ZinMet Delivers 20 Years of Proven Performance for New Zealand Dairy Farm
ZinMet Delivers 20 Years of Proven Performance for New Zealand Dairy Farm
Mati Farms, one of New Zealand’s largest dairy operations, has trusted ZinMet for over two decades. Owner Milan Matijacevitch credits ZinMet for maintaining exceptional hoof health across the herd.
“ZinMet is a prevention rather than a cure for us,” says Milan. “We’ve been using ZinMet for over twenty years and it’s something we’ll never take out of our feed rations.”
Mati Farms runs over 2,000 friesian cows across multiple farms in Waikato, New Zealand. The scale of Mati Farms’ milking operation means that their cows need to walk long distances every day, which places extra pressure on the cows’ feet.
“Our cows walk 6kms per day to the dairy and back to the paddock,” says Milan. “We rely on ZinMet to keep their hooves hard.
“Cows that have soft feet are more prone to foot problems.”
Sustaining high production levels is a key priority at Mati Farms. Foot problems can quickly compromise the herd’s health, performance and overall productivity.
“We don’t want our cows breaking down due to sore feet because that affects our bottom line,” says Milan. “There’s a significant cost to treating cows when they’re not in the production system and ZinMet ensures that our cows' feet are as tough as they can be.”
After including ZinMet in their herd’s feed for such a long time, Mati Farms experiences very minimal foot issues. ZinMet’s increased mineral content and rapid absorption ensures that the herd maintains a high level of health at all times, so that they can recover quicker.
“Even if a cow is a bit sore-footed, we give her a rest for one day and then she’s good again,” says Milan. “ZinMet has really enhanced our herd’s resilience and recovery ability.”
ZinMet has also proven to be very effective in lowering the somatic cell count of Mati Farms' herd. A low somatic cell count directly attributes to better udder health and superior milk quality. By preventing mastitis issues in the herd, ZinMet essentially helps maintain a higher milk yield and better overall productivity.
“At the end of the day, we need our cows in production,” says Milan. “Just as it supports strong hoof health, ZinMet also keeps the somatic cell counts low so the cows can continue producing good quality milk.
“We trust ZinMet to support all vital parts of our herd’s performance.”
Mati Farms has 12 tonnes of their specialty feed mix delivered every five days, with ZinMet already mixed in. This ensures that their herd receives a consistent intake of ZinMet all year round.
“ZinMet stays in our rations all the time,” says Milan. “Even in the Summer months when we pull the other minerals out, we always leave ZinMet in.
“We’ve been using it for so long, we wouldn’t farm without it!”
Milan no longer needs convincing to use ZinMet - he completely trusts the product. However, he always enjoys a chat with the friendly and like-minded Austasia team.
“I have absolute confidence in ZinMet that the Austasia team don’t really need to sell it to me anymore,” says Milan. “When John (from Austasia) calls, we usually end up talking about racehorses for half an hour instead.”
After decades of consistent use, Mati Farms considers ZinMet an essential part of their management strategy. Milan emphasises its consistent benefits, noting that he not only relies on it for the Mati Farms’ herd but also confidently recommends ZinMet to other farmers.
“We recommend ZinMet to everyone,” says Milan. “We even recommend it to our racehorse friends.
“Anyone who wants to prioritise foot health for their livestock should use it.”
See the Latest Results from ZinMet’s Trial Data
