Calving is about to shake up the winter routine for Canterbury's dairy farmers.
Federated Farmers North Canterbury president Cameron Henderson, an Oxford dairy farmer, says it is ''too easy'' to get used to a reduced workload over winter in the lead-up to calving.
''We've had a couple of slips so I've got two cows milking already,'' Mr Henderson said last week.
''Most guys will be getting the shed ready as soon as the cows start coming into milk, which is good because it's too easy to get used to the winter routine.''
He said the benefit of having ''two house cows'' milking this early in the season was he did not have to go and buy a bottle of milk at the supermarket, ''which is not as good as the real thing. Full cream milk all the way.''
Mr Henderson said it had been a mild winter so far, with overcast days, and the cows were in good condition heading into calving.
But he was weary of long-range forecasts predicting ''a colder than normal August''.
''It could be a later winter, but fingers crossed it will be a short winter and not a long one.''
He believed his farm had received enough rain to get through the winter, and the last six months or so of rain had recharged the aquifers after the previous three summers of drought.
''The farmers with the lighter soils will be feeling pretty happy at the moment, but the heavier soils are starting to get a bit boggy.''
Mr Henderson said the presence of Mycoplasma bovis was raising stress levels, but he encouraged extra vigilance as farmers moved into spring calving.
''Generally, when the cows are under stress they are more vulnerable, so it's something we need to keep an eye on.
''It comes down to management practice, so it may change the way we farm, particularly around trading stock.''
-By David Hill
