Expert Advice
Dairy Animal Services
By the Aorangi Vets Dairy Team | Geraldine, Fairlie and Timaru | Spring 2026 Spring is one of the busiest times of the dairy season in Canterbury, and the decisions made over the coming weeks can influence herd health, productivity and reproductive performance well beyond calving. This guide from…
As a general guide, if a cow shows no real progress after approximately thirty minutes of active labour, veterinary assistance may be required. Every calving presents differently, but this timeframe is a useful reference point for deciding when to seek support rather than continuing to wait. We would always prefer…
Walking through the mob that’s getting close to calving and wondering what you’re actually looking for? As calving season ramps up across Canterbury – from the flats around Geraldine to the dairy country near Timaru and Fairlie – it pays to know what your cows are telling you before calving gets underway. …
Reproductive performance is the engine of a profitable dairy farm. Every cow that fails to get in calf on time represents lost production, added costs, and a harder end-of-season cull decision. And yet, in many Canterbury herds, there is significant room to improve – not through expensive interventions, but…
Drying off is one of the most important management events in the dairy calendar. Done well, it protects udder health, sets cows up for a successful calving, and pays dividends in milk quality and production right through the following season. Done poorly, it is one of the…
It’s that time of year again – calves are dropping and heading into their warm, dry sheds, eagerly awaiting their first feed. Getting calf feeding right from day one sets the tone for the rest of the animal’s productive life, and it’s a lot more…
Pet emergencies have a habit of happening outside business hours. Whether it’s a dog that’s eaten something it shouldn’t have, a cat that’s come home injured, or a cow calving with complications in the early hours, knowing in advance what to do and who to…
Calving season is the most demanding time of the year, and how well it goes often comes down to what you did in the eight to twelve weeks beforehand. The preparation you put in now directly affects cow health, calf survival rates, and how hard…
Knowing when to call your vet can make a big difference to herd health, production, and costs. Many problems in dairy cows are easier to treat early, before they affect the rest of the herd. At Aorangi Vets in Timaru, we work with dairy farmers across South Canterbury to…
Body condition scoring is one of the most useful tools for managing dairy herd health. Regular scoring helps farmers monitor nutrition, plan dry-off, and improve performance next season. At Aorangi Vets in Timaru, we work with dairy farmers across South Canterbury to assess body condition and make…