Breeding
Cashmere goat farmer wants to reboot luxurious fibre industry
David Shaw has been on a 35-year goat fibre journey on his farm in South Otago. It began with 50 multi-coloured feral goats and now, through selective breeding, he runs 700 creamy white goats and… Video, Audio
Prices not that bullish at Charolais sale
A herd of young bulls went under the hammer at the annual Silverstream Charolais and Hereford Stud sale in Motukarara, but with farmers tightening their belts, prices were back a bit compared to last… Audio
NZ's top milking herd is small, but mighty
Taranaki dairy farmer Cliff Shearer's practices may seem old-fashioned, but they've helped him make his way into the history books. Audio
Remembering Ken the chicken champion
Country Life turns back the clock ten years to our visit with the late Far North farmer Ken Vincent. Back in 2013, he'd been breeding chooks for 70 years. Audio
Study shows dog behaviour has little to do with breed
There is no end to the different stereotypes when it comes to dog breeds and perceived behaviour traits. However, recent research suggests traits may have less to do with breeds than previously… Audio
Bonus Episode: 2022 A Boomer Year for Kākāpō
Alison Ballance joins the kākāpō recovery team on Pukenui Anchor Island to hear how the 2021/2022 kākāpō breeding season is going. Audio
Why eating animals is our moral duty
If we truly care about animals, says British philosopher Nick Zangwill, then the right thing to do is breed them, kill them, and eat them. Professor Zangill is with us to discuss why eating animals… Audio
Surviving magpie dive-bombing season
Don't be surprised if you witness -- or are victim to -- a magpie dive bombing someone in the coming weeks. (Thanks, Australia.) It's nesting season and the time-honoured tradition of magpies swooping… Audio
'Because we eat animals, we underestimate their mental abilities'
No generation has loved animals more than us. However, no generation has kept more animals in factory farms, or pushed more of them towards extinction, writes Henry Mance in his new book, How to Love… Audio
Steve Winter: Revealing the dark side of America's private zoos
There are more tigers in captivity in the United States than there are in the wild in Asia, thanks to Americans' growing appetites for posing for photos with big cats and their cubs. National… Audio, Gallery
Mystery of 'monstrous' cats reignited in South Island
For more than 50 years the presence of wild puma-like cats in the South Island has been a keenly debated topic. Two sightings of "monstrous" cats earlier this month in North Canterbury have again… Audio
Crazy about Canadian cattle
Tapanui farmer Mark Tiller came across the Speckle Park cattle breed several years ago while managing a dairy farm. Now he's breeding the cattle full time under the Aniwaniwa Stud name. Speckle Park… Audio
Cute as Buttons
North Canterbury farmers Melissa and Hayden Cowan have a small flock of rare black-nosed Swiss Valais sheep. Often referred to as the "cutest sheep in the world" this distinctive breed with black face… Audio
World's last white rhino eggs successfully fertilised in lab
Seven eggs from the world's last two remaining northern white rhinos have been successfully fertilized artifically, raising hopes of saving the endangered animals. Serena Chaudhry reports. Video, Audio
Mystery of the longfin eel's breeding ground
NIWA freshwater ecologists hope sophisticated satellite tags will solve the msytery of where New Zealand's longfin eels go to breed in the Pacific. Audio
Our Changing World for 16 May 2019
NIWA is tagging longfin eels to try and find their mysterious breeding grounds, and Foulden Maar is one of NZ's premier fossil sites. Audio
Michael Worboys: Modern day dogs are a product of the Industrial Revolution
Professor Michael Worboys has debunked the myth that our canine fur babies are the result of centuries of bonding and taming. Instead, he's discovered that our modern day pooches are the result of the… Audio
More Doe for Goats Milk
"I'm more of a milk person. I like the big milkers" says North Canterbury stud breeder and goat judge Ray Messervy. Ray has been farming goats for nearly 50 years, ever since his daughter, who… Audio
Longest kākāpō breeding season
With 75 living chicks and the final three eggs due to hatch this week, the 2019 kākāpō breeding season is set to be the longest on record. All this & the sex ratio of the first 49 chicks, in ep 16 of… Audio
Fat happy kākāpō chicks
Thirty four kākāpō chicks are putting on plenty of weight in wild nests as the rimu fruit ripens, and 23 chicks are also being hand-reared, in episode 13 of the Kākāpō Files. Audio