Latest news with #NandeHaan
Otago Daily Times
25-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Vaccine shortage stops farmer protecting his herd
A salmonella outbreak continues in the South as a vaccine shortage bites. Sharemilker Nan de Haan considered getting his herd vaccinated against the disease but a vaccine shortage forced his decision. "I can't do it if I wanted to, so my prevention measure went out the window," he said. An MSD Animal Health spokeswoman said the company was out of stock of the salmonella vaccine for sheep and cattle Salvexin +B due to an unexpected manufacturing issue. No batches of Salvexin +B released for distribution had been impacted by the issue. Several salmonella outbreaks in dairy cattle in New Zealand had significantly increased demand for the product, putting further strain on supply. "MSD Animal Health understands how critical the supply of this product is to the welfare and production of sheep and cattle and the wellbeing of the farmers that work with them. "We are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, including working with regulators to determine the feasibility of importation of other salmonella vaccines to bridge the gap in supply, if necessary. "We anticipate having Salvexin +B back in stock by early June. In the meantime, we are working closely with veterinarians on salmonella mitigation practices and are communicating closely with them regarding updated supply timelines," she said. Biosecurity New Zealand surveillance principal adviser Jonathan Watts said the salmonella situation in Southland continued to be monitored. Case numbers for autumn were higher than at the same time in previous years and were continuing to be reported. A survey on risk factors associated with the salmonella outbreak in Southland was completed in late 2024 and early 2025. The survey was to help understand the risk factors that had led to this outbreak to help mitigate future outbreaks and to reduce the impact of outbreaks in the future. The response rate to the survey was less than ideal, he said. Survey data was being analysed and a preliminary report was expected later this month. New Zealand Veterinary Association head of veterinary services for large animals Dr Cristin Dwyer encouraged farmers to speak to their veterinarians to determine the best practical advice for their specific circumstances. Generalised online advice could be found through websites such as DairyNZ, MSD Animal Health and Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Dr Dwyer said.
Otago Daily Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Proud to buy half of farm ‘hitting its stride'
Nan de Haan and wife Marissa are going to be proud half-farm owners. PHOTOS: SHAWN MCAVINUE Southland sharemilker Nan de Haan is proud to own a dairy farm, which is "hitting its stride". Mr de Haan and his wife Marissa and sons Lewis, 4, and Colin, 2 months, are in their fifth season 50:50 sharemilking at Awarua Wetlands, about 20km east of Invercargill. When they started, the dairy farm had a major facelift including a new milking shed, fences, lanes, feed pad, effluent system, house and extensive regrassing. The grass was performing, the herd was fertile and milk production was humming, Mr de Haan said. This season, farm owners Greg and Sonya Herbert will sell them their half share of the property. "We are going to be proud half-farm owners," Mr de Haan said. Winy and Maarten van Rossum own the other half of the farm. Herd manager Rommel Dy has worked for the de Haans for the past eight seasons. The de Haans were contract milking when they began establishing their herd for an average price of $1400 each. "I got them from here, there and everywhere," Mr de Haan said. A major focus when selecting foundation heifers and cows was their production worth, an index estimating a cow's lifetime production ability. Breeds in his herd included Jersey, Holstein Friesian and Norwegian Red. The herd was analysed before mating to identify qualities cows needed and qualities bull semen could bring. "There are no bad cows and no bad bulls — there are only wrong combinations," he said. Bulls had been selected to produce heifer calves with traits better than their dam including stronger feet, more capacious rib cages and udders hanging higher from the ground. "This is how I hope to get this group of liquorice allsorts to be a more coherent herd," he said. Mating starts on November 1 and the herd begins calving in early August. Calves stay on until early December and then go to a grazier in Fortrose, on the western edge of the Catlins. The heifers stay in Fortrose for two winters, returning home mid-July to a bed of woodchips near the feed pad. All of the cows were wintered on farm. After the herd was dried off this season, about 225 cows would be wintered on grass and baleage. "It is a simple system — pretty much just feed them until they've finished it," he said. About another 75 cows, usually the early calvers, would be wintered on straw and silage in the old milking shed. "I sometimes put the late calvers in there before I dry them off to stretch my season out and then swap them with my earliest calvers." Baleage and silage was made on farm and bought in. His silage feeding plan was to "feed it until the cows are happy" rather than measuring it and feeding out a certain amount. Sheep and beef farmer Ray McCrostie (left) questions his neighbour, dairy farmer Nan de Haan at a DairyNZ field day this month. A new feed management practice was drilling about 150kg of oat seed in late July in paddocks to winter cows. If conditions were favourable, two cuts of oats were available by late November and then the paddock was ploughed and regrassed. This season, the herd began eating supplementary feed from a pad earlier this month. As autumn had been favourable, the cows would spend about half the amount of time on the pad as last autumn. A wet and cold spring last year meant the cows spent most of the season on the feed pad. Milk production was about 4% down on last season. The drop was due to a wet autumn last year, prompting an earlier dry off than usual. If autumn was favourable, some cows were milked for up to two weeks into winter. The herd was now being milked twice a day and the frequency would reduce to once a day at the end of this month, he said. Cows of 50:50 sharemilkers Nan and Marissa de Haan on Awarua Wetlands. Now cows were being given palm kernel and distiller's dried grains in the milking shed. Grain features in the mix earlier in the season. "Cows need energy to milk," he said. On average, 591kg of milksolids was produced per cow in the 2023-24 season. The herd had the potential to produce more than 600kg of milksolids "with similar profitability, if not sharper". "We have not peaked yet." More milk could be produced from more precise feed management, he said. The farm had forgiving sandy soil and a temperate, summer safe climate, which helped grow grass.
Otago Daily Times
20-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Vaccine shortage continues to bite
A Salmonella outbreak continues in the South as a vaccine shortage bites. Sharemilker Nan de Haan considered getting his herd vaccinated against the disease but a vaccine shortage forced his decision. "I can't do it if I wanted to, so my prevention measure went out the window," he said. An MSD Animal Health spokeswoman said the company was out of stock of the salmonella vaccine for sheep and cattle Salvexin +B due to an unexpected manufacturing issue. No batches of Salvexin +B released for distribution had been impacted by the issue. Several salmonella outbreaks in dairy cattle in New Zealand had significantly increased demand for the product putting further strain on supply. "MSD Animal Health understands how critical the supply of this product is to the welfare and production of sheep and cattle and the well-being of the farmers that work with them. "We are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, including working with regulators to determine the feasibility of importation of other salmonella vaccines to bridge the gap in supply, if necessary. "We anticipate having Salvexin +B back in stock by early June. In the meantime, we are working closely with veterinarians on salmonella mitigation practices and are communicating closely with them regarding updated supply timelines," she said. Biosecurity New Zealand surveillance principal adviser Jonathan Watts said the salmonella situation in Southland continued to be monitored. Case numbers for autumn were higher than at the same time in previous years and were continuing to be reported. A survey on risk factors associated with the salmonella outbreak in Southland was completed in late 2024 and early 2025. The survey was to help understand the risk factors that had led to this outbreak to help mitigate future outbreaks and to reduce the impact of outbreaks in the future. The response rate to the survey was less than ideal, he said. Survey data was being analysed and a preliminary report was expected later this month. New Zealand Veterinary Association head of veterinary services for large animals Dr Cristin Dwyer encouraged farmers to speak to their veterinarians to determine the best practical advice for their specific circumstances. Generalised online advice could be found through websites such as DairyNZ, MSD Animal Health and Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Dr Dwyer said.
Otago Daily Times
20-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Vaccine shortage continues to bite in the South
A Salmonella outbreak continues in the South as a vaccine shortage bites. Sharemilker Nan de Haan considered getting his herd vaccinated against the disease but a vaccine shortage forced his decision. "I can't do it if I wanted to, so my prevention measure went out the window," he said. An MSD Animal Health spokeswoman said the company was out of stock of the salmonella vaccine for sheep and cattle Salvexin +B due to an unexpected manufacturing issue. No batches of Salvexin +B released for distribution had been impacted by the issue. Several salmonella outbreaks in dairy cattle in New Zealand had significantly increased demand for the product putting further strain on supply. "MSD Animal Health understands how critical the supply of this product is to the welfare and production of sheep and cattle and the well-being of the farmers that work with them. "We are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, including working with regulators to determine the feasibility of importation of other salmonella vaccines to bridge the gap in supply, if necessary. "We anticipate having Salvexin +B back in stock by early June. In the meantime, we are working closely with veterinarians on salmonella mitigation practices and are communicating closely with them regarding updated supply timelines," she said. Biosecurity New Zealand surveillance principal adviser Jonathan Watts said the salmonella situation in Southland continued to be monitored. Case numbers for autumn were higher than at the same time in previous years and were continuing to be reported. A survey on risk factors associated with the salmonella outbreak in Southland was completed in late 2024 and early 2025. The survey was to help understand the risk factors that had led to this outbreak to help mitigate future outbreaks and to reduce the impact of outbreaks in the future. The response rate to the survey was less than ideal, he said. Survey data was being analysed and a preliminary report was expected later this month. New Zealand Veterinary Association head of veterinary services for large animals Dr Cristin Dwyer encouraged farmers to speak to their veterinarians to determine the best practical advice for their specific circumstances. Generalised online advice could be found through websites such as DairyNZ, MSD Animal Health and Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Dr Dwyer said.
Otago Daily Times
20-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
‘Proud half-farm owners' look ahead
Photos: Shawn McAvinue Southland sharemilker Nan de Haan is proud to own a dairy farm, which is "hitting its stride". Mr de Haan and his wife Marissa and sons Lewis, 4, and Colin, 2 months, are in their fifth season 50:50 sharemilking at Awarua Wetlands, about 20km east of Invercargill. When they started, the dairy farm had a major facelift including a new milking shed, fences, lanes, feed pad, effluent system, house and extensive regrassing. The grass was performing, the herd was fertile and milk production was humming, Mr de Haan said. This season, farm owners Greg and Sonya Herbert would sell them their half share of the property. "We are going to be proud half-farm owners," Mr de Haan said. Herd manager Rommel Dy has worked for the de Haans for the past eight seasons. Winy and Maarten van Rossum own the other half of the farm. The de Haans were contract milking when they began establishing their herd for an average price of $1400 each. "I got them from here, there and everywhere," Mr de Haan said. A major focus when selecting foundation heifers and cows was their production worth, an index estimating a cow's lifetime production ability. Breeds in his herd included Jersey, Holstein Friesian and Norwegian Red. The herd was analysed before mating to identify qualities cows needed and qualities bull semen could bring. "There are no bad cows and no bad bulls — there are only wrong combinations," he said. Bulls had been selected to produce heifer calves with traits better than their dam including stronger feet, more capacious rib cages and udders hanging higher from the ground. "This is how I hope to get this group of liquorice allsorts to be a more coherent herd," he said. Mating starts on November 1 and the herd begins calving in early August. Calves stay on until early December and then go to a grazier in Fortrose, on the western edge of the Catlins. The heifers stay in Fortrose for two winters, returning home mid-July to a bed of woodchips near the feed pad. All of the cows were wintered on farm. After the herd was dried off this season, about 225 cows would be wintered on grass and baleage. "It is a simple system — pretty much just feed them until they've finished it," he said. Sheep and beef farmer Ray McCrostie (left) questions his neighbour, dairy farmer Nan de Haan at a DairyNZ field day this month. About another 75 cows, usually the early calvers, would be wintered on straw and silage in the old milking shed. "I sometimes put the late calvers in there before I dry them off to stretch my season out and then swap them with my earliest calvers." Baleage and silage was made on farm and bought in. His silage feeding plan was to "feed it until the cows are happy" rather than measuring it and feeding out a certain amount. A new feed management practice was drilling about 150kg of oat seed in late July in paddocks to winter cows. If conditions were favourable, two cuts of oats were available by late November and then the paddock was ploughed and regrassed. This season, the herd began eating supplementary feed from a pad earlier this month. People on a feed pad listen to Mr de Haan speak about his sharemilking business. As autumn had been favourable, the cows would spend about half the amount of time on the pad as last autumn. A wet and cold spring last year meant the cows spent most of the season on the feed pad. Milk production was about 4% down on last season. The drop was due to a wet autumn last year, prompting an earlier dry off than usual. If autumn was favourable, some cows were milked for up to two weeks into winter. The herd was now being milked twice a day and the frequency would reduce to once a day at the end of this month, he said. Now cows were being given palm kernel and distiller's dried grains in the milking shed. Cows of 50:50 sharemilkers Nan and Marissa de Haan on Awarua Wetlands. Grain features in the mix earlier in the season. "Cows need energy to milk," he said. On average, 591kg of milksolids was produced per cow in the 2023-24 season. The herd had the potential to produce more than 600kg of milksolids "with similar profitability, if not sharper". "We have not peaked yet." More milk could be produced from more precise feed management, he said. The farm had forgiving sandy soil and a temperate, summer safe climate, which helped grow grass.
