Displaying items by tag: maize

Last month saw the release of the 2013-14 DairyNZ Economic Survey, which contains a wealth of data on the average physical and financial performance of 301 randomly selected owner-operator herds during the 2013-14 season. 

Each year, from about this time until the end of June, I am often asked to help interpret the results of maize silage feed analyses. 

Many farmers are now facing hefty onfarm challenges. While the low milksolids payout is influencing cashflow and profitability, dry conditions are starting to limit pasture growth and milk flows in many key dairy regions. 

There is an old saying which states “prior planning prevents poor performance”.

THE CHIEF executive of the Foundation for Arable Research, FAR, says to date the drop in the price of milksolids isn’t affecting arable farmers.

DURING THE last few years there has been a rise in the number of in-shed feeders being used on New Zealand dairy farms. This method of feeding cows has a number of advantages in convenience, low wastage and the ability to control per-cow intake of concentrates. 

A MILD and relatively dry winter, above-average pasture growth rates and little pugging has resulted in high average pasture cover levels on many farms. The challenge over the next few months is keeping control of pasture quality.

THE DROUGHT has caused on-going pasture deficits on many farms, and in the past few weeks many farmers have asked me how much maize silage they can feed. 

DRY SUMMER conditions have led to pasture shortages in many dairy districts and we have had a number of inquiries from farmers who are considering early harvesting a portion of their maize crops.

WE MAY have thought we had maize week control nailed with pre-emergence sprays such as Atrazine, but nature, in her inimitable way, has seen some weeds develop resistance and render it useless in some paddocks.