Feed

Learn the habits of farmers with excellent pasture management, including controlling daily grazing area, treating pasture like a crop, and maintaining optimal pasture cover.

Choosing the right plant species and cultivar is essential for optimising pasture life, feed availability, and your profit. Match these to your farm's specific conditions like climate, soil, and pests.

Cereal crops, including barley, oats, ryecorn, and triticale, play varied roles in dairy farming. Barley, sown either in autumn or spring, matures quicker than wheat or triticale and provides winter feed.

Choosing the right supplement for your dairy farm requires careful consideration of factors such as energy content, cost, storage, wastage, and feeding logistics.

Black beetle is a pest found in warm regions of the upper North Island, especially on light or peat soils. They can cause significant pasture damage.

Soil fertility is vital for optimal plant growth, with 16 essential nutrients needed by pasture plants. Five of these nutrients, N, P, K, S, and Mg, are often added as fertilisers.

Gibberellic acid (GA3) is a natural hormone that promotes plant growth. When you use GA3 on pasture, it encourages growth by using the plant's energy, leading to more leaves and stems.

Regular pasture assessment on your dairy farm helps you manage your feed, plan grazing, and detect surpluses or deficits in pasture.

White clover is crucial for New Zealand dairy pastures, offering nutritional value and fixing nitrogen to boost other grasses' growth. Yet, shade hampers its growth, and overusing N fertiliser can outcompete it.

Chicory is a leafy herb that provides high feed value, especially during its active growth months from spring to autumn. Popular in the Upper North Island during summer, chicory thrives due to its deep tap roots, which aid growth during dry spells.