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Sheep & Beef

OUR APPROACH

Let’s work together to boost your stock’s fertility, performance and overall health

There’s a long history of sheep and beef farming in these parts. Our involvement goes back generations too. We understand what it’s like to farm these parts and the nuances of the land and environment that affect the performance of your flock or herd. 

Keeping an eye on animal health parameters that influence optimal ewe performance, lamb survival and lamb growth rates is one of the ways we work closely with you. We provide full service to sheep and beef farmers including: 

  • Production and growth support, 

  • Trace elements testing, supplements and planning, 

  • Disease diagnosis, treatment, control and prevention, 

  • Parasite management (worms, fly and lice), 

  • Ram management, 

  • Lamb survival support, 

  • Body condition scoring, 

  • Advice and support for restricted veterinary medicines, 

  • Technical support and advice for animal health services and products.  

OviGold is our flagship partner programme for sheep (and beef) farmers. We want to understand your farming business and work with you to get the most out of your stock through regular animal health reviews, testing and targeted treatment plans. Along with Faecal Egg Counts, selenium tests, ram palpations and more, the programme also offers great savings on many animal health products and vet fees. 

For beef farmers, our veterinarians can provide BVD eradication and control programmes, tailored for your farm, which can then increase pregnancy rates and decrease stock losses. Specific animal health calendars can be formulated for your farm to ensure important vaccines, drenches and trace element supplements are not missed. We’re involved with many monitor farms and farm discussion groups, and can provide up to date and accurate information for your farm and stock. 

THE BENEFITS

Why VetSouth is a great choice

We're locals

We’ve been in the lower South Island for decades. It’s where we’re from and where we raise our families.

Wide network

We’re plugged into the Veterinary world and our team can call on expertise from all over the world, then deliver it locally.

Handy clinics

We’re close to you for consults, supplements, supplies...whatever you need. Pop on in or organise a delivery.

   

INNOVATION & RESEARCH

A never ending quest for improvement and advancement

Researching animal welfare and pathology is a passion we share, with our work being used by industry bodies such as Dairy NZ, the Sustainable Farming Fund and Beef & Lamb.

FURTHER READING

Latest news

Nipping it in the bud

With calving season getting underway, it’s time to start thinking about one of the key jobs for your spring calendar: disbudding. While it may not be everyone’s favourite task, doing it early andRead more

Managing springtime stress

While we are a resilient bunch down south, it’s important to remember to look after yourself, as well as your cows, ewes and newborns. You can’t do it all, and you certainly can’t do it withoutRead more

Pre-lamb drench use

Times have changed, and we know our advice has also changed… we get that, but we are seeing farmers understand why this is the case, and it is leading to some great shifts in farm systems to favourRead more

“It just dropped dead!”

With activities such as disbudding and tailing around the corner and stock prices looking positive, it’s worth having a quick refresher on the topic.Read more

Spotting sleepy sickness

This metabolic disorder, also known as pregnancy toxaemia, is most common in multiple-bearing ewes during the last few weeks of pregnancy, when their energy demands are at their highest. It canRead more

Ionophore toxicity risks for dogs

Ionophore coccidiostats are a class of compounds commonly used in livestock feeds, particularly calf rearing meals, to improve growth rates and prevent certain diseases such as coccidiosis. DogsRead more

Learning from lamb losses – the value of post-mortems

Often, this is put down to the storm that inevitably comes through in the middle of lambing every year, but are there other areas where we have some more control over this wastage? By performing simRead more

Give your calves a great start

Good care in the first few months sets calves up for strong growth, disease resistance, and long term performance. Give them the best start at birth by ensuring each calf gets a minimum of 10% ofRead more

Hill country tech

Kaizen – a Japanese philosphy focusing on continuous improvement – and a desire for efficiency is driving sheep and beef farmers Nick and Alexis Wadworth to embrace technology on their farm inRead more

Are summer crops reducing worm burdens?

We’ve seen plenty of lamb fattening crops planted across Southland this season, often driven by the need for ‘cleaner’ feed with lower parasite contamination, increased feed value and aRead more

Pre-lambing management strategies

Lots of you will be scanning soon, which is an ideal time to check on your ewes’ condition and trace element status, and make a plan for spreading them out later in the season. Some of the mainRead more

Bull sales: Key considerations before you buy

Here are a few things to consider to help you select the right bulls for your herd and ensure they’re in top health:   The bull sale catalogues will be in mailboxes and online now. Take yourRead more
 

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