DairyNZ has been circulating strategies for wet weather management following the recent deluge in South Canterbury and parts of Otago.
The organisation has collated tips and ideas on how to deal with wet weather conditions, useful for farmers with saturated pastures and flooding.
The key challenges were minimising pugging damage, feed management, animal health and stress management.
Yesterday, DairyNZ consulting officers Chrissy Williams and Erin Sinclair were driving around South Canterbury visiting farmers. More rain was forecast tomorrow and Monday, Ms Williams said.
There was pugging and soil damage in some areas. Calving losses appeared to be "not too bad" and she was expecting issues with both magnesium - farmers needed to ensure cows were getting adequate intakes - and also mastitis.
She had been in touch with Rural Support Trusts in both Otago and South Canterbury and there had not been a lot of inquiries.
Most farmers had good stocks of supplementary feed and it was more about logistics, she said.
Federated Farmers Otago dairy chairman David Wilson said dairy farmers were coping "reasonably well".
The wet conditions were challenging, especially with calving under way, and it was all about getting systems in place to cope with problems caused by wet paddocks, Mr Wilson said.
He had not lost any calves, saying he had been picking them up quickly and getting them into sheds.
Federated Farmers adverse events spokeswoman Katie Milne, of the West Coast, said while the weather had caused concern during the start of the calving season, if farmers followed proper precautions, they could reap the benefits in the future.
"I know when we hit a long dry spell farmers will look back at the rain longingly. But what many need right now are days or weeks of fine settled weather to dry out."
Farmers, especially those with cattle, were advised to avoid pugging damage where they could. Heavy pugging could seriously knock back pasture growth rates, she said.