Saturday, May 2, 2026

Rural

Acorn toxicity in animals

By Dr Jennifer Stone, BVSc (Dist.) BSc Poisoning by tannins and volatile phenols from oak trees is relatively common. Ingestion of acorns is the most...

Season of the sticks

By Natalie Pitfield Seasons become far more important when you live on a lifestyle block. Spring means cows that are feisty after the sugar rush...

Dairy awards to celebrate top farmers despite protest threat

Protests are planned in Tauranga this weekend as the dairy industry prepares to celebrate the best of the industry. The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards...

Living the lifestyle dream

By Natalie Pitfield In 2002, my husband and I gave up city life and moved to a 16-acre lifestyle block in Whangarata. We had a...

Crackdown on unregistered dogs: final infringement notices issued

As part of efforts to promote responsible dog ownership in the Auckland region, dog owners who have failed to register their pets despite multiple...

Finding Franklin’s bats

The native long-tailed bat, or Chalinolobus tuberculatus, is one of New Zealand’s rarest and most vulnerable creatures, yet it seems to have settled in...

Owners urged to vaccinate dogs amid parvo outbreak

Dog owners are being warned to make sure their pets have been vaccinated as a parvovirus outbreak spreads across the country.  The New Zealand Veterinary...

Hunters readying for roar season

Hunters across the country are preparing for peak deer hunting season, the roar. The roar or rut is when the stags are most vocal, calling...

Total fire bans in place despite recent rainfall

Total fire bans are now in place across Auckland, Coromandel, and most of the Waikato. On Friday, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) declared a...

Safety warning issued for start of deer hunting season

With the main deer hunting season – the roar – about to go into full swing, New Zealand’s firearms regulator is reminding hunters everywhere...