Winter forage crops play an important role in Stu and Ginny Neal’s sheep, beef and deer business with all stock, except their breeding cows, wintering on crops for between 100 and 120 days.
They winter 12000su across two leased properties near Fairlie in South Canterbury and Stuart says he begins planning three years out as to what crop will be grown where. This is particularly important as the terrain they farm includes a mix of rolling, medium and steeper hill country and this is all taken into account in their planning process.
“We are very mindful of our environmental responsibilities and how our choices will affect stock, soil and freshwater so we choose our paddocks very carefully.”
They will then carry out soil tests and correct any deficiencies well before starting a cropping programme and will also ensure rotten rocks are placed around gateways and water troughs to prevent pugging before crops are established.
The couple grow a mix of bulb crops (fodder beet and swede), kale as well as a short-rotation ryegrass/ forage oats mix over 107ha. These crops grow around 1250 tonne of drymatter which is critical for feeding stock over winter, but they are also an important part in their pasture renewal programme.
Stuart says they use Resolution farm management software to put together a comprehensive Winter Grazing Plan and this takes into account stock numbers, forage types, supplementary feed, water sources, critical source areas (these are all fenced off), creeks and streams, risks and mitigation strategies and both adverse and extreme weather plans.
This Plan is monitored throughout the season to ensure it is being executed.
All forage crops paddocks have a safe, stand-off zone in case of adverse weather and warmer. north-facing steeper hill blocks, which are less snow prone, will be used in case of extreme weather.
Stuart and Ginny farm a mix of breeding, finishing and trading stock so feed is allocated according to the requirements of each stock class.
Because deer are foragers and tread lightly on the land, their breaks are shifted every five days, sheep will be on three-day block breaks this winter while cattle are on daily breaks. Back fences and portable troughs are used to help minimise pugging.
Baleage is used to supplement some forage crops, and this is fed in ring feeders.
Stuart says they put a lot of time and effort into planning their cropping programme and work with their agronomist, Marie Ferryman from PGG Wrightson, to ensure they are growing the right crop in the right place for the right class of stock to meet their production, animal welfare and environmental goals.
As the couple lease their land, they want to ensure it is well looked after for the owners and they also have regulatory obligations with a consent to farm on one property and a Freshwater Management Plan on another.
But their biggest driver for their careful planning of their winter forage crop management is simply their desire to do the right thing for their livestock, for their land and for the environment.
More information
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has a range of resources to help farmers put together a Winter Grazing Plan. See our dedicated winter grazing section on the Knowledge Hub.