Drought

Planning is key to managing dry conditions. A good plan will reduce stress and reduce the impact on the following season's production.

A Summer Management Plan will help to maximise profit and reduce stress in a dry summer.

It may not be easy to predict when it will rain, but a plan provides the framework for what decisions need to be made and when. The plan needs to be reviewed as conditions change.

Assess your feed supplies and cow condition. How much can you feed in the dry, allowing for having supplement on hand for when it rains in winter.

Estimate how many cows you can milk mid-March to early April. Guard against being over-optimistic. Then consider your options for buying in feed and supplements and for reducing feed demand.

Manage cull cows

If you are running short of feed it may be better to cull cows early than to hang onto them in the hope that it will rain, or try to graze them elsewhere.

• For more information see Summer management

Dry-off poor performers

It is better to put scarce feed or expensive supplements into cows that are producing well. The others will eat a lot less when dry, and you might be able to graze them off-farm. Ensure cows leaving farm have water available prior to transport to support blocks or meat processors.

Remember your young stock

Regularly check youngstock including stock that are off the dairy platform and monitor liveweights. Ensuring youngstock meet liveweight targets will protect future reproductive performance and lifetime production potential.

Use supplements wisely

First and foremost earmark 10-14 days of supplement for the period after rain (approx. 100kg/DM/cow); more if severe drought, less if C4 grasses will grow after rain. There will be a lot of pasture decay at this time and you need something to keep your cows going and to keep the rotation slow to build up feed supplies.

Feeding supplements keeps animals in production longer than would otherwise be possible. The profitability of feed supplements depends on the carry-over response of having cows in milk when it rains (the longer the drought, the lower the response) and the cost of supplement relative to milk price. Use the Supplement Price Calculator to determine likely response to supplements in gMS and $.

The Feedchecker tool can be used to ensure you are feeding to cow nutritional requirements, allowing for maximum MS response, as well as avoiding the purchase of expensive feeds that are not required for production. Seek professional advice before using unfamiliar feed mixes.

Avoid using autumn/winter supplements if possible. Use them only as a last resort after drying-off the entire herd.

When feeding supplements ensure that stock have enough water as the demand may increase. Consider providing water in the yards to reduce the demand on troughs in the paddock after milking.

Consider milking once-a-day (OAD)

Milking OAD or once every 16 hours are good options to take the pressure off cows when feed supply is limited. OAD does reduce the stress on cows walking to the shed, and can increase the time available for feeding out. The impact on milk production will be dependent on the production of the cows, their genetic merit and the feed available.

Monitor your farm and rainfall

Review the plan every week to 10 days (rainfall, feed cover, supplement, production).

Check cow condition regularly (every 3-4 weeks), particularly the 2 and 3 year olds, and dry them off based on their condition score and days from calving, feed available, winter pasture growth rates and expected calving date.

• More information on body condition scoring

Check long-range weather forecasts:

• MetService 10-day forecast for your region

Facial Eczema

Have a plan to manage eczema spores and start intervention in anticipation of eczema spores rising. After rain, eczema spores love fresh green grass.

Dry-off more of the herd if required

Would it be profitable to keep milking a proportion of your best producers and graze the rest off? Or would it be better to dry off the whole herd and manage them all on your own property?  How will you maintain or improve their condition so that next season's production is not affected?

During the high-stress period of a drought, it is more important than ever to look after people on-farm. This includes farm owners and managers as well as the farm team. It can be helpful to talk to others and find out how they are dealing with the situation, such as neighbours and consultants.

It is important to maintain staff morale:

• Lead by example - keep up communication with your team. Stay positive and focus on what is in your control.
• Look forward not backwards - start planning for the next season and set short and long-term targets. Involve your staff as much as possible.
• Create team building opportunities e.g. registering your team in a local sporting activity can be fun and relaxing.
• Celebrate special events or achievements e.g. have a BBQ for someone's birthday.

If the drought worsens, talk to advisers. Consult DairyNZ staff and other drought-savvy advisers, and keep in touch with feed suppliers and dairy company reps. Talk to Federated Farmers, your Rural Support Trust and check in with your accountant and bank manager.

In extremes, seek emergency assistance

Federated Farmers, DairyNZ or other agencies may be able to help you find emergency feed or grazing off the property. If you do make sure you have a written grazing contract so that you and the grazier know what is expected of each other.

Slow the rotation

This will allow the grass to get away and develop some root mass.

Feed more supplement

Up to half the grass available is lost after rain because it is dead and decays quickly, so cows will require the major part of their intake from supplement. You will need around 100kg DM per cow (up to 160kg on very dry farms) to feed the herd for about three weeks after rain. The DM content of new grass is low (below 15%) because of its rapid growth, so supplement will still be needed even when there is plenty of fresh feed available.

Nitrogen applications can be delayed for several weeks after rain as the soil will have good N reserves. The response to autumn applied N takes place over three months, so take this into account when making the final drying off decision.

Beware of nitrate poisoning

Soil nitrogen levels usually rise during a drought, and when rain arrives the new growth combined with cool, cloudy weather can cause nitrates to accumulate in leaves. This can lead to nitrate poisoning. Permanent pastures are generally safe in warm, sunny conditions but there is some risk in cool, cloudy weather. Any new grass and annuals sown after a drought could be toxic, and applying fertiliser N will increase the risk.

Reduce risk by:

• Testing suspect pastures with a nitrate kit from your vet
• Using long rotations
• Feeding cows other forages first - don't put hungry cows onto high risk pasture.

The burnt-off patches in pastures will inevitably be filled by hardy but low feed-value grasses, and weeds. Availability of finance may limit the amount of renovation you can afford, so plan carefully.

Assess and prioritise pastures

• Paddock by paddock, assess how badly your pastures are affected and how likely they are to recover. How dense and strong are the grasses that are left? Have weeds taken over? Can they be repaired or renovated, or must they be replaced?
• After the drought breaks use the 50% rule - test the pasture by doing a minimum of 20 observations in front of where you place your right boot. Are there live ryegrass tillers present at the front of your boot? If the answer is no in more than 50% of cases, the paddock definitely requires renovation.
• What types of ryegrass and which endophytes have survived best?
• Taking into account the degree of damage and the productive potential of each paddock, rank them in order of priority (e.g. badly damaged pasture on productive flats will have a high priority).

Develop detailed actions for each paddock

• For partially damaged pasture (or where repair is not possible), make sure they have enough N for grasses and P, K and S for clovers. Consider extra fertiliser in early spring to boost growth. Use rotational grazing to allow plants to spread and replace root reserves
• For the rest, decide what crop or pasture species and varieties to sow in them and when, what fertiliser is needed, and the costs involved
• Use treated seeds to limit insect attack and enhance germination
• Undersowing or direct drilling with short-term ryegrass may boost feed supply early
• Involve family and staff in the planning process and seek advice from advisers and seed specialists with good pasture and crop experience.

Options for repairing drought-damaged pasture:

Options for spring-planted crops:

Choose perennials that suit your farm

A perennial pasture can be sown after crop harvest in spring or autumn. Consider drought-tolerant alternatives to ryegrass - tall fescue is the most similar to ryegrass for growth and quality, and other options include cocksfoot, pasture brome, lucerne, chicory, plantain, and sub-clover. If you are sowing ryegrass and clover pastures, use the types of ryegrass and endophyte that have survived best during the drought as a guide for what will be most sustainable on your farm.

Young stock are very sensitive to the stress of dry weather and special attention is required to keep them healthy and in good condition. Young stock should be monitored regularly, especially if grazed on run-off. Prompt veterinary attention should be obtained if young stock show signs of ill health or stress.

Completing a feed budget will help assess whether you have enough feed to get you through to your balance date. It is important that dry cows, springers and early lactation cows are fed adequately, otherwise this may result in health complications, a loss in body condition score and fertility issues. 

Spring Rotation Planner  

Completing a spring rotation planner will help set yourself up for the coming season and avoid running into a deficit larger.  

Sticking to your area allocation in the spring rotation planner will maximise the pasture production potential for each paddock for the rest of the season.  

Remember – the area allocated in the spring rotation planner is the total area across all herds on farm.

Nitrogen and ProGibb 

Tactical use of nitrogen and gibberellic acid in late winter/early spring (July – September) can be a very profitable decision in a genuine feed deficit.  

ProGibb is a tool to fill an anticipated feed deficit by pulling feed forward ahead of balance date. 

Considerations:

• For best N responses
  • Soil temperatures must be above 7 degrees
  • High soil moisture content will result in high N leaching therefore  less uptake from the plant.
  • A pasture yield response will typically take approximately 20 days.  
• For best ProGibb responses 
  • Apply within 5 days after grazing.
  • Graze treated pastures within 3-4 weeks after application.
  • Apply with nitrogen fertiliser.
  • Consider there may be a potential growth lag in the next round. 

Supplement Price Calculator  

Use the supplementary price calculator to assess the profitability of potential supplements to fill the feed deficit.  

Not all supplements may be profitable to feed, make sure you do your homework before buying anything in.