this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2023
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One of the big differences between NZ dairy and other countries is in heavily dairy areas we don't feed much grain, we simply put the cows in a paddock of grass and let them take care of themselves. I grew up on dairy farms and there wasn't a lot of tractor use except to cut hay and then later to feed out hay in the winter. The odd other job but it wasn't uncommon to go days without using the tractor.
However, this is in one region of the country. I'd say this is normal in two heavily dairy regions (Taranaki and Waikato) which have ample amounts of rain and sun, and fertile volcanic soil. But the South Island has a lot of dairy and it is quite different down there. Lots of irrigation and feeding out of other crops, neither of which happen much in the North Island (we are great at picking creative names).
And to answer your question, this page says the average dairy herd in NZ is 440 cows. https://www.dairyproducer.com/new-zealand-farming-production-systems-dairy/