The Vet Clinic Wairarapa Production Animal

19/03/2026

A bit of an update for our Wairarapa crew — we’ve seen a slight lift in Facial Eczema spore counts, now sitting at 16,666.

While it’s not a major spike, it’s definitely a reminder that conditions are ticking along and we need to stay on our toes. These numbers can climb quickly when the weather lines up, so don’t get caught out.

Now’s the time to stay vigilant:
• Keep monitoring stock closely
• Make sure prevention plans are in place
• And most importantly — keep those grass samples coming in for testing

Regular testing is still your best tool to stay ahead of the curve and make informed decisions on-farm.

If you’re unsure or need a hand, sing out — we’re here to help.
Stay safe out there and keep proactive 👍

On Farm. On Call. On Your Side!

19/03/2026

🪱 BARBERS POLE WORM 🪱 Stripy, sucky and an absolute pest..... but not so scary when you know what you're dealing with.

Have a listen to Dr Sara as she answers your questions and talks through how to get on top of Barbers Pole on farm.
Got dodgy-looking stock 🐑 or just not sure what's going on? Don't guess - we can now send your 💩 samples off to the lab to test for these slippery little striped suckers!

Give us a call 📞 06 378 2662 if you have any questions or want some samples tested.

On Farm. On Call. On Your Side!

18/03/2026

🚜 Farmers – this one’s a no-brainer.

We all know how isolated farm life can be. When something goes wrong, you can’t always rely on help being just around the corner – sometimes you are the help.

That’s why taking advantage of free CPR training is such a must. It’s a simple skill that could make the difference between life and death for a mate, a family member, or even yourself.

We spend our days looking after stock and land – let’s make sure we’re looking after each other too.

👉 Take advantage of this free course! It might be the most important thing you ever learn.

On Farm. On Call. On Your Side!

Learn CPR. Save a life 💚

Every week, on average, 6 people experience sudden cardiac arrest across the Greater Wellington and Wairarapa region. Early CPR and access to an AED can make all the difference.

We’re pleased to collaborate with Wellington Free Ambulance to bring this training to the community.

This free, interactive session will give you the confidence to act in an emergency. In under 90 minutes, you’ll learn:
✔️ What to do in an emergency
✔️ How to perform CPR
✔️ Where to find and how to use an AED
✔️ How the GoodSAM Responder App works

Wednesday 15 April 2026
Arrive at 9:45am for a 10am start
Club Carterton

👉 Registrations are essential and we are limited to 20 spaces:

https://events.humanitix.com/heartbeat-cpr-and-aed-training-carterton-club

We need a minimum of 10 participants for this training to go ahead.
As a community, we can save lives. We’d love to see you there.

18/03/2026

Sometimes farming throws everything at you at once BAM 🥊!
Vet Sara was out on farm the other day helping a farmer who was battling a bit of fly strike in the mob.

While she was there she could see he was pretty flat out trying to get through everything. Instead of just heading off, Sara decided to jump up on the boards and give him a much-needed hand with the shearing so the sheep could be tidied up and treated properly..

Fair to say that’s not something you see from your vet every day, but around here that’s just how things get done — see a job that needs doing and get stuck in.

Good on ya Sara for lending a hand when the farmer needed it the most. Rural communities at their best. 🐑💪

On Farm. On Call. On Your Side!

17/03/2026

🐄🐑 What have our vets been up to? 🐶🐱

When our farm animals don’t need us out in the paddocks, our wonderful mixed animal vets, Brianna and Waolee, are busy caring for your companion pets! 🏆❤️

Brianna loves getting stuck into surgery — whether it’s routine procedures or more complex cases, she’s right at home in theatre and always focused on giving your pets the very best care. 🥰

Meanwhile, Waolee is tackling consults like a pro, helping families with everything from health checks and vaccinations to diagnosing tricky cases and offering expert advice. 🐾💬

We’re so lucky to have such a dedicated duo looking after both our farm animals and your beloved pets. 💚

Got a question or need to book in? Give us a call 06 378 2662. 📞

On Farm. On Call. On Your Side!

16/03/2026

Congratulations to Tony and Pattie O'Boyle from on your well-deserved win at the Greater Wellington Ballance Farm Environment Awards!
The Vet Clinic are incredibly proud to support you on your farming journey and to see the hard work and dedication you put into practice on your farm recognized 👏
Well done!

On Farm. On Call. On Your Side!

What a thrill!

To be one of 4 finalist’s in the 2026 Greater Wellington Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

To come away with 2 major awards - Beef & Lamb’s Livestock Award and Rabobank’s Agribusiness Management Award.

Congrats to all other entrants, all other finalists (Perry/Wheatstones, Draper Family Co and Stolte Ag Limited) and to eventual Supreme winners, Clarence & Elise Stolte.

It’s certainly been a journey and a half for us - making the move away from dairying on the Central Plateau and embracing the life of extensive nature positive hill country sheep & beef farming here in the Mangapakeha Valley (Tinui) since 2008.

In recent years we’ve deliberately sought to link the incredible biodiversity attributes of Marangai to the market - we’ve scimped & saved to undertake further protection work of both usual and unusual ecological & geological sites. We’ve also done this in partnership with GW, and more laterly through Biodiversity Credits with Silver Fern Farms.

We have planted, fenced, mapped, measured and monitored extensively. We’ve been accredited Net Carbon Zero, NZFAP+ Gold and RWS (Responsible Wool Standard). Going to this level effort and validated accreditation has made both sense and cents!

We have always welcomed schools, students (including many PhD’s), supervisors, scientists (botanists, volcanologists, pelantologists, earth scientists eyc), the local community and tourists onto Marangai. We will continue to do this.

With the conclusion of the BFEA competition for us, we will now look for alternative ways (partnerships, publications, agritourism) to help tell and share the story & experience of Marangai - its past, present and future - to an even wider audience.

The stories, history, special ecology and important farming systems that properties like Marangai, and people like us (including those who have gone before) provide must not be lost.

*People + Planet + Production + Progress*

It’s certainly all going on here at Marangai (and across so many other NZ hill country farms), and for sure it will change and evolve (it always has), but it mustn’t, mustn’t ever be lost from sight or relevance!

13/03/2026

📉 Wairarapa sees another drop in Facial Eczema spore counts this week — now sitting at 3,333.

Great to see numbers heading in the right direction 🔽, but it’s still important to stay vigilant. Keep a close eye on your stock and remember to keep testing regularly.

Working together and staying proactive, we can kick Facial Eczema to the curb! 💪🌿

On Farm. On Call. On Your Side!

12/03/2026

🐑 Why aren't my lambs growing like they should?

If you've ever looked across the paddock and thought "Those lambs should be doing better than this" - you're not alone.
Poor lamb growth can come down to several different factors on farm, and sometimes the cause isn't the one you'd expect.

👂 Listen to Dr Sara as she shares the Top 7 reasons your lambs may not be growing as they should - and what to look out for.

Knowing what to look out for and implementing a few changes can make a big difference to lamb performance.
👇 Watch the quick video below.

On Farm. On Call. On Your Side!

11/03/2026

Following the mid-February weather event, the Wairarapa Rural Support Trust is collecting information from rural communities and businesses across the Wairarapa – including farms, lifestyle, residential dwellings and those responsible for land/whenua.

This information is critical for Wairarapa RST and partner agencies coordinating recovery, including Ministry for Primary Industries and Emergency Management, including the Wairarapa Recovery Office.

Scan the QR code in the image or use this link:

https://forms.office.com/r/cCfpYdS4Qr

Complete it by Monday 16th March and one survey participant will win a choice of:
• $500 fencing bundle OR
• $500 supermarket voucher

Please also check in with neighbours, friends, or family who may not be online or who may need help completing it. Wairarapa RST can assist where needed, completing surveys over the phone or arranging home visits.

The Vet Clinic Wairarapa
On Farm. On Call. On Your Side!

09/03/2026

Looking for something to do this weekend 13-15 March? Head on over to "The Rural Games" in the Square, Palmerston North. Entry is FREE!

From Pathways Careers Expo, Hitching Post Farmers Market and Gumboot Throwing to Shearing, Wood Chopping and Tree Climbing, there’s plenty going on and something for everyone.

It’s a great chance to see rural skills in action, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy a good day out in the Square.

If you’re in the area, it’s well worth a look! 🌳🐑

On Farm. On Call. On Your Side!

09/03/2026

Some good information from Ginny about Barbers Pole in Lambs 🐑 Definitely worth a quick listen! 👂

09/03/2026

'Ol Tom (named changed) had been farming the same patch of land for forty years, and in that time he’d faced droughts, floods, broken fences, stubborn rams, and a tractor that only started when it felt like it.

But nothing tested him quite like the "pothole".

It appeared one morning at the entrance to his driveway — a small dip at first, barely worth a grumble. Tom tipped a shovel of gravel into it and gave it a firm stamp with his boot.
“That’ll sort you,” he muttered.

It did not.

After the next 'adverse weather event', the pothole returned — deeper, wider, smugger somehow. The rural delivery van hit it with a thud. Visitors winced as their utes dipped sharply on arrival. Tom fetched more gravel.
The pothole swallowed it.

So Tom escalated. He packed it with river stones. He borrowed a compactor from his neighbour. He even sacrificed a broken fence post to its depths.
Still, after every shower of rain, the pothole rose again, like it had a personal vendetta.

The farm dogs learned to leap it. Shearing contractors slowed to a crawl. Tom learned new words.

One evening, after a long day drafting ewes, Tom stood at the gate and studied his opponent. The paddocks rolled green behind him. The hills were quiet. The pothole sat there, patient and unbothered.

Tom scratched his chin.
The next morning, a digger arrived.

By sunset, the driveway had been stripped back, reshaped, drained properly, and laid with solid metal from end to end. Tom leaned on the fence and admired the smooth, proud stretch of road.

The pothole was gone.

But as the first rain began to fall, Tom couldn’t help glancing at the entrance.
The water ran neatly into the new drain and away down the paddock.
Tom folded his arms and gave a satisfied grunt.
“Go on,” he said. “I’ve beaten worse odds at the saleyards.”