West Coast Monitor Farm

Westland has some unique challenges such as high rainfall and seasonal dry peroids which are variable across the region. Westland has now been collecting data for 10 years and continues to building on the information currently available.

This project funded by Westland Milk Products, DairyNZ, CRV Ambreed, ARL-Ravensdown and Rabobank aims to generate reliable pasture growth and quality, and soil temperature information, over the next 12 months, on two commercial dairy farms in Westland.

Farm walks schedule for this season are weekly from August to May, and monthly over the winter period.

Each week we will provide a Weekly Summary of information from the following regions:

Buller: Mawheraiti (Stu and Deb Bland), Westland: Kowhitirangi (Anna and Jeremy Hart).

Weekly Update as at week ending Wednesday 21 October 2020 

CO Comment

The spring boost is still very much lagging for the entire West Coast. The warm sunny days are dotted few and far between by many a day of cloud or wet and cold showers passing through weekly is holding back the spring flush of grass growth. This is also affecting cow condition and cows cycling with pasture covers lower than typical for this time of year and being low in feed value.

Manage round length so it can build the feed wedge according to growth rates and as things improve over the next week to 10 days, with the hopeful goal of growth meeting demand and being able to minimise supplements fed.

Farmers are still battling the elements trying to get winter crop paddocks worked and regressed and have the pressure on them with time coming soon to take out summer crop paddocks followed by spraying out for next year’s winter crop area also.

Mating is kicking off in the next couple of weeks for most farmers so ensure herds are tail painted well and often or if using mating aids that they fixed securely to the animals. Observing cows on heat in the paddock before gathering them up for milking is a good way to recognise cows on heat to be mated. If Once a Day milking, go out in the later afternoon for half an hour and just observe cow activity, recognising the groups bulling. Record all cows in their bulling groups and observe as these cows will be cows on heat, coming on heat and those immediately past mated.

Industry target submission rates to aim for are Week 1 – 30%, Week 2 – 60%, Week 3 – 90%. Along with a target of 78% for the 6 Week Incalf Rate.

 Farm Summary

NB: pasture quality data are for 1 sample collected from each farm

Click here for the full weekly summary - 21 October 2020

 Previous Weekly Summaries

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016