Essential autumn tools for farm success
Browse through our autumn tips, tools and resources – developed with the latest research and technology.
Preparation and strategic decision making in autumn sets the stage for a successful year on your farm. Use our research-backed tools and resources to support sustainability ahead of winter and build overall farm resilience.
Achieving BCS targets at dry off
Achieving Body Condition Score (BCS) targets heading into autumn will make it easier to manage cow condition before and after calving, positively impacting next season's reproduction, production, and your bottom line. While herd averages are helpful, it’s crucial to identify individual cows that are above, below, or on target. Ensure cows are dried off early enough to achieve their BCS target before calving. Waiting until the month before calving won’t be effective, as during this time cows gain very little condition (even when fed generously) due to the high energy demands of pregnancy.
Use our new and improved BCS app to check the condition of your cows is on track ahead of calving.
Effective effluent management
Autumn is a great time to get on top of effluent management and set your farm up for the season ahead. Ensuring pond levels are low before winter means you have the storage you need in spring when soils get too wet to irrigate. Now’s the time to run maintenance checks, make sure irrigators are performing well, and use this autumn window to lower storage pond levels. Good decisions now mean better growth, lower costs, smoother compliance, and peace of mind heading into spring next season.
Attracting good staff
When planning to recruit new staff, balancing your needs as an employer with employees’ needs is key to attracting top talent and building a productive workplace. While it’s no surprise that higher pay attracts more applicants, clearly stating hourly rates can also make your role stand out. Reliable, fair, rostered days off are also important, and fostering a positive team culture is just as important as the hours worked.
Once you’ve found the right people, setting them up well from day one will help keep things running smoothly. Use our job competitiveness calculator to see how your offer stacks up, and our onboarding resources to help you prepare and support new staff.
Reducing N loss
Autumn is the time to lock in good nitrogen (N) habits before winter rain arrives. With soil temperature reducing and rainfall increasing, the risk of N leaching ramps up — but a few practical tweaks now can keep more N working for your farm. Skip late-season N fertiliser or reduce application rate (where practical). Reduce stocking rate (drying off lighter condition cows, early calvers and/or low producers) or use stand-off areas when it’s wet to protect soil and reduce losses. Choosing lower-N supplements, like maize silage, or forages such as plantain or fodder beet, also helps.
If you’re regrassing, direct drilling can reduce soil disturbance, and riparian planting adds another layer of water-quality protection. Small changes now can mean more N is retained and less potential for leaching in winter.
Setting up for a successful winter
Prepare for a successful winter by having a clear plan for managing cow lying time during wet weather and grazing. Share this plan with your team so you’re all prepared. Gradually transition cows onto crop to help their gut bacteria adjust to new feed, and make sure they have access to fresh water, plenty of space to rest, and shelter. To reduce soil damage, use strategies like directional grazing, back fencing, and portable troughs to limit cow movement. Visit our website for options that will help allow cows to lie down in wet weather and use our winter grazing plan template to get started.
Boosting biosecurity
Putting a strong biosecurity plan in place protects your animals, pasture, and business from avoidable disease and pest issues. Autumn is the perfect time to review your plan and make upgrades that support good practices, such as tightening up fences, improving yards and sheds, and making sure everyone on-farm knows the drill. Moving Day brings one of the biggest biosecurity risks of the year, with stock, vehicles and equipment all on the move, so planning ahead can make a huge difference. A solid plan keeps you prepared for both everyday risks and anything unexpected. We’ve made it easier to get started - download our biosecurity farm plan template or visit our biosecurity management page.
Additional tools and resources for autumn
Explore more tools and resources to help you navigate through a successful autumn
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Autumn preparation
Late summer strategies in dairy farming involve continuous monitoring of feed demand and body condition score (BCS). This page discusses how managing pasture effectively, considering factors like over-grazing and dry periods, is crucial.
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Autumn management
Autumn pasture management in dairy farming involves focusing on average pasture cover and cow condition to prepare for spring.
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Setting up for winter
Early preparation of your winter grazing paddocks minimises sediment loss and movement. Use back fences and portable troughs to reduce soil damage by limiting unnecessary cow movement.