SMASH: Run by dairy farmers for dairy farmers

SMASH has been set up to help dairy farmers, particularly those with smaller operations, to run successful businesses. We mainly achieve this by running events throughout New Zealand. These give farmers the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills which will stand them in good stead back on their own farms.

We also want to foster a supportive farming community – we are all in it together! SMASH is run by a group of New Zealand dairy farmers with a passion for the industry and for helping to build a strong and sustainable future for dairy farming. Read more

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Do you sow tetraploid perennial ryegrass – or should you?More and more farmers are using tetraploid perennial ryegrasses, as they are easier to graze, hold quality to higher covers (a real advantage in times of surplus), and have higher feed quality (0.5 MJ ME/kg DM higher).This means they can increase a cow’s intake by 5-10%. So, could you produce the same milk with 5-10% fewer cows? This is worth thinking about as there are potential cost savings, given there are many per cow costs in dairy systems, plus environmental advantages as fewer cows means lower greenhouse gas production. Alternatively, if you want to increase MS production, can you do it with the same cow number fed better, rather than with more cows?Fewer cows producing the same milk improves a farm’s feed conversion efficiency. As it takes around 60 MJ ME for each cow to live (their maintenance energy), so less going into this with fewer cows means more energy to produce MS. The downside of tetraploid perennial ryegrass is it is less dense or robust than standard diploid ryegrass. We often overcome this with 50:50 mixes of the two, where the tougher diploid ryegrass protects the tetraploid. If you wanted to try tetraploids but are still worried about persistence, how about a 75% diploid: 25% tetraploid seed mix? This will give you a significant lift in palatability and easier grazing, but with only 25% tetraploid ryegrass little loss in pasture density. Source: @barenbrugnz ... See MoreSee Less
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Are your heifers coming back from grazing or on their way off to grazing?Don't forget to look after their engine house - the rumen!Many farmers underestimate the value of fibre in their ruminants' diet.Right now with heifers travelling to and from grazing taking care of that rumen can mean they get off the truck and get straight back into eating without any period of restlessness.Ever noticed newly arrived cattle pacing around their new paddock of beautiful grass more interested in walking over it than eating it? Cattle like this need fibre.Fibre (and water) pre- and post-trucking can mean the rumen is looked after during the time on the truck and helps them back onto green grass with a fully functional and happy rumen.New Zealand Grazing Companyng Company ... See MoreSee Less
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Top farmers achieved a not in-calf rate of 11.2 from 10 weeks of mating in spring 2023. The not in-calf rate is the percentage of cows that were not pregnant at the end of mating based on the number of eligible cows (cows calved in the season and present in the herd at mating start date). Not in-calf rates do not give an indication of how quickly cows get in calf and must be used alongside 6-week in-calf rates to assess overall herd performance. The not in-calf rate is usually 2-5 % higher than the often-quoted empty rate. The empty rate is usually calculated as the percentage of cows pregnancy tested that are recorded as empty (not in-calf) whereas the not in-calf rate is the percentage of eligible cows at the start of mating recorded as empty, plus it assumes any cows not pregnancy tested (for example, culled before testing) or recorded as doubtful are also not in-calf. Not in-calf rates, or empty rates, need to be interpreted in combination with the length of mating. The longer a mating period is the lower your not in-calf rate will be.Data source: LIC Reference: DairyNZ In-Calf book www.dairynz.co.nz/media/ve2lkbzv/the-incalf-book.pdf ... See MoreSee Less
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Fat bottom girls make the rockin’ world go ‘round. This is certainly true for dairy cows and is the reason why there is a target to have first and second calvers calve at a body condition score (BCS) of 5.5 and mixed aged cows at 5.0.Cows calving below this target will have:• Reduced milk production• Reduced reproductive performance• Increased risk of metritis and mastitis• Increased chance of having a bull calf next seasonYou can have too much of a good thing, cows calving above this target will have:• Reduced dry matter intake after calving• Increased BCS loss after calving• Increased risk of metabolic diseasesNow is the time to have this front of mind in the lead up to drying off. DairyNZ has a tool that works out the latest date you can dry off cows to meet your BCS targets at calving: www.dairynz.co.nz/tools/dry-off-date-to-reach-bcs-targets-at-calving/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Our Farmers

Keith and Tracey

Smaller herd works for couple

“You are never too old to learn, attending SMASH events, industry and bank days keeps you well-informed and up-to-date. It is great to get off farm to see how other people run their farms.”

Cam

Always learning something new

“I think some people are shy to walk into an event on their own. The way I think about it is if you go to an event and learn one thing, quite often that thing will make you a lot better farmer. There are a lot of practical ideas you can pick up.”

Paul and Abby

Winning shift to the West Coast

“I love the fact that it is much more family-orientated, that is much more sustainable from a people perspective. My kids will grow up like I did, getting out on the farm, helping Dad in the shed. Ultimately, that is where the next generation of farmers comes from. I think we have done well to attract people from the urban setting, but I don’t think that is sustainable. You have to have environments where you can bring up families and that is one of the big benefits of small herds.”

Peter

SMASH supporter from the start

“SMASH events are more relevant for smaller herds farmers, you don’t feel out of place as you are not among the big corporates. It’s good to have small events like SMASH. I would encourage anyone to go to a SMASH event if they get a chance. I enjoy the interaction with the people afterwards as much as the topics.”

Nathan and Rosie

Career switch to smaller herd pays off

“We like the SMASH events so much because they are at a good level, they are deep enough to be worthy of going, and practical enough that we can use them in everyday life. Getting off the farm to go to an event is like a holiday! We feel so refreshed afterwards, it’s like we have been away for ever!”

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