Free workshops designed to help dairy farmers make better herd management decisions are being run throughout the country by Dairy Women's Network and LIC.

The current tough economic times which are causing farmers to analyse every aspect of their business, right down to the performance of individual animals, are the catalyst for the 10 free workshops in April, May and June.

Free workshops to help farmers make efficient decisions around cows and herds are being run throughout the country.

Dairy Women's Network chief executive Zelda de Villiers says the partnership with LIC is a first for the organisations.

'Not only will those attending the module be given tools that will help them make more informed decisions and save time, they will also get the chance to share their own dairy farming experiences with men and women on the course and enjoy learning from them too.”

'Farmers are increasingly focussed on making efficient decisions around their individual cows and their herds as a collective asset,” says LIC national solutions manager Michelle Adam.

'Having access to timely information and reports on animal and herd performance, and knowing how to analyse and use the information, can make all the difference to improving productivity and decision making. We are looking forward to working with farmers to help them master these vital skills.”

The two-part workshops cover ‘understanding your herd' and ‘reviewing your herd's reproductive performance' using LIC's MINDA herd records service. Ninety per cent of New Zealand dairy farmers use MINDA for management reports to maximise the benefits of their herd improvement.

The first workshop session will explain some of the core principles of breeding and help demystify key industry metrics. The second session will give an overview of the MINDA reports and tools that help farmers analyse their herd's reproductive performance.

The four-hour workshops will be held at 10 locations across the country. Farmers should register at www.dwn.co.nz. Registration on the day is from 9.30am, the workshops start at 10am and finish at 2pm. Morning tea and lunch are provided.

Workshops will be held on April 14 - Hauraki Plains/East Waikato, Daltons Plantation Gardens, 280 Hinuera Road, Matamata and May 26 – Rotorua Distinction Hotel, 390 Fenton Street, Rotorua.

The workshops will cover:

Part 1 – Understanding your herd

• Understand breeding worth (BW), production worth (PW) and lactation worth (LW), and when and how these metrics can be used
• Learn how to read common reports such as herd test reports and group profiles
• Identify tools and reports to analyse your own herd performance

Part 2 – Reviewing your herd's reproductive performance

• Review your herd's mating performance, including submission rates, in-calf rates and calving spread
• Learn how to use the MINDA reports and graphs to identify trends by age group, calving dates, condition score and health events
• Understand the industry targets for herd reproduction and identify areas of focus for your own herd and write down for future planning
• Find out why it's important to record heat, pregnancy and health data in MINDA, and how tools like the MINDA app can make that easier
• Get started with the MINDA app