Friday, March 29, 2024

Wintering system research project under way

Neal Wallace
Finding the ultimate loafing surface for cows is looming as a major challenge for a $3 million project to develop an alternative wintering system for southern dairy farmers. The project will utilise water, animal and farm-systems experts, engineers and farmers to design, approve and test a new off-paddock, uncovered system suitable for Southland winters.
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The selected method will be trialled for the 2022 winter at the Southern Dairy Hub research farm in Central Southland.

DairyNZ’s manager of science and economics David McCall says an international search took them to Ireland where they saw potential in an open-top cubicle system, which would be the starting point for the New Zealand research.

It satisfied most of the criteria of being cost competitive and having efficient feed and effluent collection systems, but the concrete surface was not ideal for cow comfort.

A NZ system will also need to separate the feeding and effluent capture from the loafing areas.

NZ farmers have used concrete and wood chip loafing areas, but McCall says while wood chips provide an excellent surface when wet cows do not want to lie down, it is costly to replace.

“The big innovation for loafing will be the surface, but we know it will be a challenge,” he said.

McCall says they will look for surface options from outside the agricultural sector.

The $3.2m project is led and co-funded by DairyNZ, with $1.75m coming from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund.

The project comes in response to public concern at the environmental impact and animal welfare concerns from wintering cows on crop, the main wintering system used in Southland and South Otago.

It also coincides with tougher new environmental rules and regulations for winter grazing, part of the Government’s essential freshwater policy.

DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says the first of the three-stage project will select two concepts for uncovered wintering systems, which will undergo close scrutiny.

“As well as being effective for the environment and animal wellbeing, the infrastructure needs to be good for people working in it and cost-effective for farmers,” Mackle said.

The chosen systems will have to meet environmental and animal welfare standards and integrate with NZ’s pasture-based system.

The second phase will see one design selected in consultation with farmers to then be trialled.

The third phase will see the chosen wintering design tested at the Southern Dairy Hub from June 2022 and compared with the best of the hub’s current grazed winter crop systems.

“These designs will be accurately costed and assessed against fit for purpose criteria for environmental impact, cow comfort and health, working conditions, and international cost competitiveness,” he said. 

Mackle says the project could ultimately lead to new manufacturing opportunities which could supply other sectors and international markets.

The project will also look at new innovation in infrastructure design and contract arrangements for harvesting and feeding forage supplements to reduce the need for expensive farm machinery.

McCall says Irish dairy farmers no longer winter cattle on crop and operate a system where contractors feed grass silage to cows kept off pasture.

They have an adlib-feeding system which only needs replenishing every third day.

Research in Ireland has found cows wintered in an open-air system eat more feed, carry extra fat and are better acclimatised when returned to pasture in the spring than those who are housed under cover.

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