Our latest episode in our four-part, worm-themed podcast series focuses on setting up forage crops for success, to maximise the chances of crops helping beat the worms in lambs and calves.

Forage crops fit so very well into the worm-battling, whole-farm based Wormwise ‘FARMED’ approach to managing youngstock on farm (F=Feed, A=Avoidance, R=Refugia, M=Monitor and ED=Effective Drenches) https://beeflambnz.com/knowledge-hub/PDF/wormwise-resource-book

In the podcast, hear how to optimise the chance of achieving low populations of worm eggs and larvae within your crop. We’ll revisit the importance of monitoring lambs and calves on crop through faecal egg counting, and (ideally) the regular weighing of youngstock. Finally, we’ll bring together the theory of cropping and reduced worm burdens in lambs and calves with proof of concept, farm level research. Hear about recent research by PGG Wrightson Seeds and PGG Wrightson Ltd that demonstrates that forage cropping is a viable option to reduce drench use on farm.

For more information about the forage crop vs. internal parasite (worm) research, read the research paper by Westwood et al (2025) Liveweight gain and faecal nematode egg counts from Romney lambs grazing five contrasting forage treatments. New Zealand Journal of Animal Science and Production Vol 85. 61-66

https://www.nzsap.org/proceedings/brief-communication-liveweight-gain-and-faecal-nematode-egg-counts-romney-lambs-grazing

Ongoing resistance challenges by sheep and cattle worms to drenches - what a headache for us!! We're now needing alternative, non-drench strategies to work alongside a more limited and targeted use of effective drenches to beat worms. Might forage crops help reduce the need for regular, repeated drenching of our lambs and calves? YES, potentially!

Forage crops fit perfectly into the worm-battling, whole farm based 'FARMED' approach endorsed by Wormwise (F=Feed, A=Avoidance, R=Refugia, M=Monitor and ED=Effective Drenches). https://beeflambnz.com/knowledge-hub/PDF/wormwise-resource-book

Forage crops work in at least two different ways to battle worms - based on the FARMED approach to worm control. Compared to pasture feeding, crops can deliver better ruminant nutrition (feed = F) and help animals avoid ingesting large numbers of infective L3 worm larvae (avoidance = A).

Our latest podcast dives deep into detail around forage crops vs worms. Listen in to hear more about how and why forage crops might be the extra tool in the toolkit you’ve been looking for to help win the battle against worms.

Could bigger, faster-growing young ruminants be better equipped to handle incoming worm L3 larvae than smaller, slower growing animals of the same age? Yes, potentially!

In our latest podcast, the second in our four part series all about nutrition and worms, we explore the reasons why fast growing heavier lambs and calves (expressed as a % of mature weight) are potentially more resilient in the face of incoming infective L3 worm larvae.

Practical farm-level strategies to grow young stock faster are discussed. The importance of improved maternal nutrition as a key driver for well grown young stock is covered. Better nutrition of ewes to improve placental development, together with better nutrition during late pregnancy increases lamb birthweight and improves lamb survival. Higher lamb birthweights mean better weaning weights, more prime lambs away off mum, better forward store lambs, and/or lambs finished off farm sooner = fewer drenches per lamb.

Better, faster grown young stock will be one useful ‘tool in the toolkit’ to consider in our on-farm battle against worms. For more information about ruminant nutrition and worms, refer back to Episode 68. Subscribe so that you don't miss out on our next episode, number 70, all to do with nutrition, forage crops and internal parasites!

How might improving the nutrition of young sheep and cattle help with our battle against sheep and cattle internal parasites (worms) that’re resistant to common anthelmintics (drenches)?

Our latest podcast explores ways in which improved nutrition of lambs and calves might reduce our reliance on regular, repeated use of drenches to control worms. This is part 1 of a 4 part miniseries that will explore the role for improved nutrition as a “tool in the toolkit” to consider when you’re dealing with problems of worm resistance on farm. Part 1 covers how and why worm burdens reduce the performance of parasitised lambs and calves. Hear about the importance of dietary protein in helping young stock cope with worm burdens, and the role for high quality forages in helping to keep young stock well. Keep an eye (ear?) out for the next part of this four part series, subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes!

Continuing the dietary protein journey started in Podcast No. 66, our latest podcast picks apart the pros and cons of crude protein (CP) as a proxy for dietary protein. Fantastic as CP is for quickly and easily balancing diets on the basis of CP supply vs. CP demands of ruminants, some limitations of CP mean that sometimes protein nutrition needs a bit more detail than just CP. Metabolisable protein (MP) is introduced and defined in the podcast, and we explore the value of MP vs. CP in a farm-level, down to earth manner.

Will you ever look at CP in the same way ever again after listening to this podcast? Or will you be a “MP convert” from now on? Take a listen and make up your own mind about protein nutrition!

In our latest short, ‘bite-sized’ podcast, we start a two-part series on the basics of protein in ruminant nutrition. This first episode explains what determines a ruminant animals' demand for protein, and explains why protein requirements differ across animal classes with different physiological states (e.g. lactation, pregnancy). We break down the fundamentals of amino acids and their role in building protein, and introduce the concept of ‘crude protein’ (CP) as reported by feed testing labs, highlighting where CP values fit into practical feed planning.

How do we wean calves from liquid milk or calf milk replacer (CMR)? For each and every calf weaning set up, there’s no doubt a broad range of different ways to wean calves - and no two systems will be the same!

In this our latest Rumen Room Podcast, we explore some of the different approaches to weaning dairy calves (heifer replacements and dairy beef) off milk or CMR. The sudden stopping of milk feeding isn’t an option – being way too stressful on the calf! What’re some ways to reduce the stress on the calf associated with the weaning from liquid feeds? There should be something for everyone in this, our latest podcast – enjoy!

All the hard work has been done, your four day old calves have grown well and it’s time to think about weaning the calves from milk or calf milk replacer (CMR). Our latest Rumen Room Podcast steps through the range of factors that collectively give us guidance to when a calf is ready to wean. There're many factors to think about, including the age and liveweight of the calf, daily liveweight gain, perhaps the wither height of the calf as well as rumen capacity and rumen function. Topped up of course by a healthy dose of your very own “gut feel” and intuition around if a calf is ready to wean or not.

Keep an eye (ear?) out for part two of this weaning-themed calf podcast - this will follow shortly, focusing on the different approaches that we can take to the weaning process itself.