A wet Waikato summer has delivered strong pasture growth across the district, leaving many dairy farms with excellent feed covers heading into autumn. While recent storms created challenges in some areas, most farms have come through well — and that puts herds in a strong position to build body condition before winter.
This period is one of the most valuable windows of the year. Turning surplus feed into improved body condition now has a direct impact on calving outcomes, cow health, and next season’s production.
Calving targets remain the same across the region:
Reaching these targets supports smoother calving, fewer metabolic issues, stronger early‑season milk production, and better reproductive performance.
Autumn is the last realistic chance to influence these outcomes. Cows gain condition slowly, and meaningful improvement rarely happens in the final month before calving.
Accurate body condition scoring (BCS) is the foundation of any autumn management plan. Once you know where your herd sits, you can make informed decisions rather than hoping cows will “come right” on their own.
From there, several strategies can be used depending on herd needs:
These tools help ensure cows reach target condition without compromising production or animal health.
Even under ideal feeding conditions, cows generally gain no more than 0.5 BCS in 30 days. This makes early action essential.
Cows milked OAD for the final three months of lactation typically finish around 0.5 BCS units heavier at dry‑off than cows milked twice daily — a significant advantage heading into winter.
Although autumn pasture may look abundant, it becomes more stemmy and less energy‑dense as the season progresses. This means cows may not gain condition on pasture alone, even when there appears to be plenty of grass.
Using supplements strategically during this period can help maintain or lift condition before dry‑off. With strong pasture covers across Waikato farms, this is the ideal time to convert feed into body condition while the opportunity still exists.
Cows entering calving at the correct condition are better prepared for:
If you need support assessing your herd or developing a feeding plan tailored to your system, the Vetora team is ready to help. Our Large Animal Vets and Techs are DairyNZ Certified Body Condition Scorers and can work with you to create a practical, effective autumn strategy.
