Fundamentals

Spring management focuses on the critical period from calving through to your balance date when feed supply meets demand.

Summer dairy farming involves efficiently using spring pasture before summer heat and dryness diminish its quality. You should formulate a summer management plan early to ensure profitable production.

Successful summer dairy farming demands regular monitoring. This page recommends farm walks, managing grazing residuals, monitoring body condition scores, staying informed on industry information, and future planning.

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.

Autumn pasture management in dairy farming involves focusing on average pasture cover and cow condition to prepare for spring.

Managing high-quality pasture during feed surplus periods is a crucial skill in pasture management. This page explains that pasture surplus often develops in spring, which if unmanaged, can lead to low-quality pasture affecting milk production.

Paddocks damaged by pugging and wet weather can be managed with simple strategies but more extensive damage may require pasture renewal.

Comparative Stocking Rate (CSR) is a tool to measure the balance between feed demand and supply on a farm. It is determined by calculating the amount of livestock weight per hectare versus the annual feed available.

Deferred grazing is an alternative pasture management tool used to manage pasture quality, defer spring feed to early summer and increase the number of plants in the paddock through natural re-seeding.