Lamb rearers – Yoghurtise your milk!4 days
Alright team, all those getting your wee orphan lambs to bottle raise as of now, this is for you. Abomasal bloat kills up to 30% of bottle-fed lambs before weaning, and this year we are working hard to try and …Read More
Lucky the goat undergoes serious surgery3 months
Lucky has had ongoing issues with her udder; persistent milk production, recurring mastitis, a wound that just won’t heal- and it has been taking a toll on her body. After trying literally everything under the sun, a mastectomy was the …Read More
Penelope has a deformed jaw- does your Kunekune?3 months
The Kunkune is a much-loved and ever-popular breed amongst lifestylers and pig lovers in New Zealand. But here’s a little somethin’-somethin’ you may not know about the Kune. The Kune breed was adopted by the Maori when it was introduced …Read More
Wrinkles, Crinkles and odd-ball shells – What’s going on with my eggs?6 months
Oh, the ‘Green Dream’. We all long for the countryside cottage with a handful of lazy chooks hanging about, laying eggs for the family table. But what happens when those eggs start arriving warped, wrinkled or looking generally odd. Are …Read More
Flystrike – All creatures great and small6 months
Flystrike is a serious disease that affects approximately 2 million sheep yearly in NZ, and any sheep farmer knows this game well. Ironically, the large culprit is the Australian Green Blow Fly. Classic. They get Phar Lap, pavlova and Russell …Read More
How many animals can I run on my property?6 months
Spring time, that beautiful season where the grass grows lush. But don’t let it lure you into a false sense of bountiful feed! Come mid-summer, grass growth falls off and if you’re not careful you may find yourself having to …Read More
Fluffy the lamb’s recovery from milk rumenitis9 months
This is “Fluffy-bum” (another child-anointed name). Let’s call him Fluffy. Fluffy had always seemed shy, quiet and pensive. According to his foster mum, he had never bleated, jumped or played with the other lambs, and just seemed, all-round, unenthusiastic. Which …Read More
Mr Waffles’ blocked urethra9 months
Mr Waffles lives with his best friend Lola… And he is the boss. But everything changed the day he developed crystals in his urine, which formed a blockage in the urethra (the tube that carries urine to the outside world). …Read More
Chloe the ewe’s hammock therapy for nerve damage10 months
Chloe the ewe was another victim to Sleepy Sickness, where her energy intake could not meet the demands of her multiple lambs during pregnancy. However, this was not her only hurdle. Feeling unwell, Chloe found herself nestled up in a …Read More
Caesarean for ewe with sleepy sickness10 months
Pregnancy ketosis, or “sleepy sickness” is an illness that affects pregnant ewes in the third trimester of pregnancy. The illness is caused by excessive fat breakdown to meet the ewe’s energy requirements and, as such, those carrying multiple lambs are …Read More
The tiniest warrior you’ve ever seen!10 months
Tiny Bruno, weighing in at just 1.03 kg, and big brother Baxter, at 3 kg, came to stay at Franklin Vets after a rough first few days left them on the brink. Bruno and Baxter are the only surviving siblings …Read More
Salmonella – What is it and what can you do about it?10 months
Let’s be honest here, we’ve all had or have had someone close to you experience a bout of salmonella. In humans, it’s a bad version of an Indian spicy vindaloo running out the back end on a Friday night. …Read More