Summer management

Prepare for summer

Understanding your feed supply, pasture position and cow condition will help you identify pressure points and the options available. Consider how much feed you can allocate through a dry period while retaining supplements for when conditions improve and estimate how many cows you expect to be milking from mid-March to early April, based on realistic production expectations.

Keep an eye on longer-range weather forecasts and review conditions regularly as summer progresses. With a clear picture of where you are and what may lie ahead, you can make informed decisions about managing feed demand, purchasing supplements and adjusting your plan if conditions become drier.

A Summer Management Plan can bring these decisions together, helping you act at the right time, reduce pressure on the farm system and minimise the impact of dry conditions on both the current season and the next.

For more information visit Summer preparation

Monitor and review

Regularly review your farm’s current position (against your plan) so decisions are based on the most accurate information and use key metrics to determine when a change /adjust is required. Monitoring short and medium range forecasts, alongside soil moisture will provide an indication of likely pasture growth rates. The monitoring of actual growth rates, average pasture covers and pre and post grazing residuals alongside BCS is important to track performance and where this may be deviating from the plan. Use these checks to identify pressure points early, understand the options available, and update your seasonal plan as conditions change.

Measure your feed position

Good feed management through summer helps maintain production and make the most of the feed available. Focus on managing and protecting pasture, matching feed supply with demand, using supplements wisely and planning ahead for potential feed shortages.

The following tools can help you assess your current position, identify potential feed shortages, and understand the options available to you.

• Average Pasture Cover
• Feed Budget Template
• Simple Feed Budget + BCS Calculator

Summer feed requirements

During mid-lactation, energy is generally the limiting nutrient in a pasture-based system. Summer pasture can contain more dry matter and quality can decline as conditions become drier.

Use supplements strategically

Supplements can help manage a feed shortage and keep cows milking for longer during a dry summer. Whether they are profitable depends on the price and quality of the supplement, how effectively it is utilised and whether feeding it helps extend lactation.

When planning supplement use:

• Avoid substituting pasture with supplementary feed.
• Determine the maximum supplement price you can afford while still maintaining profit (marginal milk calculator, supplementary feed tool).
• Minimise storage and feed-out losses.
• Avoid using supplements earmarked for winter where possible.
• Seek professional advice before using unfamiliar feeds or feed mixes.

The immediate milk response may not fully cover the cost of supplementary feed. The overall return also depends on supplement quality, pasture utilisation, whether feeding allows more cows to remain in milk later in the season, and grazing residuals.

Reducing feed demand

Act early to reduce feed demand. Identify and remove known culls using pregnancy status, production worth and somatic cell count. This reduces maintenance feed demand and makes more feed available for productive cows.

As feed becomes limiting, consider drying off lower-producing or low-BCS cows earlier. The aim is to protect cow condition while keeping as many productive cows milking as practical, preserving the opportunity to benefit from improved autumn pasture growth.

Respond to a dry summer

Don’t wait until pasture growth and feed supply are already under pressure. Planning ahead gives you more options to manage a dry summer and make timely decisions if conditions deteriorate.

Regularly assess your feed position, keep an eye on weather and soil moisture conditions, and use your Summer Management Plan to identify the actions and decision points that may be needed. Acting early can help protect pasture, maintain cow condition and reduce the impact of a summer feed shortage on both the current and following season.

Plan early, act on your triggers

Summer management is about balancing current-season performance with setting cows and pastures up for the season ahead. Have a plan for how you will respond if feed supply tightens, and regularly reassess cow condition, feed demand and available feed so management changes can be made before options become limited.

• Download our summer management plan
• List to the podcast on Summer dry planning and management

Keep ahead of changing conditions

Use weather forecasts, seasonal outlooks and soil moisture information to understand how summer conditions are developing and what they could mean for your farm. Review this information regularly alongside your feed position and Summer Management Plan so you can anticipate potential pressure points and make decisions while you still have options.

Use these resources to help inform your planning:

• NIWA FarmMet - Weather forecast and information service designed for farmers, particularly useful when making irrigation decisions.
• NIWA Hotspot Watch - Weekly information on soil moisture conditions and areas where severely or extremely dry conditions may be developing.
• NIWA Seasonal Climate Outlook - Seasonal predictions for air temperature, rainfall, soil moisture and river flows.
• El Niño - Plan Ahead - DairyNZ information to support planning for El Niño conditions.

Manage feed shortages

If pasture growth slows and a feed deficit develops, review all available feed sources before purchasing additional feed. Deferred grazing, supplements, crops and changes to feed demand can all help manage shortfalls. Use feed budgeting tools and the supplement price calculator to compare options and make informed decisions.

Adjust milking frequency

Consider moving to once-a-day (OAD) or flexible milking such as three times in two days (3-in-2) during summer to reduce pressure on cows and people.

Reducing the number of milkings can mean less walking and fewer hot afternoon milkings, which can help reduce cows’ exposure to heat stress. Flexible milking can also benefit body condition, particularly where cows have long walks later in lactation.

Changing milking frequency can help to:

• Reduce pressure on cows, particularly during hot weather and where walking distances are long.
• Support body condition, providing another management option for cows at risk of not reaching BCS targets.
• Reduce pressure on staff and free up time for other summer management activities. Flexible milking is associated with improved work hours, flexibility and staff wellbeing.
• Changing milking frequency should be considered as part of the wider summer management plan, rather than primarily as a way to reduce feed demand.

Find out more by visiting the milking intervals section of the website.