Huge falls in the past few weeks, during which they have given up measuring the rain at their Allansford dairy farm, mean they are set up for a good season ahead.
In the meantime, the Bega Cheese suppliers are managing their 230-head herd and pastures as water sits atop their black soil along the Hopkins River.
“We’ve had 40 acres (16ha) under water the last 10 days,” Mr Ryan said last Friday.
“It is the low-lying (area) and we have the run-off from other people’s (properties) as it gets to the river.
“Everything is out of (grazing) rotation. Cows have been getting a full paddock to minimise pugging damage.”
After the wettest September on record last year — pushing silage harvest back and therefore degrading the quality of the pasture cut and stored — the Ryans say quality will be an issue again despite the fact it will be a “bumper spring”.
They will compensate for possible poorer quality silage with summer crops.
Rain following the mild winter means their property will be green until January.
“We never say no to rain in September,” Mr Ryan said.
Warrnambool, on Monday, had received 102.4mm for the month to date. Last September it received 155.2mm.
The Ryans said they typically received a lot more rain than the official Warrnambool rain recording.
Source: The Weekly Times
Link: http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/agribusiness/dairy/dairy-farmers-not-concerned-by-waterlogged-paddocks/news-story/aa0e68e42c10f107321d17d8f654107b
