We are well into spring, with calving of the 850 cow herd nearly complete.

Calving started at the end of July and as of this week (30 September), we have approximately 10 cows left to calve.

At the beginning, there is always a level of uncertainty regarding how we will manage, but once the initial 100 cows are calved, the jobs on farm are ironed out and a routine begins to take shape. This routine remains roughly the same until we pass the peak towards the end of August, and typically involves picking up calves, tubing them with colostrum and drafting out freshly calved cows.

Initially, we milk once a day during calving, and then when we start sending milk to the processor, we switch to twice a day. The decision to milk once a day at the beginning is primarily a labour-saving measure, allowing us to prepare for the peak of calving.

Grass

To manage early season grass a spring rotation planner is followed, that outlines the area of grass allocated to each group of cows. Milking cows receive a different allocation compared to dry cows, measured in square metres per cow.

The main objective is to follow this plan to minimise the risk of running out of grass before the second round of grazing and incorporate supplements when necessary.

In our system, we typically supplement dry cows with straw to reduce their grazing area, while milking cows are usually fed exclusively on grass – if they need supplementary feed, silage is used.

Breeding

As calving progresses, the focus starts to shift towards getting cows ready for the breeding season, which begins on 20 October. This process mainly involves identifying and treating any cows with metritis. Checks are done on two occasions, three weeks apart, with cows less than two weeks calved not treated.

This has given us the opportunity to test one of our winter projects: the redesign of our herringbone race at the milking parlour.

When Stefan, the farm vet, and I began loading cows for treatment, I mentioned that we had not used the new race design yet. His response was a look of concern, as opposed to my excitement to try it out. Fortunately, it worked perfectly, which probably means the AI technician will have to endure my enthusiasm about the new race for at least the first week of breeding.

Minerals

As well as metritis, we test the blood of 10 randomly selected mixed-aged cows for minerals.

Last year, we needed to supplement more iodine into the water system, as it was slightly low in the cows. Since concentrate supplements are not fed to milking cows, minerals must be delivered through the water system via a Dosatron pump. This method is commonly employed across New Zealand and effectively ensures that cows receive the necessary nutrients and minerals when drinking.

With calving now behind us, everyone on the farm has a good opportunity to take some time off before breeding season begins.

We have just begun irrigating and are finding the usual issues that come with setting up after winter. Grass cover is high after a very favourable spring for grass growth so I have taken 12ha out for silage.