Winter Grazing Plan
Intensive Winter Grazing
Contiguous Operation: Finkum Holdings Ltd
Owner:
Finkum Holdings Ltd
C/- TT and OC Edzes,
137 Island Stream Road,
RD 9D,
Oamaru 9492
Person in Charge:
Tjerk Edzes
027 420 7884
Property Addresses:
Dairy Farm
137 Island Stream Road Kuriheka-Maheno
LOT 1 DP 491510 LOT 2 DP 486216 LOT 1 DP 387816 SECS 29-30 PT SECS 16 20-22 31 282R BLK VI OTEPOPO SD
218.4ha
79 Island Stream Road Kuriheka-Maheno
Lot 2 DP 387816, Pt Secs 22-23 Blk VI Otepopo SD
50.7haRun-off Block
301 Whartons Road, Incholme
Lot 1 DP 373434 Pt Lots 193 DP 1585
112.1ha
Farm Size:
Three blocks totalling 381.2ha.
Total Wintering Area:
381.2ha
Maximum Annual Winter Grazing Area:
64ha
2023 Wintering Area:
9 paddocks totalling 64ha.
Description:
Winter Grazing on fodder beet, kale and rape for mixed age dairy cows, dry stock and young stock.
Critical Source Area Management
Critical Source Areas are areas that collect surface water and can transport nutrients to waterways or groundwater. Critical Source Areas (CSA's) are marked on the winter grazing maps.
Winter grazing does not occur in CSA's in wet conditions from 1 May to 30 September each year - these areas are left in grass, and upper reaches in crop grazed while dry or lifted rather than grazed.
The only CSA's grazed are swales within the paddock which have grass buffers before reaching waterways. A CSA is dry enough to graze if no pugging results. However, where no alternative exists to feed stock it may be considered dry enough if there is no surface water in it at the time, it only runs in the rain, any resulting pugging is no more than ankle deep on average. However, wherever possible CSA's should be grazed where there is no pugging resulting at all.
Stock are excluded from CSA's with a buffer of 5m, or up to 20m if steep. These buffers may be in a grass paddock lower down the CSA and may be supplemented by a temporary bale detention dam.
Bales are placed on higher areas of crop paddocks away from CSA's in areas where tractors can safely access.
Slopes are grazed top to bottom toward CSA's and waterways if possible.
Backfences are used to protect previously grazed areas and they are replanted as early as practicable.
Crops are sown along the contour where safe to do so.
Winter Grazing will not occur within 50m of a neighbouring dwelling or bore.
Wet Weather Planning and Animal Welfare
During wet weather when the paddock is becoming pugged beyond ankle height stock are run off to a sacrifice paddock with a large break to minimise damage and this is typically next years crop paddock.
Pugged paddocks are renovated with full cultivation back to grass including ripping if necessary.
Stock are given extra feed in wet, snowy or cold conditions.
Bale positions are moved daily to leave straw beds for stock to lie on.
Cows are wintered for 60-80 days, but closer to 65 days usually, and returned to the dairy platform well before calving date to minimise the risk of cows calving in mud.
Stock are consciously monitored daily for animal health issues such as acidosis, lameness, mastitis, condition loss, slowness, bagging up or calving. These animals are monitored, treated and separated as required.
Transition (where relevant) typically begins with 30 minutes on the first week from first cow on to last cow off and increases 15 minutes increments.
Mob sizes are maximum 300 during winter to limit competition and pressure on paddocks, cows and staff in difficult conditions.
A feed budget is used based on square metres and crop residual is monitored.
Typical ration is 15kg dry matter consisting of 5kg of baleage, hay, straw or kale and 9kg of fodder beet.
Monitoring and Changes
The plan is monitored daily when shifting stock. Changes are made to this plan as necessary and consent authority is notified. Version history is available.
This plan will be reviewed for effectiveness prior to planting 2024 crops with previous changes taken into account and results recorded on this site.
Winter Grazing Paddock Plans 2023
The Poplars Dairy
Overview
Paddocks 9 and 42
Paddock 9 (on the left) borders a waterway. Grazing is toward the waterway and this paddock is priority for on/off grazing because of the difficulty in backfencing to the front trough as the back trough is too close to the waterway and a CSA for locking animals on.
Paddock 42 (on the right) is grazed toward the waterway and then back toward the shed.
Paddocks 15, 20 and 28
Grazed from front towards the CSA's at the back.
Paddock 20 has a CSA in a neighbouring field which is a grass swale running 1,380m to the creek at the back of Paddock 28.
Paddock 15 contains CSA's which run 640m through grass swales to the creek at the back of Paddock 28.
Paddock 28 also has a creek at the back which is protected by a 5m buffer.
Run Off
Overview
Note: permanent fences will be repositioned during consent term to better align with waterways. In the meantime a 5m temporary fenced buffer is used to protect the waterways.
The two northern paddocks each contain a waterway which is protected by a 5m grass buffer.
The paddock next to the road has a CSA which is to be grazed last.
The paddock south of the road contains a CSA protected by a 5m buffer.
