Wintering winter well

Bala Tikkisetty

It’s pretty dry out there on farm at the moment but as we all know we’ll inevitably be heading soon into autumn and then winter.

So it’s worth starting to have a think about good stock wintering practices again ahead of the wetter months so as to protect animal health, soil health, water quality and future pasture production.

High stock densities and soil moisture in winter can lead to significant soil health damage. Wet pasture, heavy grazing and the resulting compaction can reduce pasture growth and impact negatively on farm productivity and these effects can last for several seasons. Break feeding of forage crops has a similar effect on soil structure, but because it results in bare soils the environmental effects of runoff can be much worse.

The environmental effects include increased runoff of sediment, dung, urine and nutrients, all of which impact on water quality.

The challenges of mitigating the effects of such practices are many and complex.

Besides livestock density, the selection of feeding out sites and the management of wintering systems are factors affecting water quality.

There is a range of stock wintering options that can help mitigate these various risks.

Feed pads and stand-off pads are options for protecting soil physical structure over wet periods.

A feed pad is a dedicated concrete platform where supplementary feeds are brought to the stock. Higher feed efficiency is achieved as the wastage is reduced to about five per cent, compared to about 20 per cent or more when silage is fed in paddocks. They are generally not suitable for standing stock for extended periods so their potential to protect soils is limited.

A stand-off pad is a dedicated loafing area for stock. These pads are constructed using a softer free-draining surface and utilise materials like wood chips. As stock can be withheld from pasture for longer periods of time, the area required per cow has to be bigger, say about eight square metres.

Capture of effluent is important with stand-off pads. The base should be sealed either with an artificial liner or with concrete and effluent directed into the treatment system.

Animal shelter technology is another option gaining in popularity. An animal shelter is a combination of a feeding platform and stand-off facility with the added advantage of providing animals with shelter from the worst of the weather. These systems allow for stock to be kept off paddocks for extended periods so are capable of protecting the farm production system from damage even in a very wet winter.

When building any wintering pad allow for solid and liquid waste disposal. Design the pad in such a way that the contaminants run into the effluent disposal system for the dairy shed. Locate the feed pad or stand-off pad well away from any waterway.

So-called sacrifice paddocks – an area of ordinary pasture where stock can be held for feeding out – are really a last resort option for standing animals off when it is very wet, or as an area to feed animals hay and silage.

However, using sacrifice paddocks risks things like soil structure damage and possible animal health problems such as lameness and mastitis. If soil potassium levels become too great (potassium is excreted in urine) it may predispose calving cows to metabolic problems.

And, whatever wintering system is used, it is important not to feed out in areas where run-off water may reach any water body.

Bala Tikkisetty is a sustainable agriculture advisor at Waikato Regional Council. Contact him at bala.tikkisetty@waikatoregion.govt.nz or call 0800 800 401.

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