Northland dairy farmers, many of whom are suffering the effects of more than a month of persistent rain, have been discussing their options at DairyNZ discussion groups.
DairyNZ regional leader Tafi Manjala said sodden soils meant farmers would have to tailor their decisions to suit the conditions.
"The majority of soils are saturated. In Northland, we have quite a number of heavy soils, so a lot of pugging damage has occurred," Mr Manjala said.
"Low pasture utilisation, caused by cows trampling the pasture, is causing quite a bit of pain for people because most need to use supplements to ensure cows are well fed."
Ruawai farm owner Peter Flood was among those relying on supplementary feed.
"We've had to stand cows off because it's so wet. We're basically zero grazing the pastures at night.
"For seven or eight days cows only got pasture in the morning and they were on the feed pad for the rest of the day," he said.
"If we didn't have the supplements on hand it would have cost us quite severely, particularly on cow condition, but cow condition is still on target.
"They didn't go below four condition score, but a small number that did have been put on once a day to pick them up before mating starts."
Cow health had been closely monitored on the farm, with more cases of mastitis and tender hooves than usual because of long periods on concrete.
Mr Manjala said it was best for farmers to focus on what they could control rather than what they couldn't.
"Identify where you are and how you will manage your cashflow for the next eight months.
"Also, monitor feed supply every two weeks as we get closer to balance date, when grass growth equals cow demand. Don't over-buy feed that you may not need after two weeks," he said.
"Maintain a rotation length of at least 30 days and minimise pasture damage by on/off grazing the dry cows and grazing paddocks from the back. Ensure cows are getting enough magnesium and calcium, as one downer cow can take up a lot of your time and energy.
"When the farm starts to dry out, plan to apply a compound fertiliser with nitrogen and sulphur as they will be depleted from the soil after the extended wet conditions."
He suggested farmers continue to focus on the basics, such as matching feed demand to supply and protecting soil structure by minimising pugging.
"The platemeter is likely to be over-estimating cover in the paddock, so use it as a guide and trust your eye," he said.
"Create a plan and communicate it to staff and your advisory team, such as your banker, accountant, farm consultant and rural suppliers.
"Implement it, continuously monitor results and make necessary changes," he said.
More information on wet weather management could be had from any DairyNZ discussion group and at dairynz.co.nz/wetweather
-NAD ln