil Tither | 2.30pm 
Crossbred wool has become a cost to sheep farmers. This paper considers the market signals for lamb versus wool, the trends in premium for finer wool, and discusses the pros and cons of crossbred sheep farmers choosing shedding sheep or reducing fibre diameter. Farm simulation modelling, using Farmax, indicates potential net revenue gains of up to $15 per ewe per year from some of the strategies discussed.

A competency based curriculum: let’s do it! | Jenny Weston & Eloise Jillings | 3pm

Do lousy sheep matter? - some thoughts on louse control in 2022 | Colin McKay | 4pm
Sheep lice were once considered a parasite of economic importance in New Zealand to the extent that annual louse treatments were once mandated by legislation. Since the abandonment of compulsory louse dipping in 1994 multiple factors have conspired deliver an apparent increase in lousy flocks. These factors, which include lack of research funding, insecticide resistance, less effective application methodology and changing farm economics, are discussed.

Shedding sheep: our journey at Willowglen Farm | Becks Smith | 4.40pm
A short walk through our journey with shedding sheep; the tools that have helped us along the way, where we are at now and the new adventures for 2022 and beyond! I will also share some of the discoveries we’ve had, outline some of the less obvious benefits we’ve found having shedding sheep and a brief overview of the shedding breeds in NZ.

21 June 2022

Sponsored by:

Quantitative larval cultures – a new, better test for anthelmintic resistance? | Dave Leathwick | 8am
The practice of estimating the number of infective stage larvae present in a bulked faecal culture collected before and after anthelmintic treatment and using these counts to calculate anthelmintic efficacy has become a common practice with some veterinarians in New Zealand. However, this ‘test’ is not used or recognized in any other country, and it appears that its validity for detecting anthelmintic resistance has never been established. This presentation will consider the factors influencing the number of larvae recovered from a faecal culture and the validity of using larval counts to estimate anthelmintic efficacy. Comparisons of anthelmintic efficacy measured by FECRT, and Quantitative culture will also be presented as a measure of validation of the method.   

Parasite advice in the age of multi-drench resistancel: feeding and farm systems | Ginny Dodunski | 8.30am
Many New Zealand sheep and beef farmers are now living a reality where their parasite control programmes can no longer simply be about what products to use and when. Widespread multi-drug drench resistance is highlighting the underlying stresses inherent in many farm systems. This paper presents the author’s experiences of dealing with parasites at the system level.

Triple drench resistance case update | Dave Robertson | 9am        
This is a follow-up to the case presented last year on drench resistance management in trading lambs. It is a summary of quantitative drench check data and recent FECRT, 3 years after intital diagnosis and a discussion about the future prospects for the system. An extended facilitation of discussion and questions from other practitioners will be encouraged.  

Research into deer parasites: an update | Alex Chambers | 9.30am
An improved understanding of the epidemiology of the parasites infecting managed deer is essential in developing effective control programs. A temperature driven model was built to estimate the timing of seasonal pasture infestation with infective larvae. Seasonal development trends differed between farm locations and years (2018-2019). On venison farms the predominant females are the primary source of pasture contamination, whilst contamination from younger stock is reduced by often-frequent anthelmintic use. 

Understanding genomics and genetic evaluations to help beef producers | Amy Hoogenboom | 10.30am
This presentation builds on last year’s which outlined the genetic tools and resources available to farmers and veterinarians to improve productivity through genetics. This year we explore how these evaluations work and the role of genomic testing in strengthening these predictions.

Deer select two across breed genetic evaluation | Sharon McIntyre | 11am
New across breed deer genetic evaluation, with comparable breeding values and Indexes for Red and Wapiti. New Index and sub-index format making it easier to find new sires that match individualised requirements. New fertility breeding values for first calver and mature conception rates. Updated genetic parameters for Meat and Velvet.

Turning compliance into cash | Rob Macnab | 1.30pm
With impending compliance obligations looming over farms, progressive operators will be looking to turn this into an opportunity. Whilst the situation is evolving there are several openings presenting themselves to turn this into a business advantage. Whether it is access to capital, premiums in the marketplace or utilising it to improve performance farmers will ultimately own the opportunities.        

New Zealand’s public and private veterinary services – we are stronger together | Mary van Andel | 2pm
The interests of NZInc are best served when the linkages between the private and public veterinary services are strong and there is mutual understanding of our different roles, drivers and environments. This talk highlights ongoing initiatives and presents future opportunities. 

Bovine TB control in New Zealand: the past, the present and the future | Kevin Crews | 2.30pm
New Zealand has had a long history of Mycobacterium bovis (bTB) infection in both domestic herds and mammalian wildlife dating back nearly 180 years. The persistence of bTB infection in both domestic and wild animals has been largely driven by wild animal reservoirs, primarily possums, an introduced pest into New Zealand. New Zealand has made significant progress in getting on top of its bovine TB problem over the past 25 years (i.e. 98% reduction in domestic herd infection and a 30% reduction in the geographic extent of wildlife bTB infection). This has principally been driven through a focused, fundamental and applied research strategy that has enabled New Zealand’s bTB operational managers to essentially “crack-the-code” for what is needed for effective bTB eradication in New Zealand, given the unique epidemiological and ecological settings for bTB persistence we have here. This presentation summarises the key phases of the bTB programme in New Zealand and how the programme has evolved overtime from both applying research findings and adapting in-the-field operations based on the learnings of what works and what doesn’t. A particular focus will be on how TB surveillance has adapted and changed over the past 50 years as the prevalence of TB on farms has drastically reduced.

Investigating the Brucella ovis infection source in a ram flock | Emily McLaren | 4pm
A case report following a Brucella ovis breakdown within a ram flock despite the farmer using common risk management strategies. Evaluation of potential infection sources raised questions about the role wildlife could play in the transmission of Brucella ovis. While predominantly a disease of sheep, Brucella ovis infection has been identified in farmed goats and deer, and considering New Zealand’s large wild populations the idea that they may act as an infection source should be considered.

Mycoplasma Bovis beef survey | Richard Campbell | 4.20pm
The on-farm beef surveillance for Mycoplasma bovis now sits with New Zealand’s veterinary profession and their partners Veritag and SVS Labs. This provides veterinary practices with the opportunity to add revenue to visits to dry stock farming clients. Activities such as pregnancy scanning and BVD testing are proving ideal contact points. Service bulls are a very important class of stock to be targeted due to their aggregation from and dispersal to many properties making them an obvious risk factor. Replacement dairy heifers are included in the programme and are highly sought after as off farm grazing of these animals is seen in a high proportion of infected farms. As we are now getting to down to a very low incidence of new infections it is more important than ever that our sampling provides nationwide coverage of a range of farming systems of all sizes.

Alpaca dentistry, say what? | Liz Thompson & Laura Schwerdtfeger | 4.40pm
A short discussion of common camelid dental problems as seen in New Zealand alpacas and llamas. The pathology is there, but if we don’t look, we can wrongly assume these camelids are fine, leaving these prey species to live with unnecessary pain. A brief taster to see what we’ve learnt of pathology, essential equipment, anaesthesia, and aftercare.

22 June 2022

NZFAP and NZFAP Plus: unlocking market value while adapting to changing consumer needs | Megan Mounsey-Smith & Neil Smith | 9am
An overview of the New Zealand red meat and wool industry farm assurance programmes New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP) and New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme Plus (NZFAP Plus). These programmes facilitate market access and continued social licence to operate through independently audited assurance standards.

Getting to ‘yes’ - engaging farmers in animal health planning | Lab Wilson | 9.30am
As animal health professionals, we may clearly see the value we could add to a farming business. However, the individual farmer may not see it in the same light. Using a simple model we explore how value is created within the context of a professional service. We then discuss how to develop a shared understanding of what value looks like in your clients’ eyes. Then offer them something to say yes to.

Climate change policy context for the agricultural sectors | Madeline Hall | 10.30am
Climate change, and some of the policy approaches chosen to manage its influences and impacts, are seen as existential threats to our farmers and their businesses. This presentation will provide an overview of the international and domestic policy contexts that drive farmers response to emissions reductions pressures as well as a changing climate.   

Climate action: a market opportunity | Val Green | 11am
As consumer awareness about climate change grows, so does the urgency among businesses to decarbonise. There is much work to be done but becoming a low carbon business can bring real opportunities to differentiate, save cost and manage risk. In this presentation, Toitū Envirocare CEO, Becky Lloyd, will explore changing consumer demands, how businesses can leverage opportunities to differentiate, the value of carbon certification and some inspiring examples of climate leadership in the primary sector.

Responding to greenhouse gas emissions: what can farmers do now? | Erica van Reenen | 11.30am
This presentation will outline a framework for supporting sheep, beef and deer farms to start planning for and respond to pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on-farm. It will also look at the options these farmers have to respond to emissions, what the likely emissions reductions might be and considerations from a farm system context. 

Emerging agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation approaches | Sinead Leahy | 12pm
The reduction of the agricultural greenhouse gases, methane and nitrous oxide is likely to play an important role in New Zealand’s transition to a low-emissions economy. A limited range of options currently exist to reduce emissions from pasture-based livestock farming systems. However, several promising options are under development which have the potential to considerably reduce on-farm emissions. This presentation will give participants an update on the latest science on some emerging agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation technologies.

Survey of the prevalence of Leptospira antibodies in deer | Victoria Chapman | 1.30pm
This presentation covers the results from a survey on the sero prevalence of three leptospiral antibodies across several regions of New Zealand. Highlights that lepto positive farms are unpredictable and results can be surprising.

BVD case study: PI outbreak in a beef herd | Anthony Oswald | 1.50pm
A text book case of a beef herd that was BVD naïve and then had a large number of PI calves born subsequent to being sent away for grazing during a drought.

M.Bovis | John Alawneh | 2.10pm
The talk aim is to provide participants with an overview of the Programme with a particular focus on beef and dry stock surveillance streams. Background surveillance activities have identified several challenges that requires more active engagement with industry to achieve Programme objectives. The talk is meant to be interactive and will be delivered in blended participatory and applied epidemiologically guided by the information provided to participants in the structured presentation.

Footrot: what’s new, what’s not | Chris Mulvaney | 2.30pm
I’ll summarise the issues and challenges that resulted in the development of an improved approach to managing footrot in sheep. That’s likely to include debunking quite a few myths and mis-understandings. That’s the “old” and for the “new” I’ll outline my thoughts around the development of the breeding value for tolerance to footrot.

Johne’s disease | Solis Norton | 3pm
Johne’s disease, caused by Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP), is an enduring drain on animal production in New Zealand. It is widespread in ruminant production systems but with variable impact. Key aspects of the disease and its control are described. An update on the role of MAP in Crohn’s disease in humans is given. New diagnostic methods for Johne’s disease are covered and predictions offered on its impact on our farming future