Bad weather across much of the South Island this week has reinforced the importance of preparing an Adverse Weather Event Plan or Plan B when grazing winter forage crops.
Tom Orchiston, Beef + Lamb New Zealand Environment Project Lead, says it has been a very challenging week for farmers dealing with particularly wet conditions, especially those break feeding winter forage crops.
He says the weather has been testing for farmers and their staff as well as livestock, and he reminds farmers to prioritise the safety of themselves and their staff while ensuring stock have access to sufficient feed, drinking water and shelter.
“It is events like these that reinforce the value of having a winter grazing plan which includes plans and strategies for significant adverse weather events.
“Having a plan in place means everyone in the team is prepared and knows what to do in an adverse weather event.”
It had been a relatively mild start to winter following a summer which favoured good crop growth in most parts of the country. This meant stock were generally in good condition going into the colder months.
While winter forage crops play an important role in ensuring stock remain well-fed through winter and during adverse weather events, Tom says it is important to make sure that risks to animals and the environment are carefully managed.
He recommends that where possible, farmers make use of suitable areas such as laneways, nearby paddocks or standoff pads that will keep stock safe and sheltered and not lead to contamination of waterways.
Tom says it is important to ensure stock have sufficient feed and access to drinking water while on stand-off areas.
“The majority of farmers are doing a great job of managing stock on winter forage crops and we are encouraging farmers to remain prepared and keep up the good work over the remainder of the winter.”
Resources
B+LNZ has a number of resources to support farmers with the management of their winter forage crops as do Regional Councils and DairyNZ.
This include: