Wintering well is becoming the norm

Farmers are making significant strides in improving winter management practices, as highlighted by the impressive progress shown in the results from our recent DairyNZ wintering survey.

According to the survey, 80% of farmers now have written wintering plans in place (see Figure 1). And 74% of farmers report having a written contingency plan for wet weather or adverse events, up from 52% in 2022.

There is growing recognition of the importance of assessing risks, implementing suitable management strategies and communicating with the wider team, especially as significant weather events become more frequent.

Nationally, 83% of farmers report implementing at least five effective winter management practices (see Figure 2). The most improvement can be seen in Southland and South Otago, where wintering is predominantly on crops. Further north the practices are slightly different because of more pasture integration.

The winter practice survey has been carried out annually for the past five years in Southland and South Otago and over the past three years for the rest of the country, and highlights that farmers have significantly improved planning and management.

Driving around the countryside, there is even more evidence of this. Big-ticket items backed by scientific evidence, such as riparian buffers and protecting critical source areas, are well embedded into farm practices.

The increased focus on wintering practices in the last few years may have encouraged farmers to better consider and effectively manage risks on their farms.

However, despite the positive progress in some areas, the survey shows that the use of portable troughs and back fencing remains low and has not increased over the past three seasons.

Incorporating portable troughs and back fencing into winter grazing routines offers clear benefits that every farmer may want to consider.

Farmers using this approach often point to improved soil structure as a key advantage, with paddocks drying faster, making them accessible to tractors sooner and allowing for earlier re-grassing.

Additionally, with less soil damage, extending or removing back fences when wet conditions set in provides cows with more comfortable space to rest.

Cows need a minimum of eight to 10 hours of lying time per day and prefer 10-12 hours. So during extended wet periods, when paddocks become too wet, having a contingency plan is essential and back fencing can play a part in this.

Farmers also use options like moving cows to drier, lower-risk paddocks or grazing crops in more sheltered areas.

Additional strategies include standing cows off in tree blocks, using feed pads or stand-off pads, allocating grass strips in crop paddocks, and spreading straw to create dry-lying areas.

Farmers really are doing great work, and it’s important to keep focusing on positive changes and building on those successes.

Staying on top of contingency planning will help prevent it from becoming a bigger challenge down the line.

By proactively addressing these challenges now, farmers are not only staying ahead of potential regulations but also shaping how regulations might affect their farms.

When regulations come unexpectedly, they’re often more restrictive, but taking early action can help reduce their impact – and it demonstrates the commitment farmers have to doing things right.