Lance and Mel Graves - Taranaki

With 14 years in dairy farming, Lance understands how important early-season decisions are to setting up for success. “If you’ve got poor teat condition at the start of the season, you’ll have poor teat condition all year,” says Lance. “So if you set your cows up at the start of the season, you’ll be set for the year.”

This season marked their first using FIL’s Active Teat Conditioner, blended with Iodoshield Active teat spray. The switch came after moving to FIL as a preferred supplier, driven by the strength of local support and the confidence in having highly experienced representatives on the ground. “Support from our rep was a big part of the decision, but ultimately we wanted to provide extra emollient year-round to maintain optimal teat condition and protection,” says Lance.

Prior to using Active Teat Conditioner, Lance found teat condition fluctuated throughout the season. “We’d go from good condition at the start of the season to not so good, there was never a consistent middle ground. Since using Active Teat Conditioner, everything has been consistently good across the whole season.”

Using FIL’s automated blending system, Intelliblend, has also simplified their process. “We used to manually mix concentrates, now it’s all done for us. It’s been a big change, and made things a lot easier.”

The results have been noticeable, and measurable. “We saw a difference within about six weeks. Teats are softer, more supple, and we’re getting much better coverage with the spray.” This improved coverage is something Lance attributes to the product’s formulation. “It’s a thinner product, so droplet size is smaller and we’re seeing full teat coverage, which we weren’t always getting before.”

Lance also noted that “in previous years we had probably used too much emollient to keep teats soft, but with Active Teat Conditioner it’s easier to maintain that level, and we’re using a lot less emollient now.”

Performance gains have followed. “Our average somatic cell count is down around 20% this season, from 160 to 130, and that’s with no other major changes,” says Lance.

Beyond herd health, there have been operational benefits too. “Better teat condition means fewer issues in the shed. You don’t have cows with dry, cracked teats kicking cups off and stirring up the other cows, which keeps things calmer overall.”

The farm uses Active Teat Conditioner year-round, supported by regular teat condition scoring through their animal health monitoring programme. “It helps us make informed decisions, and we’re consistently seeing scores above the ideal national average since using the product.”

Lance recommends other farmers use Active Teat Conditioner, saying: “100% it sets you up at the start of the season, and helps maintain that right through. Knowing it contains quality natural skincare ingredients is also a feel-good factor versus chemicals.”