Industry good – DairyNZ

Farmers are making a difference

Good improvements have been made by Southland farmers around their winter grazing management and now is the time to review those processes to see what worked well and what further improvements can be made.

Justin Kitto

DairyNZ senior solutions and development specialist

Over the past few years, farmers have been making a range of positive changes to improve wintering practices on-farm and benefit our environment and animals.

DairyNZ’s recent phone survey with 150 Southland and South Otago farmers discussed their good management practices for winter grazing and reinforced that we’re seeing practice change occur on the ground.

This year we’ve seen improvements on the 2020 survey across all questions. A particular highlight is that 89% of farms had a contingency plan in place for winter 2021.

This is one of the most important things farmers can do to prepare for winter. Farmers with a plan typically implemented it in severe weather conditions or in response to poor paddock or soil conditions. The plan allows animals to be more comfortable in bad weather and benefits the environment and waterways by minimising mud.

Many more farms also had a relevant wintering plan (including paddock plans) – up from 40% in 2020 to 82% of farms in 2021. This fantastic outcome shows that significant changes have occurred on farms, with support from primary sector organisations, to plan and prepare for winter.

Passion and care for their animals really shone through in the conversations with farmers that occurred through the survey.

Farmers are using different methods to ensure their cows have comfortable places to lie.

These include leaving the driest parts of the paddock for grazing during wet periods, laying straw down near the breaks in wet weather or leaving parts of the paddock in pasture for cows to lie on.

Preparing for next season

Spring is a good time to reflect on what went well and what can still be improved on.

We had a great winter in 2021. Let’s build on that. There are a couple of key things you can consider now to manage the environment, animals and set you up for success next winter.

Firstly, look back over the last two winters and think about what worked well. Continue using strategies that worked and if you can make any improvements. You might get tips from neighbours or DairyNZ’s guidance www. dairynz.co.nz/wintering

Secondly, start planning your paddock selection and cultivation now. Decide which paddocks to graze, based on how they performed previously. Paddocks react differently and finding the ones that hold up well in rain is critical.

Things to consider include whether the paddock has shelter, avoiding paddocks with waterways if possible (or if you can’t, then leave a five metre minimum buffer), and how easily you can manage critical source areas and move cows elsewhere in wet conditions.

New winter grazing rules are now under consultation and are proposed to come into effect in November 2022. So having a detailed plan for every paddock you winter graze makes good sense to help meet proposed requirements. n

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For more information on planning for next season, visit dairynz.co.nz/wintering