Partners Networking to Advance South Island Dairying
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 22 September 2021
CO Comment
More rain this week has seen growth still below levels many are used to by now. Be assured balance date is coming but it may be a bit later than usual. There are a range of balance dates across the Coast due to the geographical spread of the region and differing climates. Supplement in the form of good quality milking baleage is hard to find in any quantity. We need to stay mindful of this as the shortage may be evident for some time and could impact ability to stock up for next year if it is routinely purchased into the system.
In saying that the Mawheraiti monitor farm is organised to cut some silage at the runoff in a couple of weeks and are prepping to get the maize drilled too. The last of their maize has been fed to cows and they are opening them up on pasture to ensure they are fully fed.
The Kowhiterangi monitor farm has noted that it is still wet underfoot too with growth slower than normal. They have sent some surplus stock to the works in the form of cows that have shown up empty and some cows which are not performing. This will ensure they only have pregnant or productive animals on the property, and they are not feeding any passengers, to make the most of the feed available.
Farm Summary
|
|
Mawheraiti |
Kowhitirangi |
|
Average cover (kg DM/ha) |
1947 |
1826 |
|
APC (15 September) |
1991 |
1842 |
|
Rotation length (days) |
37 |
27 |
|
Stocking rate |
2.5 |
2.0 |
|
Percentage in milk |
93% calved |
89% calved |
|
Milksolids kg/cow |
1.96 |
1.84 |
|
Milksolids kg/ha |
4.2 |
2.9 |
|
MS/cow (season to date) |
48 |
38 |
|
MS/ha (season to date) |
118 |
75 |
|
|
|
|
|
N (kg/ha) year to date |
4 |
24.8 |
|
Current N application rate kg N/ha |
18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 August |
4 August |
|
DM% |
13.1 |
15.9 |
|
Pasture ME |
12.0 |
12.1 |
|
Pasture NDF |
44.4 |
44.8 |
|
Pasture CP |
25.2 |
31.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
Target Intake (kg DM/cow/d) |
18 |
18 |
|
Supplement (kg/cow/day) |
Mob 1 – 4.3 |
3.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
Soil temperature (°C) |
10.5 |
11 |
|
Growth Rate (kg DM/day) |
11 |
6 |
|
Rainfall |
20 |
117 |
|
Conditions for farmwalk |
Brilliant day, warm and sunny with occasional cool wind |
Fine, after lots of rain. Farm very wet. |
|
Notes: |
Nice fine end to week after bloody wet start. 17 cows left to calve. Milkers down to only 2kg maize, Pit will be finished by end of week. Opening cows up on grass. Cows don’t like flooded grass too much. Gary booked to chop silage at run-off in a couple of weeks. Also booked for groundwork drilling maize. |
3 in 2 milking all season. 110 Calves. Very wet, no growth. 90ha fert applied Ammo 30N 80kg/ha. Calving cows slowed down and now into SGL 41 to calve. 6 MT cows and 2 culls sent to works. Fencing, fixing water lines & cutting firewood in between showers. New electric fence unit for backing and new LED light for shed |
NB: pasture quality data are for 1 sample collected from each farm.
Click here for the full weekly summary - 22 September 2021
2021
2020
2018
2017
| 29 Sept | 30 Mar | ||||||||||
| 22 Dec | 24 Nov | 26 Oct | 21 Sept | 24 Aug | 29 Jun | 25 May | 27 Apr | 24 Mar | 24 Feb | 26 Jan | |
| 15 Dec | 16 Nov | 20 Oct | 14 Sept | 17 Aug | 20 Jul | 19 May | 20 Apr | 17 Mar | 17 Feb | 20 Jan | |
| 8 Dec | 9 Nov | 12 Oct | 7 Sept | 10 Aug | 9 Jun | 12 May | 13 Apr | 9 Mar | 10 Feb | 11 Jan | |
| 1 Dec | 3 Nov | 6 Oct | 1 Sept | 3 Aug | 2 Jun | 4 May | 6 Apr | 3 Mar | 2 Feb | 4 Jan |
2016
|
|
|
|
Mawheraiti |
Kowhitirangi |
|
Average cover (kg DM/ha) |
2227 |
1929 |
|
APC (14 July) |
2160 |
1902 |
|
Rotation length (days) |
|
|
|
Stocking rate |
|
|
|
Percentage in milk |
0 |
0 |
|
Milksolids kg/cow |
|
|
|
Milksolids kg/ha |
|
|
|
MS/cow (season to date) |
|
|
|
MS/ha (season to date) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
N (kg/ha) year to date |
|
|
|
Current N application rate kg N/ha |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31 May |
12 April |
|
DM% |
11.8 |
9.8 |
|
Pasture ME |
12.7 |
11.8 |
|
Pasture NDF |
38.8 |
46.5 |
|
Pasture CP |
33.2 |
26.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Target Intake (kg DM/cow/d) |
|
|
|
Supplement (kg/cow/day) |
Mob 1 - 10.8 Mob 2 – 13 |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
Soil temperature (°C) |
|
8.0 |
|
Growth Rate (kg DM/day) |
4 |
3 |
|
Rainfall |
48 |
100 |
|
Conditions for farmwalk |
Heavy rain |
|
|
Notes: |
253mm rain week of 19th. Moirs stop bank washed out causing river to go through our farm, washing our stop bank out and drowning water pump. Took a few internal fences out and wrote boundary fence off. Farm looking good for grass although ground conditions very soft on off-grazing springers. Workshop finally usable so good to start on equipment maintenance, although a bit close to calving than normal. |
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