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Keep up to date on the latest herd improvement news.

Sam Cranstone sitting in a paddock with Hereford cattle and his dog
Sam Cranstone 29/08/2026

Dairy Beef Opportunities

I come from a sheep and beef farming background in the Whanganui region, where my family has bred low birthweight Hereford bulls for the dairy… Read More
Crossbred dairy cows on a hilltop track
Mark Benns 22/06/2026

The Crossbreed cow – New Zealand’s cow?

During the 1970’s and 80’s, many Kiwi herds were either Holstein-Friesian (high volume but poor fertility) or Jersey (great fertility and efficiency but smaller volume)… Read More
Close-up of a Jersey cow with an ear tag
Mark Benns 04/05/2026

BW and TOP – mutually exclusive?

Over the course of the last two years, I’ve been fortunate to assist breed societies in the TOP (Traits Other than Production) classifying of dairy… Read More
Abby Ross with a group of dairy students and farmers in the United States
Abby Ross 30/03/2026

My American Experience

Mid-way through 2025, I had the opportunity to participate in an exchange programme within the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) at the University… Read More
Gold nuggets in the palm of a hand
Mark Benns 02/02/2026

Three gold nuggets from 2025

Rather than write an article about a single topic, for a change I thought I’d share with you three little nuggets we collected last season… Read More
A swallow perched on a branch
Mark Benns 09/06/2025

One Swallow doesn’t make a Spring!

The origin of this saying comes from the philosopher Aristotle (384BC – 322BC), and can basically be interpreted as ‘a single fortunate event doesn’t mean… Read More
Smoke drifting across the words Genomics and TOP traits
Mark Benns 23/02/2025

Smoke and mirrors – Genomics and TOP traits

I was looking at the RAS (Ranking of Active Sires) List late last week, and I just about cried. The average Udder Overall score of… Read More
A gravestone in a grassy cemetery
Mark Benns 25/01/2025

Death by a thousand cuts – the Jersey breed in New Zealand?

The biggest challenge I see for the Jersey breed in NZ is not how they remain relevant to farmers with their own Jersey/Jersey-cross herds, but… Read More
A red Ferrari
Mark Benns 11/10/2024

Who’s driving your herd improvement?

The ‘bull team’ approach to herd improvement has long been a mainstay of our industry. It’s operationally easy for the AB Co’s to deliver at… Read More