Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

M. bovis fears rule out calves at Waikato A&P shows

Te Awamutu Courier
17 Jul, 2018 04:30 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Flashback to last century: We have been covering local Calf Club group days in our rural papers for decades - this year will be the first without calves. Photos / Archives

Flashback to last century: We have been covering local Calf Club group days in our rural papers for decades - this year will be the first without calves. Photos / Archives

It's going to be a calf club without calves.

Calves have been given the boot from pet days around the New Zealand this year, thanks to Mycoplasma bovis.

In the Waikato, calves won't be invited to the A&P Show on Friday, October 26.

It is recommended group days and school events follow suit.

Waikato King Country Boys and Girls Agricultural Group chairman Alan Henderson, a dairy farmer in Paterangi, said the decision was made to support MPI and the dairy industry in the eradication and management control of Mycoplasma bovis.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Goats and lambs would still be welcome in the Waikato A&P Show, he said.

"We're hoping there'll be an increase in numbers of lambs and goats entered, with people still wanting to enjoy the benefits of raising an animal."

Alan said biosecurity measures would also be made at the show.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The changes come following recommendations from DairyNZ and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

DairyNZ technical policy advisor Nita Harding said mixing young animals and returning them to their home farm was not worth the risk.

"We recommended that, while the Mycoplasma bovis eradication programme is underway, schools and those managing calf days look for alternatives to calf day.

"It could become a 'pet day' with other pets and animals, or you could use technology to provide an innovative compromise."

To the groups choosing to still carry out calf club days, DairyNZ and MPI recommend:

* Calves from farms under movement restrictions will not be allowed to come to school, and children from these farms should be allowed to bring an alternative pet.

* Some farmers will not want calves from their farms going to school and returning home, and an alternative pet should be allowed under these circumstances.

* All calves (and other animals) coming to school must be healthy on the day of the calf club. If in doubt leave them at home.

* All calves must be correctly identified with National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) tags.

* All animals must arrive clean with no mud or faecal material on the animal's coat or feet.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

* All children and adults must come with clean footwear and clothing. Footwear should be cleaned and disinfected before returning home.

* Each calf must have its own halter and lead rope (and these are not to be shared with other calves), drinking bowl or container and feeding bottle or bucket.

* Calves should be kept separated as much as possible.

* Children should be encouraged not to handle each other's calves without washing or sanitising hands between calves. This is particularly so if children's fingers have been inside a calf's mouth. Care should also be taken to prevent calves sucking clothing.

* Judges should sanitise their hands after handling each calf, and calves should be prevented from mouthing clothing.

* If milk is brought from the farm for feeding calves, this milk must only be fed to the calf from that farm — not to any other calves. Use milk replacer if there is a concern about milk.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato HeraldUpdated

Homicide investigation after woman found dead in Tūrangi

20 Jun 03:24 AM
Waikato Herald

Our top Premium stories this year: Special offer for Herald, Viva, Listener

19 Jun 08:11 PM
Waikato Herald

Thirty-one players win $12k each in Lotto's Second Division draw

19 Jun 07:57 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Homicide investigation after woman found dead in Tūrangi
Waikato HeraldUpdated

Homicide investigation after woman found dead in Tūrangi

20 Jun 03:24 AM

A scene guard is in place, and inquiries continuing, police say.

Our top Premium stories this year: Special offer for Herald, Viva, Listener
Waikato Herald

Our top Premium stories this year: Special offer for Herald, Viva, Listener

19 Jun 08:11 PM
Thirty-one players win $12k each in Lotto's Second Division draw
Waikato Herald

Thirty-one players win $12k each in Lotto's Second Division draw

19 Jun 07:57 AM
Probe into man who abused girl as he read her stories led to another sinister finding
Waikato Herald

Probe into man who abused girl as he read her stories led to another sinister finding

19 Jun 07:00 AM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP