Plan now for a better winter

At this stage of the season, the focus shifts to how decisions made now will shape next season’s outcomes. Planning for winter with strategies for managing animals and paddocks is key to reducing risk and stress.

A successful winter grazing system is unique to your system and considers cow experience along with environmental, financial and practical factors. Identifying risks to animal welfare and the environment and preparing paddocks ahead of time will help you and your team get ready for winter.

Finalise your plan

Now is a great time to start your winter plan, or review the plan you created in spring before crop establishment. Involve the whole team so everyone understands the plan, the thinking behind it, and the contingencies for changing conditions such as extended wet weather, snow or floods. Understanding the “why” makes it easier for the team to follow the plan and make informed decisions.

Your plan can be very simple – for example, a grazing plan could be a hand-drawn picture of the paddock, with directions for grazing, the transition area and buffer zones, stepping through what needs to happen and the contingency for wet weather and adverse events.

Make sure your plan provides cows with access to fresh water, enough space for comfortable rest and, ideally, shelter. Directional grazing, back fences and portable troughs help limit cow movement and reduce soil damage, creating better lying conditions.

Minimising soil damage during winter allows for earlier cultivation and resowing with fewer passes. And grazing towards waterways and swales, and including buffer zones, will help reduce sediment loss.

Know what you need to achieve

Body condition score (BCS) targets at calving represent the optimum “sweet spot”, and impact dry matter intake, milk production, reproduction and health post-calving.

Extensive research shows that mature cows (four years and older) should be at BCS 5.0 at calving, and two- and three-year-olds (first and second calvers) should be at BCS 5.5.

Individually scoring your cows’ body condition in early autumn helps you identify the steps needed to meet calving targets.

Using BCS data alongside herd test and pregnancy results allows for informed decisions on culling, adjusting milking frequencies, and setting dry-off dates.

Complete your autumn and winter feed budgets, including crop yield measurements from early to mid May. When feeding crops, make sure the entire team understands the transition plan and knows how to spot animals that may be struggling to adapt.

It’s also important to consider what you are going to be feeding and whether the diet will meet the herd’s requirements so they do not experience deficiencies in energy, protein, fibre or minerals.

This is where DairyNZ’s FeedChecker calculator comes in. This tool estimates the nutrient demands for a selected mob of cows and compares this to what is supplied in the diet, indicating where deficiencies are occurring.

Communicate the plan

A plan that everyone understands is your best chance of wintering success, particularly when wintering on crop. Share the plan with the team and your support network so they are clear about expectations and know how to respond to all situations. If you use a grazier during winter, discuss your wintering requirements and support them in developing a plan.