Agvance Nutrition

18/12/2025

Goats can be on a great ration and still underperform if the minerals aren’t right.

Mineral imbalance often shows up as the “hard to pin down” stuff first:
🐐 Milk yield or milk solids drifting down
🐐 Delayed cycling and patchy mating results
🐐 Weak kids and slower post-kidding recovery
🐐 More health niggles than you’d expect

Goats don’t store minerals the way cows and sheep can, so they need a steady, reliable intake, not a once-in-a-while top-up. That’s why source and delivery matter. Cheap salts and oxides can look good on paper, but if they’re poorly absorbed or clash with other minerals, you pay for it in performance.

A solid mineral plan starts with data: pasture and soil testing, plus blood or liver samples. Then you can build a mix that matches what your farm is actually doing, and deliver it in a form goats will actually eat, like pellets, prills, or through in-shed feeding.

Read the full article here: https://agvance.co.nz/dairy-goats-feeding-for-performance/

15/12/2025

We are thrilled to be involved with the Waikato Dairy Industry Awards again - this time as a Tier One sponsor 🐄✨

Supporting our local dairy community is incredibly important to us, and we’re proud to be part of an event that celebrates the hard work and dedication of our up-and-coming farmers.

10/12/2025

Calling all South Island dairy farmers - don't let summer conditions ruin your herd's production and pregnancies!

South Island summers can be rough on cows. Once temps push past 21C, cows start dropping milk and empty rates creep up.

Optiprill Summer is built for SI herds on in-shed feeding systems. It's a complete summer mineral mix with calcium, magnesium, sodium and trace minerals in a highly-tasty prill, so your cows keep eating, producing, and holding those pregnancies!

Optiprill Summer gives you:
✅ Molasses for strong intake
✅ Sealed product for dryness and easy flow through the system
✅ Consistent, durable prill that holds up in the bin
✅ Fast breakdown in the rumen for quick availability
✅ Quality ingredients for reliable mineral cover

Talk to your local Agvance Consultant about getting Optiprill Summer into your shed now.

08/12/2025

Have you caught up on the latest episode of the MYCOW Podcast? We are proud to support a podcast that allows the dairy community to share valuable knowledge to build everyone's business.

Don't miss episode 12, where Shaun Balemi and Ben Matthews are talking to Jeff Hill of smaXtec animal care and Canterbury farmer Sara Russell about her success with cow monitoring on-farm.

🎧 Tune in now:
Spotify: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/F7yT1VJkOYb
iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-mycow-podcast-180907720/episode/ep-12-farm-tech-smaxtec-310741375/
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-12-farm-tech-smaxtec-with-jeff-hill-sara-russell/id1825758773?i=1000739587580

04/12/2025

Get your summer orders in now!

We're taking a well-deserved break to spend time with family and friends this holiday season.

We'll be closed from 23 December to 12 January. Please reach out to your Agvance consultant to ensure your orders are completed before we close. Thank you!

02/12/2025

Did you know that once temps hit 21°C and humidity goes above 70%, cows are at risk of facial eczema and heat stress? For most North Island herds, this is already a problem.

Set your herd up with Solutrace FE now. It contains essential trace minerals, zinc for FE protection AND flavouring, all in one bag.

Need more science-backed reasons? Here are a few more:
✅ The organic chromium helps bind naturally occurring toxins in pasture, reducing heat stress.
✅ Contains essential trace elements that are often depleted during the summer months.
✅ Completely soluble for easy mixing.
✅ Aniseed flavouring so your cows will actually drink it!
✅ Optimised zinc levels protect against facial eczema.
✅ German-quality copper plexomin chelate ensures a safe, readily available supply of copper for summer.
✅ KemTRACE chromium offers production advantages.
✅ Good levels of cobalt, selenium, and chromium support liver function and recovery.

What more could you ask for? Oh yeah - it's also extremely cost-effective.

Get in touch with your Agvance Consultant now and don't let the heat and humidity ruin your herd's health and performance.

27/11/2025

Featured in Dairy News: Feeding for Performance

When it comes to dairy goats, feed drives milk, but minerals drive performance.

In the latest issue of Dairy News, take a closer look at how getting mineral balance right can transform productivity, reproduction, and herd health. From zinc and copper to selenium and iodine, the right mix makes all the difference.

💡 Find out why:
🔹 Not all mineral sources are created equal
🔹 Goats need steady intake, not occasional top-ups
🔹 Mineral balance can boost milk yield, fertility, and kid survival

Get the insights here: https://agvance.co.nz/dairy-goats-feeding-for-performance/

20/11/2025

How about practical examples of using milk data to lift both production and reproduction?

Join ruminant nutrition expert Shaun Balemi for our next Agvance webinar:

Practical examples of using milk data to drive production & reproduction – Part 2
🕒 3:00pm, Thursday 11 December 2025

Shaun will walk through:
• What different milk components are really telling you about cow health and performance
• Real on-farm examples of using milk data to make better decisions
• How milk data fits alongside cow, pasture, feed and farm information

If your clients need more from their current milk data, this session will give you practical ideas you can apply now.

Register here to save your spot: https://agvance.co.nz/science-centre/webinars/

18/11/2025

☀️ Protect your herd from facial eczema - from the inside out

When it comes to prevention, the right mineral balance makes all the difference. Each mineral plays a key role in supporting liver function, reducing toxin load, and helping cows stay healthy through the summer months.

Swipe through to see the essential minerals your herd needs, and how they help fight facial eczema.

17/11/2025

Wondering how to best use milk data to drive performance?

Catch up now on our most recent webinar - Using Milk Data to Drive Milk Production and Reproduction - with ruminant nutritionist Shaun Balemi.

What's in it for you?
🔹 Understand what fat%, protein%, protein:fat ratio, milk urea, and SCC reveal about your herd
🔹 Read milk data alongside other farm insights like production, LWT, and rumination
🔹 Use this information to make decisions that boost production, reproduction, and overall herd health

Hit the link and turn your milk data into meaningful on-farm results.
https://agvance.co.nz/science-centre/previous-webinar-using-milk-data-to-drive-production-and-reproduction/

13/11/2025

Episode 10 of the MYCOW podcast is out now! Shaun Balemi and Nick Hand from Halter chat through virtual fencing, pasture gains and better cow performance. We're proud to partner with myCOW to bring you what you need to know to make better decisions on farm.

Search myCOW Podcast on Spotify, iHeart, and iTunes podcasts and catch up on the podcast now.

13/11/2025

How are you planning to protect your herd this summer?

Facial eczema can hit hard, but prevention starts with smart nutrition.
Optiprill Plus Zinc is a palatable, all-inclusive mineral prill designed to help protect your herd from facial eczema while supporting overall health and performance.

What are the scientifically proven benefits? We're glad you asked!

✅ Delivers zinc for facial eczema prevention
✅ Premium-quality calcium, magnesium, and salt to support cow function
✅ Trace minerals and co-factors for liver health and toxin reduction
✅ Coated in molasses for great taste, cows love it!
✅ Superior absorption and fast breakdown in the rumen
✅ Free-flowing, low-dust prill form that’s easy to use and blends cleanly into feed

Optiprill Plus Zinc combines world-leading mineral technology with proven nutritional balance, helping your cows stay healthy, productive, and protected all season long.

Talk to your local Agvance Consultant today to learn more.

The first video in our Optiprill series looks at why we developed Optiprill and the technology behind what makes it a superior mineral supplement!View our Op...