Last week’s southerly bluster had farmers nervous in their anticipation of bad things to come, but don’t worry, it was okay.
David Giddings of Meadowslea Angus and Sheep Genetics said he had eight inches or thereabouts on the ground Wednesday morning, but most of it melted over the day. But there was still a cold southerly wind on Thursday, he said.
“Thankfully, this didn’t knock over too many lambs.”
Ashburton crop and livestock farmer David Clark said he was okay at the end of lambing and the snow “wasn’t too bad”.
“The stock has come through it well and it was only the last of the southerly front that dropped much snow on us.
“We don’t shed off the ewes and lambs but we do set-stock. They are pretty much left to their own devices and that works best,” Clark said.
James Guild of High Peak Station, Mid Canterbury said he always got a bit nervous when a weather event was imminent “but I think we got off quite lightly this time.
“There wasn’t a huge depth (of snow) – that was the first thing. Animals were able to scratch through the snow for feed.
“The depth was about three inches, but there was the chill factor and although the sun was out on Thursday there wasn’t much thaw.”
Dairy farmer Rhys Roberts, CEO of Align Farms, said he had had no issues with the weather bomb.
“For a while there we were getting a wee bit worried, but nah, it was good as gold. It has definitely been one of the wetter calvings, but all the same it was a really good calving, one of our best.
“We finished calving before this weather arrived which was a relief.”
As an aside SAFE animal activist group had posted online: “Heavy snowfall has left countless lambs at the mercy of the freezing conditions.”
SAFE head of investigations Will Appelbe said farming practices had to change.
“Every year, lambs born in the late winter and spring are caught out in the cold by icy blasts,” Appelbe said.
“While this weather event isn’t unique, severe weather events like this are likely to become more common as climate change worsens.”

• By Pat Deavoll