Regular pasture assessment on your dairy farm helps you manage your feed, plan grazing, and detect surpluses or deficits in pasture.

What’s your plan when pasture growth slows or a dry spell hits? In this episode, DairyNZ’s Mark Williams and farmer Enda Hawe share how to choose the right supplements, use tools like the Supplement Price Calculator, and plan to avoid feed shortages.

Fall Armyworm is a plant pest that can feed on over 350 plant species, particularly sweetcorn and maize. Its spread typically begins in December, so early detection and regular monitoring are key to protect your feed and prevent the pest’s spread.

A heifer's health plan needs to adapt to her age and grazing farm, especially if she moves farms in her first two years. It should cover 5 areas: biosecurity, vaccinations, parasite management, trace elements and minerals, and region-specific issues.

Workflow management is central to a productive and efficient workplace. Find out how to improve task organisation with your team using a Kanban board.

Sharemilkers are responsible for operating the farm on behalf of the farm owner. They don’t own the land but split milk income and expenses with the owner. There are two types of sharemilking agreements, herd owning and variable order.

Water meters are the most effective way to monitor water use. They can detect small leaks and losses and enable you to track seasonal and annual water consumption.

Efficient water management on your dairy farm can save water, time, and money. Begin by mapping your farm’s water infrastructure and identifying and addressing problem areas.

Breeding Worth (BW) is an index that ranks cows and bulls on their ability to breed profitable, efficient replacements. This page explains how BW is used to create herds resilient to changes and disease, therefore increasing farm profits.

The DairyNZ-led, Low N Systems research programme investigates stacking (or combining) management strategies and mitigation technologies on dairy farms to deliver reductions in nitrate leaching of over 40%.

Fish need to move up and down waterways to feed, breed, and migrate between the sea and freshwater to complete their life cycle. Anything that stops fish movements is called a ‘fish passage barrier’.

Nitrate poisoning in cows happens when they eat feed with high nitrate levels, often in late autumn or winter.

Grass silage is pickled pasture, preserved through the conversion of its sugars into lactic acid by bacteria. This process extends the shelf life of the pasture beyond what it would have if exposed to open air.

Changing mating management on your dairy farm can offer benefits but comes with potential risks.

White clover is a top-quality feed used widely in New Zealand's dairy pastures. Different types have varying purposes in dairy farming. Italian and Annual ryegrass, and Red clover perform well in summer dry areas, complementing white clover in mixes.