This page contains information and advice on dealing with wet weather. Other sources of information and assistance are other farmers, rural professionals, Rural Support Trust, and DairyNZ consulting officers.
Strategies for wet weather management
Key challenges:
- Stress management
- Minimising pugging damage
- Feed management
- Animal health
- Effluent management
Effluent management
Frequent rainfall and saturated soils has prevented effluent being applied to land and causing storage ponds to reach capacity or be close to overflowing. See more advice see Coping with full effluent ponds.
Observation/monitoring
Whatever the strategy you adopt it is critical to constantly monitor the pasture and stock to ensure that neither is suffering and the planned strategies are working. Conditions can change quickly so have a plan to revise the strategy regularly over the next couple of weeks.
Wet weather management plan
The best and most proactive way to overcome the impact of any wet spell is to carefully plan for the various possibilities beforehand. The planning process involves both how to feed cows and how to manage the financial implications.
Download Farmfact 1-41 Wet weather management plan (pdf)
Minimise pasture and soil damage
The key to surviving a wet spell during early lactation is to avoid pasture damage at all cost. For information on minimising pasture and soil damage download Farmfact 1-42 Wet weather strategies to minimise pasture and soil damage (pdf)
See also