Are you feeding your calves enough to unlock their full potential?

In this episode, you’ll hear what the latest research says about early calf nutrition, and why feeding more milk before weaning can help your heifers hit growth targets sooner and produce more milk later.

You’ll also hear from Canterbury farmer Cam Henderson, who’s made the shift to ad-lib feeding. He shares what’s changed, what surprised him, and how the costs stacked up.

But this isn’t just about ad-lib systems. DairyNZ’s senior animal care specialist Penny Timmer-Arends shares other feeding approaches that achieve similar results. She discusses the principles behind calf growth, and how to weigh up the trade-offs and choose what fits your farm. You’ll also hear about the risks and how to manage them.

Download the Calf Rearing guide

Feeding milk to calves | DairyNZ

Read more:

‘Feeding more often feels natural and important to me’ | DairyNZ

Good as gold: the calves who feed themselves | DairyNZ

Laying the right foundation | DairyNZ

Inside Dairy - More milk, healthier calves, stronger heifers | DairyNZ

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at talkingdairy@dairynz.co.nz

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected

Winter will test your system, but a clear plan helps you stay in control. In this episode, DairyNZ Environment Manager Justin Kitto shares practical advice to help you set up a winter grazing plan that works when conditions turn. You’ll hear why putting a written plan in place matters, and how simple practices like back-fencing and smart water placement can protect your paddocks and improve cow comfort.

Justin covers how to make your plan work by involving your team and keeping it visible, so everyone knows what to do and when to act. He explains what to watch in your cows and your soil, including early signs that conditions are slipping, and why acting early protects lying time and overall cow wellbeing. You’ll also learn how having a Plan B helps you stay ahead of wet weather and keeps your system on track.

Get practical steps to manage winter grazing, protect cow condition and make decisions under pressure. When you’ve done the thinking upfront, you’re prepared to act quickly and confidently to deliver good outcomes for your cows, your people and your farm system.

Get information on wintering and animal care

Get the DairyNZ Winter Grazing Plan template

Get the poster - What to look out for in winter

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at talkingdairy@dairynz.co.nz

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected

New Zealand’s reputation for producing sustainable, high-quality food is closely tied to how animals are cared for across the farming system. One of the sector’s ongoing challenges – and opportunities – is how non‑replacement dairy calves are managed.

In this episode of Talking Dairy, we explore the newly launched Dairy Beef Opportunities programme, a cross-sector initiative designed to lift the value of dairy-beef, unlock better outcomes for non‑replacement calves, and strengthen integration between the dairy and beef sectors.

Paul Edwards (DairyNZ), Richard McColl (Meat Industry Association), and Jim Inglis (Beef + Lamb New Zealand) share insights into what the programme aims to achieve, what’s underpinning the work, and what it could mean for dairy farmers – including how to get involved and where new value could be created across the supply chain.

Read more about the Dairy Beef Opportunities programme

Would you like to get involved? Find out more and register your interest here

Read the Inside Dairy story: Boosting the dairy beef sector

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at talkingdairy@dairynz.co.nz

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected