Recording raw milk easy-as for Southland farm

Photo: Kyla Bickley / 2025

New requirements came into effect recently to record the movement of raw milk being used for cattle feed.

One of the ways diseases like Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) can spread between properties is through raw milk used for cattle feed. Keeping an accurate record of raw milk movements between locations makes it easier to quickly respond to, and contain spread of disease.

Advocating the need to record the movement of raw milk is Kyla Bickley of Kyla & Brian Bickley, a sheep & beef farm in Pourakino, Southland.

“We have been tracing milk for ages. Right from when we first started rearing calves over 30 years ago”, says Kyla.

“We’ve been running a large-scale calf-rearing operation for many years, and feed raw milk to calves we buy in.”

“In peak milking season, we would take in about 90,000 litres in total for the season.”

The new recording requirement applies to people transporting raw milk to be used for cattle feed and the farmers receiving it. It will also rely on dairy processing operators offering up information about the milk they supply.

“Meeting the new requirement hasn’t been a challenge for us as it’s been a part of our routine from the get-go. For example, when we pick up our milk from our supplier, our book is filled out first with all the necessary information,” adds Kyla.

“We need to have knowledge of where the milk is coming from for financial transactions, and disease management purposes as there are many different diseases that can transfer through milk.

“We make a real effort with our record keeping. It’s really important for our business, our wider farming community, and sector.”

If you are transporting or receiving raw milk for cattle feed, you can learn more about your responsibilities at Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) legislation.