Drought support - tips and resources

Key tips

• Make small decisions regularly - make a decision every week it doesn’t rain, seek advice, talk with others.
• The forecast is for a continued mix of rain and dry spells, but the temperatures are expected to be normal or above normal. Soil and air temperatures mean the growing season is likely to last a bit longer than usual. Take advantage of this.
• Try not to let this year’s issues reduce the potential production for next year - it’s a long game.
• Keep on top of feed budgets through to the end of May and keep reviewing your plan
• Drying off poor performing or at risk younger cows may be an efficient prioritisation of feed and should be a consideration as part of your plan
• Focus on Body Condition Score management
• Use variable milking options
• Keep track of pests as part of your winter crop management
• Focus on young stock management, work with your processor for a planned exit of culled stock
• Contact anyone in the local Southland / South Otago DairyNZ team to talk through your plan or for help with feed budgeting - Regional Teams - DairyNZ

Top planning and actions to take now:

Sheep, beef and crops

• Determine feed requirements through Body Condition Scores or weighing ewes and hoggets.
  • With mating 3-6 weeks away, lifting ewes or hoggets to mating weights will likely be the most economic use of feed. Lifting the lightest ewes is the priority.
  • For some farms that will mean dropping kill weights of lambs and maybe selling some stores.
• Where there is reduced pasture cover, know your feed budget. There is plenty of the season left to fix shortages that come from recovering ewe weights.
• Fly strike appears to be the worst seen in many years - so monitor mobs regularly and consider avoiding fly prone areas. Shade is important on hot days, but some shady gullies can be problematic because of flies.
• Extra dagging of sheep and lambs may help in some situations.
  • Many fly problems have been green fly - which strikes more randomly.
• Crops are still being hit by aphids. Weekly checks for aphids are important even through March and April. Some farmers may need to spray crops a second time.
• Recent rains may have alleviated some stock water shortages for the time being but regularly check the situation.

Dairy

• Keep on top of feed budgets through to the end of May and keep reviewing your plan
• Drying off poor performing or at risk younger cows may be an efficient prioritisation of feed and should be a consideration as part of your plan
• Focus on Body Condition Score management
• Use variable milking options
• Keep track of pests as part of your winter crop management
• Focus on young stock management, work with your processor for a planned exit of culled stock
• Contact anyone in the local Southland / South Otago DairyNZ team to talk through your plan or for help with feed budgeting - Regional Teams - DairyNZ

There’s lots of people to talk to and some great events/shouts coming up where you can have a chat over a bite to eat and cold drink - have a look through the list below: