Building success on New Zealand grass

OTOROHANGA, Waikato, North Island, New Zealand — For decades, the Ferguson family has watched their cows graze on the paddocks of Ferdon Farm on New Zealand’s North Island.

Warren and Michelle Ferguson milk around 220 cows seasonally on their farm near Otorohanga. Two-thirds of the herd are Jerseys and the rest are Holsteins and Ayrshires. Their three adult children — Josh, Corey and Ashley — all continue to help on the farm as they can, along with their families. The 220-acre farm, with volcanic ash soil, is pasture-based, with about 25 acres used to raise silage and hay.

The Fergusons pride themselves on the production of their cows, as they are on track to record 1,100 pounds of milk solids per cow per lactation, provided that the remainder of their summer grazing season continues with plenty of rain.

“Our production goals keep moving now that we are hitting that level of milk solids per cow,” Warren Ferguson said. “We are seeing success utilizing feed and bull choices at mating.”

Dairying in New Zealand is strong, Ferguson said, with more than 9,000 people employed in the dairy industry in the Waikato region alone.

“Dairy is the largest employer among the region’s primary industries,” Ferguson said. “Dairy constitutes more than 60% of the regional export earnings and more than 20% of New Zealand’s entire exports.”

The Fergusons market their milk through Fonterra. It is processed at a local factory in Te Awamutu that processes nearly 800,000 gallons daily during peak season.

With a relatively small population, only 5% of dairy products produced in New Zealand are consumed domestically, making the industry heavily reliant on exports.

In addition to pasture, the Ferdon herd is fed a ration that includes a blend of grains, dried distillers’ grain, kibble maize and some palm kernel extract. A mineral mix is added, which includes Zinc to help combat facial eczema, a severe liver-damaging disease caused by cows ingesting eczema spores. The spores thrive in warm, humid conditions on dead pasture. Zinc boluses are given to youngstock every six weeks, from January to March.

The farm, which is mostly flat, is bound on the north and west by Mangaorongo Stream and the Waipa River. During the winter and spring months, about five acres of the river flat tend to flood. This year has seen more flooding than most, Ferguson said. Normal yearly rainfall ranges from 54 to 57 inches, with the winter being wetter than the summer.

New Zealand has an oceanic climate, Ferguson said, with temperatures over the year ranging from 40 degrees to nearly 80. Occasionally a winter day will dip down to the freezing mark.

“Our summers are comfortable and our winters are cold, wet and windy,” Ferguson said. “May through September are our coldest months.”

While the herd grazes year-round, Ferguson said the constraints of managing winter grazing continue to grow.

“Over the last few years, we have been debating the pros and cons of a feed pad or barn to better utilize feed and stop pasture damage,” Ferguson said. “But we are a small dairy farm by New Zealand standards, and the cost of these infrastructures is high. The heat in the summer is also a problem, so we are planting more trees for shade, shelter and conservation of the river.”

Ferguson is proud of the fact that type and production go hand in hand in their breeding program.

“Some of our top producers happen to be our highest-type cows,” Ferguson said. “New Zealand has just moved into pointing Excellent classified cows, so we are pleased to have two score 95 points.”

The Fergusons use North American bulls, along with their own bulls, to breed heifers and as clean-up bulls.

With their grazing system, mobility is a primary focus for Ferguson.

“Our herd has to walk nearly two miles from the dairy shed to the back of the farm, so the cows need to have good feet and legs,” Ferguson said. “At the present time, the cows are on a 15-day rotation, so they do a lot of walking. We also are aware of udder traits, as we need longevity in our cows, and the udder needs to be sound for the distances they walk.”

The Ferdon prefix has become known globally.

“We enjoy breeding cows and are always striving to breed the most functional cow we can,” Ferguson said. “If we get a show cow, that’s a bonus. We have worked very hard to continue breeding these kinds of cows. Our cow families are strong, and we keep that in mind as we foster these families for our continued strength in the dairy industry.”

Following a successful 75th Celebration Sale in 2024, the Fergusons are planning a second sale this April called Chase Your Dreams at Ferdon.

A highlight in their family’s dairy career was a connection that Ferguson’s father, Don, made with Great Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, which began through exporting animals to the Queen’s herd. In turn, she visited their farm in 1990.

As older farmers, the Fergusons hope to see their multi-generational farm continue.

“I grew up with pedigree stock,” Ferguson said. “My father started with stud stock and farm ownership, and we want to see that continue with our family. We have had an amazing life from farming and stud stock. We enjoy the fact that farming is for the whole family. These cows have taken us all over the world, and we’ve made lifelong friendships.”