Oct 8, 2021
Lower South Island NAIT workshops
Need to update your NAIT account? Or confused about what to do? There are a number of NAIT workshops throughout October and November in the Southern, Otago and South Canterbury regions.
Select your region for more information and to book your space.
How widespread is this deformity?
DINZ and AgResearch have a learning phase project underway looking at a condition known as the ’Angular Limb Deformity syndrome’. It is being led by Samantha Edgar, a veterinarian from Northern Southland Vets who has a special interest in deer. She is a member of the NZVA Deer branch committee and is on the DINZ research on-farm innovation steering group.
The syndrome occurs in spikers, and generally develops during the summer when the animal is around 12 months of age. The front limbs at the carpus (knee), become bowed or take on a knock-kneed appearance. The two presentations are shown in the photo.
In the early stages, the animal may be lame, with the severity of the defect often getting worse over time. The condition can occur in both wapiti and red deer, and on venison and velvet farms.
“We would like to better understand the impact of the disease, from both welfare and economic points of view, and gauge its prevalence on NZ farms,” Edgar says.
If you have seen this condition (any year) please email samantha@nsvets.co.nz or phone her on 027 432 1045. All information and material collected will be treated in strict confidence.
Ballance Farm Environment Awards
Entries to the Ballance Farm Environment Awards are now open. These awards showcase and celebrate farmer and growers and enable the sharing of their great stories with a range of audiences.
Visit nzfeawards.org.nz find out more, enter or nominate someone you know.
Rural Conversations: Changes to land and water management
For those within the Tasman District Council area, you are invited to an information evening hosted by Top of the South Rural Support Trust and Rural Women NZ, with short presentations from the Tasman District Council staff and an opportunity to talk one on one with them about what central government changes mean for you.
Dates and venues:
- Golden Bay: Tuesday 19 October, 11.00am - 1.30pm, Rec Park Centre, 2031 Tākaka Valley Highway
- Moutere: Wednesday 20 October, 11.00am - 1.30pm, Moutere Hills Community Centre, 1539 Moutere Highway
- Murchison: Thursday 21 October, 11.00am - 1.30pm, Murchison Recreation Centre, 82 Waller Street
- St Arnaud: Thursday 21 October, 4.00pm - 7.00pm, Lake Rotoiti Community Hall
Click here to download the flyer for Rural Conversations >>
Pest awareness notice: Broomsedge - Environment Canterbury
IMPACT: Production pest – outcompeting desirable pasture species and is less palatable to stock
HABITAT: Disturbed areas particularly with poor soil quality, open habitats
IDENTIFICATION:
- Perennial clumping grass up to 1m tall
- Leaves are green and turn purplish, then orange-straw coloured when mature
- Leaf bases are hairy above and on ligules
- Seed heads are distinctly long and narrow with paired racemes of 2-4 clusters
- A prolific seeder, small hardy seeds are easily dispersed through human activity, wind and animals
Broomsedge is not known to exist in Canterbury. If you have seen this plant anywhere in Canterbury please send a photo to biosecurity@ecan.govt.nz or report the sighting using the Find-a-Pest app
Click here to download the Protect Canterbury PDF on Broomsedge >>
MetService Outlook - October 2021
High pressure brings a fine and settled weekend with chilly mornings across the country to get October underway, but things don’t stay that way for long. An area of low pressure becomes slow moving in the southern Tasman Sea pushing warm, humid northwesterlies and repeated bouts of rain across the country through the first full week of the month. This likely leads to a wet week for most places, especially those exposed to the northerlies. Once this low finally pulls away to the east there’s a brief respite before another low moves in. This one doesn’t hang around but rather barrels through central New Zealand. This brings another brief wet and windy spell for many, but the lower South Island and West Coast may be sheltered in easterlies. High pressure then begins to build in the Tasman Sea.
The high pressure may take it’s time to really set in but by mid-month most of us should have had at least a few settled days. From that point the high looks likely to edge north, with North Island continuing the settled trend. South Island, especially the lower South Island, will likely see westerlies, with rain in the west and above average temperatures in the east. All signs point to the high then rebuilding across the country with a drier than average end to the month across the board.
| Bottom Line: Low pressure dominates the first half of the month with warmer and wetter than average conditions, although things calm down as high pressure moves in for the second half of October. |
You can sign up for the MetService's Monthly Outlook right to your inbox - click here to subscribe.
Source: www.metservice.com/rural/monthly-outlook
Classifieds
Vet Students looking for placements
DINZ have had a few requests from vet students looking for placements. These placements usually take place over summer and are 1-2 weeks of unpaid practical experience on a deer farm.
If you think you can help the following students, get in touch with them directly to organise.
- Helaina Witten (hmwitten@gmail.com) - city-raised but great interest in large animal veterinary practise. She's a keen first year student who's worked summers on kiwifruit/berry orchard's and is looking for a placement between mid-January and mid-February.
- McKenzie Rogers (mckenzieelisa@gmail.com) - first year vet student at Massey University who is hoping to do a placement on a deer farm for some of her practical training.
Deer Specialist - North Island
