The Lincoln University Dairy Farm has made a good start to the new season, with the mild spring producing a better-than-expected pasture cover, and ensuring there is plenty of feed as milking gets into full swing.
At last week's weekly farm walk, pasture cover was sitting at an average of just below 2700kg of dry matter per hectare, about 300kg ahead of budget and giving the farm an estimated 44 tonne feed surplus.
As at Tuesday August 27, 436 cows had calved out of 632, with 372 milking into the vat, 35 colostrums and four treatment cows.
Farm management identified nine critical issues for the short term during the farm walk, including managing feed supply and responding quickly to changing growth rates, using back-fences on all herds, picking up calves, keeping cows well fed, minimising pasture damage, and applying magnesium oxide dust thoroughly to pasture being grazed by mixed-age cows three weeks from calving.
The cows were also being closely observed for signs of mastitis, with two new cases identified last week.
Farm walks are held each Tuesday and farmers, farm managers and staff are welcome to join the walk by calling the South Island Dairying Development Centre on (03) 423-0022.
The Lincoln University Dairy Farm's spring focus day will be held on October 10.