This episode featured as part of the Animal Feed and Nutrition segment in partnership with SealesWinslow.

Dairy farmers coming off one of their strongest seasons are putting fresh scrutiny on feed bills while weighing the risk of more variable El Niño weather, says Simon Butler, nutrition extension specialist at Seales Winslow.

“We’re coming off the back of quite a strong season,” he says.

“A lot of our customers are coming through the site, throwing the term record season around, which is really exciting to hear.”

He says farmers are looking to maintain that momentum and build on it, with specific questions about strategies for the challenge areas on their farms.

“Whether you’re feeding winter crops to the cows, no matter what system you have, you’re going to run into some issues.

“A lot of those issues can manifest as things like metabolic issues around calving, and then just subclinical poor performance into the season.

“As we look at the risk of more variability in the weather, it’s extremely hard to plan for.”

Pasture application of magnesium and lime can get washed away, and water and feed intakes can change with weather events. Hedging against those risks requires an in-depth conversation with a specialist, Butler says.

He says much of the foundational work is already set, and the focus now is on what can still be affected.

“Controlling that milk fever, making sure there’s good quality feed on offer, but also thinking about ways that we can start to transition that cow into a hungry, high-intake, high-production milking cow ahead of calving.”

He says that lifts peak milk higher and earlier.

Farms are evaluated on metrics from a mythical average cow, Butler says.

“There is no substitution for being in the paddock, with the stockmanship side of things.”

Managing more cows and driving more efficiency requires a higher-level look through ration formulation and diet evaluation, he says.

“It’s a super exciting time to be working in the industry as this precision comes in and as this monitoring technology comes in,” Butler says.

“If you can conceive of it, that’s the direction we’re going, just this higher and higher level of precision.”

This episode featured as part of the Animal Feed and Nutrition segment in partnership with SealesWinslow. Whether it’s a custom blend or dairy pellet, smart modelling tools, or advice tailored for your farm, SealesWinslow is about nutrition that delivers measurable benefits. Through science, teamwork, and practical guidance, we make sure what you do today sets your herd up for better performance tomorrow. For more information visit https://sealeswinslow.co.nz/

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