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).

Expanded farm summary for the week ending 16 January 2019

CO comment

Welcome back to the West Coast Farm watch 2019. I trust everyone had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year and if you didn’t quite get a break over holidays, you have one planned in January.

The weather was fantastic over Christmas, although some could have done with more rain than we got, it is safe to say we are still in a better position than this time last year.

With the hot weather we will have seen a decrease in production, as the cows will have been under heat stress. In fact, for the week 1-7 January, Northern West Coast animals experienced the entire week being too hot for comfort and for the entire 7 days Friesian and crossbreed cows would have experienced a drop in milk solids. In 4 of the 7 days these same animals may have experienced health impacts as a result.

For Jersey cows, 4 out of the 7 days would have impacted their production.

When temperature humidity index (THI) reaches 68 for Friesians and 75 for Jerseys (equivalent to 21 and 25.5°C respectively at 75% relative humidity) New Zealand cows begin to experience the effects of heat stress. This is seen by a reduction in feed intake and a drop of around 10g milksolids per day per unit increase in THI.

For example, an increase in THI from 68-78 would equate to a 100g drop in milksolids/cow/day. Note that a drop in fat/protein percentage occurs before a drop in yield or milksolids is visible.

Be sure that cows have access to a good water source and shade on these days. Minimising the effects of heat stress will minimise the effects on production.

For more tips or to calculate the temperature humidity index in your area visit https://www.dairynz.co.nz/animal/cow-health/heat-stress/

Farm Summary

Previous Weekly Summaries

2019

2018

2017

2016