A feedpad cover is a roof built over a dairy farm's feeding area, most often using a clearspan steel structure, to keep the pad dry, separate clean rainwater from effluent, and give cows a more consistent place to feed regardless of weather. On NZ dairy farms it typically sits over an existing or purpose-built concrete pad, sized to the herd and feeding system rather than built to a standard template.
Here's a closer look at what a feedpad cover changes on farm, the returns farmers are seeing, and answers to the questions we get asked most.
1. What Does a Feedpad Cover Actually Do on a Dairy Farm?
2. What Kind of Return Are Farmers Actually Seeing?
A feedpad cover works on four fronts at once: it keeps rain out of the effluent stream, protects feed from weather damage, reduces heat stress in summer, and gives farmers a controlled space to hold cows off pasture when paddocks need protecting. None of these are separate problems. They're the same pressure point (an exposed feeding area) showing up in different conditions throughout the year.
Rain landing on an open feedpad adds volume to the effluent system without adding any nutrient value. That water still has to be stored and spread. A cover separates clean roof water from effluent runoff at the source, which makes storage more predictable and reduces pressure during wet periods.
The scale can be significant fast:. For example, on Barrett Farms in Hurford, Taranaki, a single weekend event with 250mm of rain saw the covered roof area prevent around 540,000 litres from entering the effluent pond.
Feed exposed to rain, wind and mud clumps, spoils and gets trampled before cows can eat it. Uncovered feeding commonly results in 20% to 30% wastage, while covered systems often lift utilisation to 90% to 100%, up from a typical 60% to 70% on an exposed pad.
Feed protected under a cover stays closer to what was actually put out, which matters most for farms buying in supplement or running mixed rations.
Heat stress reduces intake well before it looks dramatic. Cows spend less time eating and more energy trying to cool down. A cover with the right roof clearance, open sides and ridge venting keeps air moving and reduces direct solar load, so cows stay cooler and keep eating for longer. Protected intake through summer is one of the main drivers behind the 20% to 30%milk solids gains many farms report after installing a cover.
A covered feedpad gives farmers a controlled place to hold cows during wet spells, high-risk grazing windows or summer heat, without pulling them off grass entirely. That reduces pugging, protects soil structure, and cuts the amount of re-sowing needed later in the season.
Scale matters here too. Simpson Farms in Rangiriri West, Waikato built a 6,100m² covered feedpad designed to feed their entire herd in a single sitting, removing pasture pressure entirely during the highest-risk periods rather than just easing it.
As Mike Simpson put it, "we didn't make any mud at all with the new system."
Results vary by farm system, herd size and climate, but the patterns are consistent enough to plan around:
Here's how that plays out on one actual Aztech feedpad cover project.
Honeysett, South Wairarapa
A 128m by 21m feedpad cover near Featherston. In the two seasons before the cover was installed, the farm produced around 525,000kgMS. Production has since reached 670,000kgMS, a lift from 389kgMS to 496kgMS per cow, an increase of 107kgMS per cow. Before installing the cover, the farm typically wintered cows off-farm; it now keeps the majority of the herd on-farm year-round.
Results like these are farm-specific and depend on herd, feed strategy and existing infrastructure, not a number every farm should expect to replicate.
Does a covered feedpad reduce effluent volumes?
Yes. Keeping rain off the pad keeps clean roof water out of the effluent stream, which reduces the total volume that needs to be stored and spread. The size of the saving depends on roof area and regional rainfall, but for high-rainfall regions it's often one of the biggest parts of the return.
What's the real difference between a covered and an open feedpad?
An open feedpad still works in good conditions, but weather exposes every pressure point at once: rain adds volume to effluent, feed gets wet and wasted, and cows are exposed to heat and mud. A cover brings all of those under control at the source rather than managing them individually.
Should I choose a composting barn or a feedpad cover?
It depends on how the structure will be used. A feedpad cover is built around feeding, typically over an existing or new concrete pad, and works well where cows are still grazing most of the time. A composting barn is a full housing system, generally suited to farms wintering cows on-farm for extended periods.
What herd health benefits come from a covered feedpad?
More consistent access to dry feed and cooler conditions in summer support more stable intake, which shows up in body condition and production consistency. Farmers moving from paddock feeding during wet periods also report less mud-related lameness risk and calmer cow flow at the feed face.
What's the best feedpad cover setup for a large herd?
For larger herds, feed lanes generally outperform feed bins since they let more cows access feed at once and scale more easily as herd numbers grow. As a rough NZ reference point, a 600-cow herd has been matched with a 75m by 27m feedpad cover, while a 900-cow herd was covered by a 6,100m² structure designed to feed the entire herd in one sitting. Exact sizing still depends on feeding system and cow flow.
How long does a feedpad cover take to install?
Timelines depend on structure size, site conditions and whether it's a retrofit over existing concrete or a full greenfield build. Retrofits are generally faster since the pad itself doesn't need to be rebuilt. Get in touch for a project-specific timeline.
How well do feedpad covers perform in wind and corrosion-prone conditions?
Structures should be engineered to the specific site's wind zone and coastal exposure, with appropriate steel coatings for corrosion resistance. This is a site-specific engineering question best answered during design rather than with a general figure.
The right configuration depends on herd size, feeding style, effluent setup and how the farm actually operates day to day.
Download the full Practical Guide to Covered Feedpads for a closer look at configuration options, cleaning systems and detailed farm results.