On-farm wintering systems – issues to consider

Winter is a very important period during the dairying calendar. Regions such as Southland, with susceptible soils and extended periods with soils at saturation levels will face increasing pressure to review wintering practices. On-farm options for wintering cows to protect soils and prevent pasture damage are needed. This requires a turn-around in philosophy from taking cows to pasture/crops, to bringing supplementary feeds to cows. Specialised facilities exist such as feed pads, stand-off pads, wintering barns or Herd Homes. The advantages of such systems are reduced pugging and compaction of soils, better pasture growth and stock condition. Disadvantages may include requirements to upgrade effluent management systems to cope with more concentrated waste streams. Research has shown that pasture production can be increased by withholding stock from soils during sensitive periods. Advantage should be taken of this to fully feed stock in specialised facilities. However, cow welfare and effluent management must be prioritised to maximise the wintering benefits.