Ep 19 - NEW SERIES Ep 1 - Unlocking your farm's potential with data

In this episode of the myCOW podcast, Shaun Balemi looks at the visual cues springer cows, colostrum cows, and fresh cows can give farmers about stress, feed balance, metabolic health and recovery after calving. Shaun explains what to look for in the paddock, from rumen fill, appetite and manure consistency to unusual posture, jumpiness, isolation from the herd, dehydration and changes in feeding behaviour. He covers how hunger, feed access, weather, competition and mineral balance can affect cow behaviour and what these signs may suggest about what is happening before and after calving. He also discusses how visual observations can be used alongside blood results, milk data and cow wearable information to build a clearer picture of cow performance. Shaun explains what good recovery can look like in the colostrum mob, including strong appetite, good rumen fill, rumination, consistent manure and cows actively eating, drinking or resting comfortably. Takeaways: What visual signs can indicate stress in springer and colostrum cows How rumen fill and appetite can help assess feed intake What jumpiness, unusual posture and isolation from the herd may indicate How feed competition and water access can affect cow intake What condition loss and inconsistent manure can suggest about diet balance How tremors, pica and low energy may relate to mineral or metabolic imbalance What sunken eyes can tell you about dehydration What to look for in cows recovering well after calving How visual observations can be considered alongside blood, milk and wearable data

In this episode of the myCOW podcast, Shaun Balemi looks at how blood testing can help farmers understand what is happening in springer cows, colostrum cows and milkers through transition and early lactation. Shaun explains when to collect blood samples, which cows to test and what different blood markers can tell you about mineral balance, liver function, condition loss, oxidative capacity and inflammation. The episode covers calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, NEFA and BHB, along with other measures such as haptoglobin, albumin, cholesterol, GPX and vitamin E. He also discusses how blood results can be used to assess DCAD balance, mineral supplementation, condition loss and cow recovery after calving. Shaun explains why blood data is most useful when considered alongside cow numbers, rumination, body condition, wearable data and other information from the herd. Takeaways: When to blood test springer cows, colostrum cows and milkers How to select cows for representative blood testing What calcium, magnesium and phosphorus results can tell you How NEFA can indicate the amount of body condition cows are mobilising How BHB can help assess how the liver is handling mobilised fat What blood results can show about transition and early lactation nutrition How oxidative capacity and inflammation can be assessed through blood testing Why cow data should be considered alongside blood test results How blood testing can support discussions with vets, nutritionists and rural advisers

In this episode of the myCOW podcast, Shaun Balemi looks at how feed and herbage testing can help farmers plan springer cow diets and improve transition outcomes. Shaun explains what to test, when to collect samples and how to interpret results across energy, protein, fibre, DCAD, major minerals and trace minerals. The episode covers practical sampling methods, how weather and feed wastage affect actual intake and why test results need to be considered alongside cow appetite, rumination, behaviour and body condition. He also discusses using feed data to select springer paddocks, balance pasture and supplementary feeds, manage potassium and calcium levels and plan mineral supplementation before calving. Takeaways: What information farmers can gain from feed and herbage testing When to sample springer paddocks, silage and supplementary feeds How to collect and handle representative samples How energy, protein and fibre affect transition cow diets Why DCAD and mineral balance matter before calving How potassium levels can guide springer paddock selection Why feed data should be assessed alongside what cows are showing How feed testing can support discussions with vets, nutritionists and rural advisers Keywords: Springer cows, feed testing, herbage testing, transition cow nutrition, feed data, DCAD, mineral balance, pasture testing, metabolic disease, dairy cow performance.

In this episode of the myCOW podcast, Shaun Balemi and Ben Matthews talk with Baden from ProTag about how smart livestock wearables could change the way New Zealand dairy farmers understand their cows. ProTag is developing a lightweight smart ear tag that combines cow behaviour data with GPS location, giving farmers a clearer view of what is happening across the herd. The conversation covers rumination, grazing behaviour, heat detection, lameness signals, pasture use, cow movement, social behaviour and how location data can make wearable technology more useful on pasture-based farms. Baden shares how ProTag was developed, why the ear was chosen as the best place to collect data and how wearable technology could help farmers make better decisions around herd health, reproduction, feed use and farm management. Takeaways: Why GPS adds important context to cow behaviour data How smart ear tags can help track grazing, rumination, movement and resting What cow location can tell farmers about pasture use and mob behaviour How wearable data may support heat detection, lameness monitoring and drafting Why New Zealand-built farm technology matters for pasture-based systems How future data could help farmers better understand cow efficiency and feed intake Listen now to hear how livestock wearables are moving beyond activity tracking and opening up new possibilities for dairy farm management. Keywords: New Zealand dairy farming, dairy podcast, myCOW podcast, livestock wearables, smart ear tags, ProTag, cow GPS tracking, dairy cow technology, pasture management, herd health

In this episode of the myCOW podcast, Shaun Balemi sits down with Tangaroa Walker for an honest conversation about resilience, farming, family and the long road to farm ownership. For the first time, Tangaroa shares the story behind his recent farm purchase, including the highs, setbacks and big decisions that shaped the process. From growing up across 16 different homes and finding stability through farming, to building Farm4Life and using his platform to pursue farm ownership, Tangaroa’s story shows what persistence can look like when it is backed by purpose, trusted people and a clear reason to keep going. Shaun and Tangaroa talk about the value of good support systems, the role of equity partners, why trust matters in business and how Tangaroa is thinking about the next stage of his farming future. They also discuss his plans to focus on the farm over the next two years, test new technology on-farm and continue helping more people understand what good farming can look like. Key takeaways: Strong support systems can make hard decisions easier to carry. Farm ownership often takes persistence, flexibility and a willingness to rethink the plan. The right equity partners bring shared values, not only capital. Tangaroa’s new farm will give him a place to test technology, systems and products in a practical setting. Farm4Life continues to create new pathways for people to learn about farming and build industry skills. Listen now to hear Tangaroa’s full story, from the hard moments to the new chapter ahead. Keywords: Tangaroa Walker, myCOW podcast, New Zealand dairy farming, farm ownership, Farm4Life, equity partnerships, dairy farm management, farming resilience, agri education, dairy industry NZ.