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The article reports on the results of research which was conducted to evaluate the physical properties of soil (porosity, bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity) of a Pallic soil (Pukemutu silt loam) and pasture production on a dairy farm in Southland, New Zealand, under a number of different cattle grazing strategies: (i) normal grazing management on undrained land, (ii) normal grazing practice on drained land, (iii) restricted autumn grazing, (iv) restricted grazing when soil conditions were wet, (v) never pugged, and (vi) never grazed. Researchers found that there were no significant differences in any soil physical properties measured on cattle grazed treatments. They also determined that spring pasture yield from the never grazed treatment was greater (P < 0.05) than the drained and undrained standard practice grazing treatments for one of the three seasons. Researchers concluded that the never pugged grazing strategy failed to prevent soil compaction by dairy cows and that when soil water content was greater than the plastic limit, the pugged grazing strategy probably contributed to both soil treading damage and compaction during the traditionally wet early spring period.