Sheep, Beef, Deer & Dog Newsletter – Winter 2025

Supporting Farmers Through Regulatory Change

The pace of regulatory change in the sheep, beef, and deer sectors has been significant in recent years, and it’s fair to say that the pressure is mounting. From environmental compliance and grazing consents to antimicrobial stewardship and animal welfare reporting, the layers of expectation on livestock farmers are growing – often without clear guidance, practical support, or any extra time in the day to deal with it.

At Aorangi Vets, we want to make one thing clear: we are here for you.

We acknowledge that many of these new requirements can feel like a burden – complex, unclear, and difficult to implement within the practical realities of farming. There is a perception that veterinarians are simply enforcers of these rules, especially in areas such as restricted veterinary medicines, stock movement documentation, and antibiotic use. In truth, our role is one of stewardship and support. We are here to help you meet the standards while keeping your systems workable, efficient, and sustainable.

We regularly assist clients with:

• Tailored Animal Health Plans that meet industry and processor requirements without adding unnecessary complexity.
• Antimicrobial prescription systems that satisfy stewardship expectations but are aligned with your actual risk profile and farm systems.
• Winter grazing and environmental consent documentation, where our veterinary input may be required as part of the application process.
• Audit readiness for on-farm assurance programs, by ensuring your animal health records and welfare planning are fit for purpose.

Our goal is to bridge the gap between regulation and real-world farming. We’re here to interpret the technical language, provide fit-for-purpose documentation, and offer on-theground advice that supports both compliance and productivity.

We know that behind every form, policy, or requirement is a real person trying to run a farm. You didn’t sign up to be a paperwork expert – you signed up to raise good stock, care for your land, and make a living.

So, if you’re unsure how a new rule applies to you, or just want a straight answer on what’s practical, don’t hesitate to call us. The earlier we’re involved, the easier it is to find a solution that works for you.

We’re here to help you navigate change ‑ without losing sight of what matters most.

Pre-Lamb: Setting Ewes Up for Success

Lambing success can be influenced by the way we manage pregnant ewes. We may not be able to control the weather but there are many things we need to get right to ensure as many ewes and lambs make it to weaning in as good a condition as possible despite what the weather throws at us.

Body Condition:

The ewe’s body condition is the single most important thing to get right. Ideally, she needs to be in BCS of 3.0-3.5 for lambing. A 70kg ewe in good body condition at tupping who gets pregnant with twins aims to weigh 85kg at lambing. Her intake must not be restricted in the weeks leading up to lambing to meet her requirements and those of her lambs. 

Keeping minimum grazing levels above 1200kgDM/ha or above 4cm gives her the best chance.

However, even with this feed provision she will not be able to physically eat all that is required, and she will rely on some of her body condition to meet her needs. A ewe in light condition will be disadvantaged and drawing on her limited reserves places her at higher risk of metabolic disease and lamb death.

Scanning is the ideal time to mark light ewes – can you feel bones on their backs when you are pushing them up for the scanner? If so, mark them and target extra feeding to them, especially if they are first cycle, multiple-bearing light ewes. 

Bearings are an unfortunate problem for many ewes and the cause is unknown. Some risk factors for bearings include ewes being too fat, ewes being too light, unfit ewes and ewes lambing on hills. Fears that increasing feeding in pregnant ewes could increase rates of bearings have not been validated in trials. Perhaps the key is to avoid sudden increases in feed.

Set stocking ewes on minimum 3-6cm of grass (depending on single versus multiple-bearing) and timing it with spring pasture growth is a good guide. The ewe’s requirements will increase with lactation. If grass covers drop below 4cm, the ewe’s intake may be restricted, lactation and lamb growth will drop, and the worm challenge will likely increase. Supplementing feed may be required to meet demand. 

Trace Elements:

mportant all year round but with winter feeding, stress and pregnancy comes higher demand for trace elements such as selenium, zinc, iodine and copper. When diet alone does not meet demand, supplementation is needed. We recommend testing animals to help determine what the requirements are, and to assess the impact supplements are having. Over-dosing can be costly and at times dangerous.

Immediately after scanning, cull ewes going to the works can be tested for several trace elements in the liver. Alternatively on farm liver biopsies in mid-pregnancy can easily be done by a vet. This is particularly useful when looking at copper levels, and timely, as the developing foetus starts to draw down on the ewe’s reserves. New to the market is Multimin® Plus Copper For Sheep which has some interesting trial work on lamb survivability and lamb weaning weights. It contains copper, selenium, zinc and manganese in sheep-appropriate levels.

If you would like to have liver tests done, please contact the clinic before sending ewes so a vet can talk with you and organise the necessary lab forms.

Worms:

Worms are always present and decisions around how to manage worms can influence not only this year’s ewe and lamb health and production but the sustainability of your grazing operation. There are no recipes here but again the bottom line in a breeding operation is looking after the condition and health of your ewes so they can be overall eliminators of worms rather than contributors. Late pregnancy, lambing and lactation are of course times when our ewes often become contributors and the need for drenching may exist. Decisions around pre-lamb drenching are multi-faceted and there are many drench options available including the return this year of Bionic Plus capsules. Creating refugia through this time helps mitigate risks of drench resistance and we encourage you to sit down with your vet to discuss what is right for your farm.

Vaccinations:

Dating back to at least the 1960s, vaccinating sheep to protect against clostridial disease common. Pre-lamb vaccinations, 2-4 weeks before the start of lambing not only helps protect the ewe from clostridial death during the risky birthing time but also protects the lamb through the first few weeks of its life (assuming lambs are strong enough to get up and have a good feed of colostrum within a few hours of birth).

Proper vaccination technique and handling of vaccines is really important to get the best results and avoid complications. Vaccines need to be kept refrigerated and not frozen. Clostridial vaccines are made to go under the skin of the neck not into muscle or glands around the jaw. To reduce injection site reactions animals need to be dry and clean, and getting into the habit of changing the needle every 20 animals or after every race is a good approach to take. Some vaccines have a broach period enabling use of unused product at a subsequent yarding. NEVER use a dirty needle to inject unused vaccine from the tubing back into the pack. It is recommended to simply remove the tubing and discard it, place the unused vaccine pack upright back in its original packaging and store upright in the fridge.

Feeding Brassicas Over Winter

Brassicas such as fodder beet, swedes and kale are commonly used as high-energy winter feed. Despite their benefits, they can present nutritional imbalances and health risks, particularly while transitioning onto these crops.

Nutritional Imbalances and Transition Risks

Brassicas are high in sugar but low in fibre and have variable protein levels. The high sugar content, especially in fodder beet and swedes, can increase the risk of ruminal acidosis if stock are not transitioned gradually. Signs of rumen acidosis include, diarrhoea, bloating, decreased feed intake, down cows and death in severe cases. A slow transition is essential to allow rumen microbes to adapt. This process should take 14–21 days, with the following guidelines:

• Mature cattle: Start at 1–2 kg DM/ cow/day, increasing by 1 kg DM every second day.
• Heifers and yearlings: Start at 1 kg DM/cow/day, increasing by 0.5 kg DM every 2–3 days.

Adequate silage or hay must be offered throughout the period to supply essential fibre and protein and to help balance the sugar content. Apart from early transition, rumen acidosis can also occur when hungry stock are placed directly onto crop post transport, or when they are moved to a new paddock that has a higher dry matter content per square metre and this not accounted for in their fed break. To reduce risk, always feed at lib silage post transport, prior to going on crop. Also consider the variation in DM content/square metre, especially for fodder beet and swede, before setting new break lines.

Nitrate Toxicity

Nitrate accumulation is another risk with brassicas, especially during cold or cloudy weather, during drought stress or after high applications of nitrogen fertilisers. The clinical signs of nitrate poisoning include laboured breathing, collapse and sudden death within hours of being on crop. Unfortunately, surviving stock can also abort days after exposure. If you suspect nitrate toxicity, remove stock from the crop immediately and feed silage or grass. Stress should be minimised. In-clinic nitrate testing is available to assess crop safety before feeding.

Mineral Imbalances

Brassicas are high in calcium and potassium, but can be low in phosphorus and magnesium. They also contain glucosinolates that interfere with the absorption and utilization of iodine. These imbalances are particularly critical for late-pregnant cows, as they can affect fetal development and milk production. Consider giving iodine supplementation prior to going on crop in the form of flexidine injections. Stock can be supplemented with phosphorus while on crop in the form of dusting silage or providing salt licks. It is very important that pregnant stock are removed from grazing brassica 4 weeks prior to calving to mitigate mineral imbalances between the calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus that can lead to milk fever and down cows at calving.

If you have any queries regarding brassica feed, please contact the clinic to discuss your winter feed with one of our vets.

Tackling Anthelmintic Drench Resistance in NZ Sheep Farms

Anthelmintic drench resistance is an increasingly serious threat to sheep farming in New Zealand. Triple drench – resistant worms-able to survive treatment with all three of the traditional drench families (benzimidazoles, levamisole, and macrocyclic lactones) – are now present on a growing number of properties. Unfortunately, resistance is also emerging to newer ‘novel’ drenches, including derquantel (in Startect) and monepantel (in Zolvix).

With no new drench product classes developed in over 15 years, and resistance issue spreading, it’s critical we adopt smarter strategies to protect the effectiveness of existing drenches and reduce overall reliance on drenching.

Preventing the Introduction of Resistant Worms

To avoid introducing resistant parasites with incoming stock:

• Hold new animals in the yards with silage and no access to pasture.
• Drench with a 4-way combination or a novel drench (Zolvix or Startect).
• Keep animals yarded for 48 hours post-drench to prevent immediate pasture contamination.
• Perform a faecal egg count (FEC) 10 days post-drench to check for any surviving resistant worms.

Smarter Drenching: Monitor, Don’t Assume

To reduce unnecessary drenching:

• Conduct a FEC at 28 days postdrench to assess whether lambs genuinely need treatment, or if drenching can be safely delayed.
• Optimise lamb health and nutrition to promote fast growth and strong immune response:
  • High-energy, high-protein feeds
  • Ewe supplementation with iodine and selenium
  • Lamb supplementation with vitamin B12

• Transition lambs to crop as soon as possible after weaning to reduce worm burden from pasture. 

Rethinking Adult Sheep Drenching

In most systems, adult sheep should not require routine drenching. If a peri-partum rise in worm burden is an issue:

• Target drenches only to low body condition score (BCS) ewes or those carrying triplets.
• Use cross-grazing with cattle or run adult sheep as “vacuum cleaners” behind lambs to reduce pasture contamination.

By implementing these practices, we can help preserve the effectiveness of current drenches and maintain productivity in the face of rising resistance.

If you have any questions about protecting your farm from drench-resistant worms, please contact one of our clinics. We’re here to help you develop a tailored, sustainable parasite management plan.

Managing Lice in Cattle and Sheep During Autumn and Winter

ice can become a significant issue for cattle and sheep during the colder months. Infestations cause irritation, leading to hair loss as animals rub against fences and trees. Here’s what you need to know to stay on top of lice this season:

Key Points:

• Species-Specific: Lice are host-specific for cattle and sheep, but goats can carry sheep lice, so they should be treated alongside your sheep.
• Transmission: Lice survive less than 5 days off the host, so they spread mainly via direct contact.
• High-Risk Stock: Young animals (under one year) and those under nutritional stress are more prone to heavy infestations.

Treatment Options:

Nutrition: check your feed budget and look at stock body condition and weight.

Cattle:

• Use Lypor or Blaze pour-ons.
• Be cautious with cattle coming off crop — mud and thick winter coats can reduce effectiveness.
• A follow-up treatment may be needed after 8 weeks due to potential reinfestation.

Sheep:

• Use products like Flexolt, Extinosad or Cyrex.
• Product choice depends on wool length and application method.

Supporting Animal Health:

If stock have been under feed pressure, consider boosting immunity with trace element supplements such as:

• Multimin Evolution for cattle and Multimin Copper Free or Multimin Low Copper for sheep
• Prolaject Selenium/B12

Supplementing with selenium, B12, and copper can help improve overall resilience against parasites.

Winter Nutrition and Minerals

Stags are at their lowest ebb after the rut and need extra fuel throughout late autumn and winter. They feel the cold not only because deer naturally have a high energy demand for body heat production compared to sheep and cattle, but also because stags have lost fat (insulation) through the rut.

Winter feeding may not increase the stag’s weight much. Keeping him warm with fuel (35-64 MJME/day depending on breed) and shelter may be the goal. We have known for a long time that nutrition affects antler growth; King Edward II’s huntsman remarked “the head grows according to the pasture, good or otherwise” (Dryden 1908). We now know the stag’s bodyweight, and perhaps more importantly how quickly he can put weight on when he drops his buttons will influence velvet growth.

For velvet growth in spring, that energy requirement increases further, a stag will also need a high protein content (some studies indicate 25% crude protein might be the target). Calcium and phosphorus in the diet are important to replace the minerals he will draw from his skeleton. He will require trace elements suchas copper, zinc, and manganese. Stags may have three times the dietary requirement of manganese compared to sheep and cattle due to its role in velvet production.

Pregnant hinds also require looking after, especially when bad winter weather is forecast. Increasing her feed supply before and during a weather event will help protect her from weight loss and disease.

Through winter a 120kg hind may need 25-26 MJME/day before and increasing energy requirement through fawning and lactation. This energy requirement may look like 2.5- 2.6kgDM/hd/day.

The developing foetus draws minerals such as copper from the hind. Testing cull hind livers at the works after scanning helps assess the need for supplements.

Topping up minerals in stags and hinds during winter is often appropriate to help with velvet growth and fawn development. Multimin Evolution is an injection which is on label for use in deer and contains copper, extra zinc, selenium, and manganese.

Fuelling the Force: Why Premium Nutrition Matters

Working farm dogs are elite endurance athletes. On a typical day, they may cover 10-20 km, often in challenging terrain and weather. Winter places even more demand on them, making high-quality nutrition not just beneficial, but essential.

Meeting the high energy demands of winter

During colder months, working dogs require significantly more calories to maintain body temperature and energy output. Research in New Zealand has shown that many current feeding practices fall short of meeting dogs’ energy requirements during peak work periods.

Premium working dog foods are designed to meet these elevated needs. With higher levels of fat and protein – the key fuels for endurance and muscle repair, these diets help maintain ideal condition, stamina, and resilience through winter’s toughest days.

What Working Dogs Need in Their Diet

A performance-based diet should include:

• Fat: The primary energy source in endurance dogs. It increases stamina, supports vitamin absorption, and helps maintain a healthy coat.
• Protein: Essential for muscle repair and recovery. Higher protein diets have been linked to fewer injuries and improved overall health.
• Carbohydrates: Important for replenishing glycogen stores after work. A balance with fats supports both sprinting and long-distance endurance.
• Water: Often overlooked but critical, especially in cold weather, for thermoregulation and metabolic health.

Nutrition and injury prevention

Up to 73% of working dog injuries are due to trauma, but poor nutrition also contributes to susceptibility. Studies show that dogs on higher-protein diets have lower injury rates, better red blood cell counts, and improved endurance. Proper nutrition can even reduce long-term issues like degenerative joint disease.

The bottom line

Working dogs are vital to the efficiency of any farming operation. Feeding a premium diet – especially in winter, is one of the simplest ways to support their health, prevent injuries, and extend their working life. Talk to a member of our team today about our Pallet Pre-Buy options for added savings and convenience. Keeping your team members fuelled with the right food is an investment that pays off every day.

Winter Jobs That Pay Off: Why Now’s the Time to Book Your RVM Appointment

With the pressure of lambing or calving still a few months off, winter can be the ideal time to get ahead of a key job that often ends up on the backburner – updating your RVM (Restricted Veterinary Medicine) script and animal health plan.

We know it’s not the most exciting way to spend an hour. But here’s the thing – getting this done now saves you time, hassle, and risk down the track. Here’s how:

1. Smooth sailing at the counter

Having your RVM scripts sorted early means you won’t hit speed bumps when you go to order or pick up animal health products. You can rest easy knowing the paperwork is in place, the products are approved, and your transactions will go through without delay – especially during those peak periods when you’ve got better things to do.

2. Better advice from vets who know your system

When you take the time to sit down with your vet and review your animal health plan, it helps us help you. Winter gives us a chance to look back on last season and forward to the next, with a clear head. That means more tailored advice, better product choices, and fewer costly mistakes.

3. Avoid errors that cost you

Trying to get scripts sorted last-minute, or assuming what you used last year is still the best option can lead to mistakes that become expensive, stressful, or put your operation at risk. A quick winter appointment gives you peace of mind that all your bases are covered.

We’ll keep it simple

We know your time is valuable.

That’s why we keep these appointments focused and practical – just what you need to tick the compliance box and make solid plans for the year ahead.

Ready to get ahead?

Give the clinic a ring and book your RVM review before things get busier. One appointment now can save you hours later.

Meet Lauren Collins – A Trusted Vet for Our Local Farmers

Lauren Collins is one of our dedicated mixed animal vets, and she’s at the heart of what we do here at Aorangi Vets – providing down-to-earth, reliable care for both animals and farmers. Lauren’s approach is all about building strong relationships and offering practical, evidence-based advice that helps farmers make the best decisions for their stock.

Recently, Lauren has been busy with pregnancy scanning for beef herds, providing farmers accurate information to plan ahead for calving and feeding. “Getting the right information is key,” she says. “It helps our clients plan for the season with confidence.”

Lauren has also been working with sheep farmers to test for trace element deficiencies. By taking blood and liver samples, she’s able to pinpoint deficiencies in vital minerals like selenium, cobalt, and copper. “These trace elements are essential for growth, immunity, and reproduction,” she explains. “Knowing exactly what’s needed helps us provide tailored advice to make sure flocks stay healthy and productive.”

Lauren’s proactive, hands-on approach to care means farmers know they can rely on her for honest, strategic advice that’s based on real, reliable data. “It’s great being part of the farming community,” she says. “I love the relationships you build over time, and being able to support farmers as they work to get the best outcomes for their animals.”

Whether she’s out in the yards or providing advice over the phone, Lauren brings the same care and commitment to every job. Her calm demeanor, practical knowledge, and clear communication make her a valued member of our team – and a familiar, trusted face on many local farms.