Winter preparation for cows is key to their health and productivity. Ensure they're in good condition, as fat acts as insulation. Group dry cows based on their condition and calving date, enabling tailored feeding and protection from dominant cows.

A successful dairy farm requires a well-chosen business structure and robust operating procedures. Set your structure from the start, considering its effects on tax, business longevity, and liabilities.

A financial performance review will help you identify business issues, risks and opportunities for improvement. Benchmarking will clarify where you are positioned compared to others and help you to make timely operational and strategic decisions.

Intensive winter grazing (IWG) means the grazing of livestock on an annual forage crop at any time in the period that begins 1 May and ends 30 September of the same year. Generally, winter crops (where fed in situ) come under the IWG regulations.

Winter crop cultivation is crucial to your dairy farm's success. Have a detailed plan that includes aspects like paddock slope, critical source areas (CSAs), and buffer zones.

Contract heifer growing involves the collaboration between a dairy farmer and a grazier. This page emphasises the significance of clear communication, mutual benefits, and solid health programmes with steps to develop a contract grazing arrangement.

Maintaining profitability in dairy farming is a challenge, especially with increasing costs. The page provides guidance and tips from seasoned farmers on how to manage your farm's budget effectively.

If succession planning is on your radar and you are not sure how to involve the whole family in the process, the Rural Governance Development Programme helps to establish a safe zone for collaboration and communication.

Farmers are already experiencing the impact of climate change firsthand. Building resilience into your farm system will be key to coping with changing weather patterns, increased temperatures, and adverse events.

Thriving biodiversity supports dairy farming by enhancing water quality, reducing soil erosion, and providing habitats for native species.

Access DairyBase questionnaires and other helpful resources.

The collaborative Waimea catchment project is driving successful outcomes for meeting future nitrogen limits and staying profitable.

DairyBase provides a range of benchmarks for dairy farmers based on ownership, location, and production system, such as organic or winter milk farms.

A collaborative project is underway between farmers, DairyNZ and other stakeholders in South Canterbury, to analyse and support implementation of solutions that further decrease nitrogen in water and help ensure farmers can meet plan change rules.

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