5 Farm Systems

This is a way to group farm production systems by allocation of imported feed.

Traditionally the industry has grouped systems into high and low input systems. With the variety of farming systems now being run, a standard system to enable farmers to calculate their performance and benchmark against peers has been developed by DairyNZ. Five production systems are grouped, based on the time of year that imported feed is used. By defining production systems when imported feed is used you can compare systems from Southland to Northland.

System 1. Self contained – no imported feed
No supplement fed, except supplement harvested off the effective milking area and no grazing off the effective milking area

System 2. 4 – 14% of total feed imported
Feed imported, either supplement or grazing off and fed to dry cows

System 3. 10 – 20% of total feed imported
Feed imported to extend lactation (typically autumn feed) and for dry cows

System 4. 20 – 30% of total feed imported
Feed imported and used at both ends of lactation and for dry cows

System 5. More than 30% total feed imported
Feed imported for use all year, throughout lactation and for dry cows. Split calving is common to this system

*Note all systems are based on young stock grazing off the effective milking area.