Article Summary: New Zealand’s distinct seasons demand targeted grazing management. In summer, leave enough residual and consider early destocking to avoid exhausting paddocks. Autumn focuses on rebuilding covers, supported by tools like Pasture.io for real-time growth tracking. Winter on-off grazing and sacrifice areas limit pugging, while thoughtful feed budgeting ensures livestock remain in good condition. Finally, spring’s flush requires faster rotations and occasional topping to preserve quality. Together, these tactics help farmers navigate seasonal shifts smoothly and maintain consistently healthy, productive pastures.
Introduction
New Zealand’s climate swings from searing summer nor’westers to sodden winter fronts, then back to the lively growth of spring all within one stock year. Each shift tests pasture resilience and livestock performance in different ways. The roadmap below walks through practical, season-by-season tactics that keep covers steady, soil structure intact, and animals in good nick. Where relevant, we flag how real-time platforms such as Pasture.io sharpen the timing of each move.
Summer – Protecting Pasture in the Heat
Dry spells stress plants long before they turn visibly brown. Aim to finish summer grazings at about 1 500 kg DM/ha (≈ 4 cm residual) or more so ryegrass crowns stay insulated and roots remain active. When covers dip beneath this line:
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Introduce conserved feed early— baleage, hay or maize silage reduce pressure on the sward.
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Shift lower-priority stock off-farm or draft for sale before the deficit bites; feed saved now preserves core breeding herds and prime finishing animals.
Drought tolerant forages such as chicory, plantain or lucerne offer a helpful “green pick” if they’re already in the rotation, but avoid establishing them mid-summer—soil moisture is usually too low for reliable take. Throughout the heat, Pasture.io’s satellite curves reveal which paddocks are holding growth and which are on a downward slide, helping you rank grazing order and target any tactical nitrogen.
Autumn – Rebuilding Covers and Feed Wedges
As soil temperatures cool to the ryegrass sweet-spot of 10–15 °C, tillering potential climbs, making autumn the main recovery engine after drought. Lengthen your round progressively—from about 25 days in late summer to 35–45 days by late April so leaves reach the three-leaf stage before the next grazing. When juggling paddock priorities:
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Repair first-priority paddocks (oversow or lightly cultivate) while soil is still warm.
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Apply phosphorus, potassium and sulphur in line with soil-test recommendations; drought often masks latent shortages.
Digital growth forecasts help you decide whether extra nitrogen will pay for itself before winter or simply push surplus covers you can’t graze.
Winter – Managing Wet Soils and Animal Condition
Growth rates slow to single digits, while rainfall and trampling risk climb. Two low-tech but powerful tactics protect soil structure:
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On-off grazing: give stock a controlled break (2–4 hours) on fresh pasture, then move them to a stand-off pad or feedlot to rumen-process.
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Sacrifice paddocks: concentrate inevitable damage on a robust, well-drained block earmarked for future renewal.
Feed-budget worksheets—fed by fortnightly satellite measurements—show whether pasture allowance will meet energy demand through to lambing or calving. If the curve falls short, secure supplements early; winter hay markets tighten quickly once rain sets in.
Spring – Riding the Growth Wave without Losing Quality
Longer days, milder nights and soil temperatures above 10 °C trigger a rapid flush. Keep utilisation high by accelerating the rotation to 18–21 days, or faster in ryegrass-dominant swards. Surpluses are inevitable, so act before grass gets rank:
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Cut high-cover paddocks for baleage at the pre–heading stage; quality surplus today is high-energy feed next summer.
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Top just-grazed paddocks only when residuals exceed 4 cm, removing stem that stock refused.
Satellite heat-maps pinpoint paddocks that are racing ahead, letting you queue the mower in the right order and avoid post-grazing spiking.
Pulling It All Together
Across the year you will flex rotation length, stocking rate, and supplement use—yet the guiding principles remain constant:
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Protect the ryegrass base in summer.
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Build a strong feed wedge through autumn.
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Shield wet soils and maintain body condition in winter.
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Harvest or graze surpluses quickly in spring.
Layering real-time data from services like Pasture.io onto those fundamentals turns seasonal theory into day-to-day precision. The result is steadier pasture supply, healthier animals, and a pasture platform that’s ready—whatever the weather throws your way.
Until we meet again, Happy Grazing!
- The Dedicated Team of Pasture.io, 2025-04-15