Monday, 27 May 2024 12:25

'Stand stock' before Moving Day

Written by  Staff Reporters
Moving Day for stock starts from 1 June and continues for several weeks. Moving Day for stock starts from 1 June and continues for several weeks.

Southern dairy farmers are being reminded to undertake best practices to safeguard water quality and transport safety when the annual stock Moving Day begins shortly.

Moving Day for stock starts from 1 June and continues for several weeks, a tradition where dairy cow herds and farmers move between farm properties, either by road or more often by stock truck.

Otago Regional Council manager compliance Tami Sargeant says the emphasis is on farmers’ standing their stock the day before moving, and for trucking companies to use the roadside effluent disposal sites.

Sargeant says effluent from stock trucks can put road users and adjacent waterways at risk and asks farmers to stand off their animals, for at least 4 to 12 hours, prior to transporting them.

She says that effluent can get onto roads, become a safety hazard for other drivers, run off into roadside drains, or pollute adjacent waterways.

The ORC and several local authorities now operate nine roadside effluent disposal sites across Otago, with six disposal sites on State Highway 1 between Pukeuri and Clinton, and three on inland highways, at Raes Junction, Brassknocker Rd and Tarras.

Farmers walking their herd along a road should keep them away from roadside drains, and avoid disturbed soil, to stop effluent entering waterways.

Cows should be stood off green feed for at least four hours, but no more than 12 hours, before they are loaded onto trucks, which helps reduce the amount of effluent on trucks.

For welfare reasons, DairyNZ also recommends that a grazed-out paddock or stand-off pad are better options for standing stock, than a concrete surface, as the latter can contribute to tender feet and are not god for stock to lie down on.

More like this

'Sheer arrogance'

OPINION: A reader recently called out the Hound for not giving Federated Farmers enough credit for taking Otago Regional Council to task on its dodgy rule changes.

Feds, council at loggerheads

Federated Farmers is calling for transparency from Otago Regional Council amid a debate over proposed freshwater rules.

Featured

Nichol is new PGW chair

A day after the ouster of PGG Wrightson’s chair and his deputy, the listed rural trader’s board has appointed John Nichol as the new independent chair.

Fieldays to rebuild Mystery Creek services building

The iconic services building at National Fieldays' Mystery Creek site will be demolished to make way for a "contemporary replacement that better serves the needs of both the community and event organisers," says board chair Jenni Vernon.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Quid prod quo?

OPINION: Ageing lefty Chris Trotter reckons that the decision to delay recognition of Palestinian statehood is more than just a fit…

Deadwood

OPINION: A mate of yours truly recently met someone at a BBQ who works at a big consulting firm who spent…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter