October 2018

A GIPPSDAIRY PUBLICATION - ISSUE 237

Recently an expat Kiwi dairy farmer in Tasmania said to me, “I don’t do marginal milk, it’s just too risky”

FEEDING TOWARDS A PROFIT

Continued over >>

It’s a good reminder that depending upon where you dairy farm and the conditions you are currently experiencing there are two types of milk.

The first is milk from pasture, the one that generally drives farm profit; the second is the milk from supplements which is called marginal milk, because its production should depend on the difference between its cost and the income it generates. Sometimes marginal milk is very profitable - but not always.

At the time of writing this article there appears to be two clear types of dairy farm situation in Gippsland and in fact across the dairy nation:There are farms with virtually no grass and no cheap milk where the decision to feed supplement even at current prices is non-negotiable. • The decisions this group of farmers are making are centred on the questions “Will a milker cover her feed cost?” and “At what point do I dry a proportion of the herd off and feed them as dry cows?” • These farms are spending 80 -100% of milk income on feed; the other expenses are either mining equity or coming from reserves.

• Decisions in these situations require a fine balance between preservation of the business, to be able to bounce back, and financially being able to afford to bounce back. • Cost and access to feed are paramount and most of this group are identifying the “feed window” they want to fill, which might be 30 - 40 days or longer.• A very tough scene.

The second group of farmers are those with grass. • The level of supplement that’s fed in spring and marginal milk produced is actually discretionary like my Tassie farmer above highlighted. • In the old days, at the type of feed prices we have now, most farmers would just have turned the supplement dial down a bit in spring (because they could) and then turned it up in summer because they had to! • The complication at present is the external price and availability of fodder- it’s gold and in the absence of grass plus no fodder the proverbial hits the fan! • There have been a lot of messages about nitrogen in spring- that’s a no brainer on both milking area and support areas.

By John Mulvany - OMJ Consulting

When it comes to marginal milk there are various milk price to feed ratios that people talk about that are often confused. The following table using information from a recent Focus Farm meeting may help clarify the situation. All Gippsland dairy farmers are paid for solids so I suggest you look at the solids ratio more than the litres.

In most cases there will be minimal or no profit in concentrates in spring but if they are cost neutral and assist you to conserve more fodder and still have acceptable spring production with cows in good condition then it’s an overall benefit.

For the farmer who has pasture a frequent comment at present is “...I’ll still feed but probably a bit less, and the cows will just be bit hungrier...” For those who understand the “daily line” it means a little bit left with cows keen to come into the dairy, and certainly not right with lazy cows!

Equally some are saying that they will keep feeding at the same rate to help create silage, but be cautious - feeding to create fodder will only work if you change grazing management. Allocate to ensure

that the cows still leave the right residual at a higher stock density per hectare (e.g. 90 cows/Ha/24hrs instead of 60 cows/Ha/24 hours). This means that more cows are grazing pastures that are a bit longer than normal in spring so it has a high risk of losing quality. Get this wrong and the cows will make you pay in the vat for “forest munching”.

If you have pasture then irrespective of your spring feeding regime it’s a year when it’s worth calculating your net litres or solids. After all the net is what’s left after the feed cost to pay other bills. A net figure of 1.7 kg milk solids or 21 - 23 litres (4.0% BF/3.3%Pr) would be a good outcome this spring. The following table shows the method to calculate the net figures.

If the level of concentrate feeding in spring creates a low spring net then the cash flow pressure it creates might not be worthwhile- it is a very fine balance.

Finally in regard to numbers for this season, as usual there is a huge variation and plenty of opinions:

• Those without pasture have already gone back to absolute core numbers and that includes young stock - fewer mouths moderately fed.

• Those with pasture are generally trimming a bit earlier, BUT there are still quite a few farmers waiting until the end of spring to do a normal “clean out”. As one of them said: “The way this industry changes who knows what will happen by December!”

There are no recipes for the perfect path this spring and generic advice is dangerous BUT there are very solid principles that apply year in and year out.

Feeding towards a profit>> Continued from page 1

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Ratio Focus Farm Example Your figures

1. Solids vs Grain BasisCents/kg milk ÷ $/T grain

Based on 0.08kg milk solids response per kg fed.

This ratio needs to be greater than 1.5 to have absolute confidence in making money.

511 ÷ 400 = 1.27

At a ratio of 1.27 the cows have to be in

the right stage of lactation and hungry

Your milk price in spring

.........................cents/kg MS

Your grain price..............................$/T

Your ratio:.........................

2. Litres vs Grain PriceCents/L ÷ cents/kg

This needs to be greater than 1.0 to generate a margin. It’s simple but can be misleading because it’s litres based

38 ÷ 40 = 0.95

Your milk price

.........................cents/L

Your grain price

.........................cents/kg

Your ratio:.........................

TABLE 1 Milk Price and Feed Price ratios

(Milk price $5.11/kg MS at 4.1% BF and 3.3% Pr or 38c/L; Grain price $400/T)

Example Your figures

Income: 2 kg MS x $5.50/kg = $11.00

Supplement cost: 4 kg x $0.40 = $1.60

Net after supplement: $11.00 - $1.60 = $9.40

$9.40 ÷ $5.50 = 1.71 kg MS net

$9.40 ÷ $0.39/L = 24 Litres net

TABLE 2Calculation of Net Litres and Solids

Cows producing av.28 L at 4.0% BF and 3.3% pr (2.0 kg MS); Milk price $5.50/kg MS or 39c/L;

feeding 4 kg grain at 40 cents/kg.

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO GRAB ONE OF THE EIGHT ADVERTISEMENTS IN EACH MONTH’S HOW NOW GIPPY COW.Contact Danny Buttler on 0409 561 326 or danny@gippsdairy.com.au

SILAGE it’s quality not quantity

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By Frank MickanPasture & Fodder Conservation Specialist

Why make high quality silage?High quality silage will allow your cows to maintain (or even increase) high levels of milk production at any time during lactation, not just at mid–late lactation. If high quality silage – 10.5 to 11.0 megajoules of metabolisable energy/kilogram dry matter (MJ ME/kg DM) – is fed, less quantity is needed to supply the same amount of energy as when feeding poorer quality silage. Feeding average quality silage (8.5–10 ME) should maintain or slightly increase milk production, but poor quality silage (<8.5 ME) will not maintain production unless supplemented with a higher quality and more expensive supplement, such as grain.Always aim to make high quality silage, because factors (often outside your control) can lead to you ending up with average to poor quality silage. Such factors include bad weather before or after cutting, machinery breakdowns and contractor delays. However, many factors that can impact on quality and ARE in your control include:

Tips to producing high quality silagePasture silage quality is mostly influenced by stage of growth at cutting, timing and length of shut up, prevailing weather conditions and harvesting, storage and feed-out management.The single most important determinant of high quality silage is the stage of growth at cutting.

The earlier paddocks are set aside for silage and the shorter the shut-up period, the higher the nutritive value of silage, the better the regrowth and higher the overall spring pasture production. Quality is highest when paddocks are cut well ahead of when grasses are due to go to head. Yield will be down, but the quality of the silage and regrowth will be very good and will well and truly offset the higher cost of harvesting these lighter yields.The longer the duration of closure, the more detrimental it is to pasture/silage quality, especially if occurring near the time ryegrass plants are starting to send up seed heads. At this stage, ryegrass can change from the vegetative stage to full ear within 10–14 days, and correspondingly, decline in quality very quickly. Once closed, pastures will decline about 0.3 MJ ME/kg DM and 1.9 % CP per week.

How to maintain silage quality after harvesting:• Mow once the morning dew has lifted • Bale within 24–48 hours • Bale well compacted/dense bales • Use a silage additive • Wrap within 1–3 hours after baling • Wrap with 4–6 layers • Repair holes immediately once seen

Description of ryegrass Metabolisable Energy (MJ/kg DM)

Leafy tiller 11.5 - 12.5

Stem starting to develop, nodes <5 cm from ground 11.5 - 12.5

Flag leaf appearing, nodes >5 cm from ground 10.5 – 11.5

Seed head developing, 1 cm long 10 - 11

Seed head starts to emerge 9 - 10

Seed colour changes, seed starts to fill 8 - 9

Seed shedding 6 - 8

TABLE 4Ryegrass quality at different stages of growth

Key points• Milk producing pastures and crops of high quality, if ensiled correctly, will result in high animal production when fed• Aim for quality NOT quantity!• Mow, wilt, bale and wrap within 24–48 hours• Bale well-compacted bales• Seal bales airtight as soon as possible after bales are made• Maintain the airtight seal and patch holes immediately with silage specific tape• If your silage contains seed heads or is slimy, smelly, mouldy, unpalatable or is heating up once opened, you’re losing lots of $$$$$

The more vegetative (leafier) the crop and the closer to the correct grazing stage (2.5-3 green leaves) it is at cutting, the closer the silage quality will be to the original pasture being ensiled. The analysis of this silage should be well over 10.5 MJ ME. Table 4 indicates the quality (ME) of ryegrass throughout its growth.

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Dairy’s laws of diminishing returns

Ever wanted to increase the inputs of your dairy system and wondered if it would be worth it? Will the cows produce enough to pay for the difference?This question can be partly answered by considering the Law of Diminishing Returns. Increasing inputs, such as grain or fertiliser, will not necessarily produce a linear outcome, i.e. cows will not continually produce an extra litre of milk for every kg of grain that is fed. Simply put, there is a point where the system becomes less responsive to the inputs.

By Ashley Burgess and Ruairi McDonnellGippsDairy Regional Extension Officers

Law of diminishing returns

Additional concentrate fed (kg)

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28

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Milk

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Where you stop increasing inputs, depends on multiple factors including price of the input, unquantifiable benefits such as increased/decreased animal health and foresight as to how the system can change over time. Beyond this, there can be a point where returns become negative meaning the inputs are in fact negatively impacting your system. This is often seen with animal health issues such as clinical acidosis, nitrate poisoning etc., where the cost of the input and increased production is outweighed by the negative side effects.

GRAIN

Supplementary grain feeding on pasture-based dairy systems can be an excellent way to increase milk yield and farm profitability. However, given the current very high price of concentrate supplements, it is essential that we are extracting maximum value from our supplement use. It is important to remember that milk yield responses to concentrate are always curvilinear as outlined in the graph below. In this example, a 550 kg cow starts off consuming 14 kg DM of pasture plus 3 kg of cereal grain for a milk yield of 24 L, a scenario that would be quite common on many Gippsland dairy farms. As we add an extra kg of concentrate supplement, milk yield increases, rapidly at first, then up to a point where each extra kg added has negligible effect on milk yield. For example, between 3 and 4 kg of concentrate, an extra 1.5 L of milk is produced and the milk yield curves rises steeply. However, in this case, moving from

With seasonal conditions and higher feed costs hitting hard in many areas, dairy farmers will be looking for value for money in bulls listed in DataGene’s August release of Australian Breeding Values (ABVs).The good news is it’s possible to buy semen on a budget without compromising genetic gain.Michelle Axford from DataGene recently reviewed the relationship between genetic merit, based on Balanced Performance Index (BPI) and the recommended retail price of straws. It included more than

500 Holstein bulls with easily accessible recommended prices in April 2018*.While the elite BPI bulls (BPI >300) were more expensive on average ($31/straw), the average price of the remaining bulls is $27/straw, regardless of BPI.“Higher BPI bulls don’t always cost more. Even among the top 100 BPI bulls, the price ranged from $14 to $150 a straw,” she said.Michelle said a simple and effective approach was to look for bulls in your price range that carry the Good Bulls logo and meet your breeding priorities.

High BPI at low cost - NO BULL!

Michelle Axford from DataGene says higher BPI bulls don’t always cost more. Even among the top 100 BPI bulls, the price ranged from $14 to $150 a straw.

for the latest ABV results visit: www.datagene.com.au

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Australian’s fodder market continues to be tight. Plan ahead and make informed decisions with these tools and resources.

Dairy Australia has resources available to support farmers. Ranging from feed planning and budgeting, to the latest market information.The hay and grain report is commissioned by Dairy Australia to provide an independent and timely assessment of hay and grain markets in each dairying region. The report is updated 40 weeks per year.

Hay report provided by: Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) Grain report provided by: Profarmer ConsultingWheat prices are for the relevant stockfeed wheat available in a region (ASW, AGP, SFW1 or FED1) and F1 for barley. Hay prices are based on shedded hay without weather damage, of good quality and colour. There is a wide variation in quality for hay, so prices are indicative for a mid-range product.Prices are estimates based on delivery to dairy farms with allowance for freight, storage, and marketing costs, but exclusive of GST. It should be remembered that actual prices may vary for quality or other reasons.

9 to 10 kg of concentrate has virtually no effect on milk yield and the curve remains relatively flat.

The ideal rate of concentrate to be feeding is just before the curve starts to flatten out and the milk yield response become minimal. In the example below it is at approx. 7 kg concentrate. Importantly however this ‘sweet spot’ will range significantly across farms, sometimes higher and sometimes lower. It is hugely dependent on the type of concentrate supplement, stage of lactation, the amount of pasture in the diet, method of feeding and numerous other factors.

A further factor often overlooked is substitution of pasture as concentrate supplement levels increase. We assume in the above scenario that the cows continues to consume 14 kg DM of pasture as we add each extra kg of concentrate. In reality, research has shown that ‘substitution’ of pasture occurs as supplements levels increase, whereby the cow eats less pasture as her supplement levels increase. This is counterproductive as you are essentially replacing cheap feed (grazed pasture) with expensive feed (concentrate). Ensuring that post grazing residuals do not increase as you add more supplement is the best way to avoid pasture substitution.

NITROGEN

The application of nitrogen for additional pasture growth is vital to many dairy pasture systems, particularly to fill the deficit of pasture that a highly stocked farm can have. The ideal application rate of nitrogen according to research is between 25-50 kg/ha. The upper limit was determined due to the diminishing response seen beyond 50kg of nitrogen.

This is not to say there is no response - just that the response becomes more expensive per kilogram of nitrogen and is unlikely to be economical. This research also depends on a moderate price for nitrogen. If the input is very cheap, then the impact of diminishing return occurs at a later point.

The response from nitrogen is not a simple one, often being impacted by other factors such as temperature, soil moisture and pasture species. If the system is limited by another factor, ie low soil phosphorus, the nitrogen response becomes limited. Therefore, the response of 50kg of nitrogen on an infertile soil will be vastly different to a 50kg nitrogen application on your best paddock.

This is similarly seen with moisture and temperature. The debate as to when to apply the first and last application of nitrogen often depends on moisture and soil temperature. If the plant is growing, is not limited by these other factors and nitrogen prices are good, it is often economical to continue to apply nitrogen. However, in the middle of summer when moisture is limiting, an application of nitrogen is likely to be uneconomical.

Considering the fodder price across Gippsland this season, home grown feed is highly likely to be the cheapest form of feed. This is the season to push the response of nitrogen in the system in order to offset bought in fodder. The point where nitrogen application becomes uneconomical has shifted due to increased fodder price, and therefore a response as low as 3:1 (see table) may still be the cheaper option. Talk with your agronomist about nitrogen applications as it may pay to go an extra round or increased application rate this year.

Extra response kg DM/kg N Utilisation Cost/T DM

High response 20:1 100% $65/T DM

75% $87/T DM

Average response 10:1 100% $130/T DM

75% $175/T DM

Low response 5:1 100% $260/T DM

75% $350/T DM

Very low response 3:1 100% $435/T DM

75% $580/T DM

TABLE 1

Variation in the cost of additional pasture consumed when urea is around $600/tonne.

Utilisation column assumes this is the utilisation of the extra pasture produced.

100% utilisation is achievable.

HAY! Here’s a great resource

Visit: www.dairyaustralia.com.au and search hay or grain.

• Meetings in office or on site to assist with State Government issues • Support and advice in working with Victorian Government departments• Copies of Victorian Government Legislation and Vic. Parliament Procedure documents

• Grants advice and support for individuals and clubs• Letters of support for applications for funding through Local, State and Federal Governments• Applications for Commonwealth Certificates for Birthdays and Wedding Anniversaries

Gary BLACKWOOD MP - Member For Narracan My staff and I are available to assist with State Government advice and assistance including;

Electorate office - 3/24 Mason Street Warragulw. www.garyblackwood.com.au p. 5623 1960 e. gary.blackwood@parliament.vic.gov.au f. www.facebook.com/garyblackwoodmp

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Agriculture Victoria researchers at Ellinbank recently hosted a two-day workshop for dairy industry service providers. Around 20 representatives from feed and milk companies, and Dairy Australia’s regional development programs, attended the invitation-only event to hear researchers present an extended summary of nearly a decade’s work into the use of partial mixed rations (PMR) in pasture-based dairy systems. The workshop generated a lot of interest amongst those present, so the key messages from the workshop are also summarised here. The series of 11 grazing experiments commenced in 2009 and were interspersed with several shorter studies using metabolism stalls. All were conducted as part of the ‘Flexible Feeding Systems’ research program, which concluded in 2015. The program, led by Dr Bill Wales, had its origins in the fact that in 2009 the industry had just come through ten years of below average rainfall and the use of purchased supplements was still increasing. The overall aim of the program was to see whether there were better, more efficient ways to feed supplements to dairy cows while maintaining pasture as a major part of their daily intake.

Key findings of the program were:• Feeding supplements as a PMR containing maize grain, maize silage, canola meal and wheat or barley grain produced higher milk solid (fat + protein) yields than equivalent amounts of energy fed as cereal grain in the dairy and forage in the paddock.

• Generally, the milk production benefits of PMR weren’t obvious until at least 10 kg DM of total supplement/cow/day was fed (that’s 7.5 kg DM of grain).

• No milk production benefits of PMR were apparent when it was fed only once per day: it needed to be fed at least twice per day.

• Cows fed PMR consistently produced milk with a higher fat concentration than milk from cows fed cereal grain and forage.

• Feeding cows a PMR containing maize grain and canola meal consistently resulted in a ruminal fluid pH that was less variable and spent less time below pH 6.0 than cows fed cereal grain in the dairy.

• Despite the improved ruminal pH in cows fed PMR there was no measurable difference in whole tract digestibility of the PMR compared to a traditional wheat and forage diet.

• Adding canola meal to the PMR led to increased intakes of both pasture and supplement: this was a primary factor behind the observed increases in milk solids yield.

• Adding canola to the PMR increased cows’ inclination to graze.

• Feeding the main components of the PMR through existing infrastructure in the farm dairy allowed between 75 and 100 per cent of the milk production benefits to be captured without the need for a feed pad or mixer wagon.

Overall, the work generated a large volume of detailed information that should be useful to farmers interested in optimising the use of existing feeding infrastructure or those considering establishing PMR systems on their farms, whether by choice or necessity. The research results have been thoroughly analysed by Agriculture Victoria farm systems economist Dr Christie Ho, who concluded that despite the high capital cost of PMR systems, they can be profitable when well managed and if milk responses similar to those measured in the Flexible Feeding Systems research can be achieved.

Like everything else on the farm, relationships can suffer when neglected.

Farming is one of few industries that combine work and home in one location. This can make for very close relationships.

It can also mean there is little escape from each other when times get tough and conflict occurs.

All relationships require effort, whether it’s personal relationships with family members or relationships with other farm workers. It’s important to talk about issues as they arise. Some conflict is normal, but don’t let things build up until someone explodes.

Communication is key:

Communication is important in relationships with partners, children, extended family members, colleagues and friends. It allows us to share interests, aspirations and concerns, to support each other,

to organise our lives and make decisions, and to work together in caring for children. When there is a breakdown in communication, families and couples can learn how to communicate more effectively. A relationship counsellor can help if communication is difficult or breaks down.

In your farming business, set aside time to regularly meet with your team to map out and plan work goals and discuss challenges. Prioritising effective communication is important for a successful farming business.

Never underestimate the value of having a conversation. However, communication is not always only about talking - listening is just as important. Taking some time out of our busy day to listen - uninterrupted - to someone who might be doing it tough can have enormous benefit. Be patient, avoid judgement and recognise that everyone experiences stressful situations differently.

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Anyone seeking further information is encouraged to contact me at:

martin.auldist@ecodev.vic.gov.au

Spotlight on supplements

Relationships grow on communication.

By Martin Auldist

Fast facts:• The nature of farm life combining home and work in one location can put a strain on relationships.

• All relationships can become strained and tense at times and some conflict is normal.

• Talk about your feelings and listen to the other person’s point of view.

• Find a middle ground on issues that are causing friction.

• Learn to build healthy and happy relationships to prepare for the hard times.

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Working seven days a week, Neil has spent years battling an outdated irrigation system on his Tinamba farm and now wants to use the Focus Farm experience to investigate and implement modernisation.

Milking 470 crossbreds this year, Neil sees his watering infrastructure as the key to a better work-life balance and to improvements in other parts of the farm business.

“I want to set the irrigation up properly for more time off,” he said.

“It’s where I spend most of my time, which means I can’t get everything else right around the farm.”

A recent modernisation of delivery points through the water system is the first step in the Gannon’s irrigations redevelopment. From there, Neil will take advice from his Focus Farm support group as he weighs up the options.

“I hope we’ll be confident enough to spend the money on getting a more modernised irrigation system in place,” he said.

“We’ve just modernised all our delivery points through the farm from the pipeline system and that should make life a lot easier with automated outlets.”

“We need to lift production, but a lot of that is to do with irrigation. When we get it right, we seem to grow grass alright.”

For Keryn, restoring work-life balance is the number one priority of the Focus Farm.

“I’d like to get things set up so he doesn’t run himself into the ground with work, which is what is happening. That’s the main thing,” she said.

“Everything just falls apart because he works too hard. He has no life. It’s not fair on him or us.

“With all the wise heads involved in this Focus Farm, hopefully we will figure out what we should and shouldn’t be doing.”By the end of the two year Focus Farm period, Neil hopes he will have a better idea of where the farm business is heading, with the support group and co-facilitators John Mulvany and Karen Romano helping to steer them in the right direction.“I’d heard that previous Focus Farmers had been very happy with the results they got from it and that it had set them up better for the future,” he said.“It’s been tough going with the weather and everything else, so I thought we could get a few heads together and see what their ideas were.

“You can always learn – I’m always interested in new things.”

Irrigation in FocusNeil and Keryn Gannon have a simple goal from their Focus Farm period – to get more time off for Neil.

Farm area 267ha: total available farm area | 227ha owned + 40ha leased

Livestock

• 490 cows (peak 01/11/17): crossbred 460kg, average cow age: 6-7 years• Annual stocking rate 3.9 cows/milking ha• R1 (0-12 months): 168• R2 (12-24 months): 180

Production Farm: 2,572,010L | 113,503kg fat | 88,040kg protein | 201,534kgMSPer cow: 5,249L | 232kg fat | 180kg protein | 411kgMS

Calving pattern Single calving: 1 August (10 weeks) | herd dried off completely in July

Feeding

4.5tDM/cow (2017-18)• 1.1tDM/cow concentrate• 0.4tDM/cow purchased fodder (hay & almond hulls)• 0.4tDM/cow home-grown pasture silage• 2.6tDM/cow grazed feed

Cropping & fodder Oats sown on 11 ha dryland support area

Irrigation System & Water

Right

• Flood irrigation with mainly 3’ bay outlets• 2 tail-water reuse systems• Newly installed pipeline delivery system 1900m• Still some 6”&4” clay/poly pipes• 2x reuse ponds with diesel motors• 680ml high reliability water shares• 300ish low reliability water shares

Soil type • Clay loam, some red

This newsletter is published by GippsDairy & Dairy Australia.

Copyright and disclaimer: Copyright ©. This publication may be of assistance to you but GippsDairy and Dairy Australia and its

employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropiate for your particular purposes

and therefore disclaims all liability for any error.

GIPPSDAIRY TEAM MEMBERS CAN BE CONTACTED ON (03) 5624 3900 OR VIA THE DETAILS BELOW.

ALLAN CAMERONRegional Manager

allan@gippsdairy.com.au

SALLIE CLYNESExecutive Support

sallie@gippsdairy.com.au

KAREN ROMANORegional Extension Officer

karen@gippsdairy.com.au

DONNA GIBSONRegional Extension Officer

donna@gippsdairy.com.au

LEAH MASLENRegional Extension Officerleah@gippsdairy.com.au

RUAIRI MCDONNELLRegional Extension Officer

ruairi@gippsdairy.com.au

SARAH CORNELLRegional Extension Officer

sarah@gippsdairy.com.au

ASHLEY BURGESSRegional Extension Officer

ashley@gippsdairy.com.au

DANNY BUTTLERCommunications and Engagement Officer

danny@gippsdairy.com.au

GENERAL ENQUIRIESinfo@gippsdairy.com.au

(03) 5624 3900

Contact us

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Pastures/ForagesRyegrass leaf appearance rate 8-12 days per leaf

Area of farm to graze today 1/20th to 1/30th of grazing area in 24 hours – monitor seed heads and manage for quality

Average daily pasture growth rate 50 to 80 kgDM/ha/day – with adequate moisture

Recommended pre-grazing decisions for all stockIdeally graze ryegrass at 2½ leaf stage to maintain pasture

quality and best regrowth – continue to monitor seed heads in late heading varieties

Recommended post grazing decisions for all stock and seasonal management tasks

Graze down to 5 cm pasture height between the clumps. Consider topping/silage to help in maintaining the 4 to 6

cm post-graze target

Seasonal management tasks Only cut genuine surplus pasture for fodder

November management reminders

Visit the GippsDairy events calendar for more information www.gippsdairy.com.au

• Pasture intake per cow depends on having high quality pasture and enough pasture available/ha. This is challenging through the seed-head phase on ryegrass but achievable with rotation management. Monitoring is paramount to know when to push the rotation back out once seed-head phase is completed.

• Rotations lengths need to be long enough to get critical volume and residuals need to be low enough to get quality next time the pasture is grazed. Minimise topping but use it as a tool to reset residuals if required.

• If you have surplus pasture on the milking area use silage/hay making to control residual and better pasture quality next round. This will be a balancing act between pasture quality and quantity.

• Be on the lookout for strategies to maximise home grown feed. If moisture is not limiting, consider the application of nitrogen or a fertiliser blend to boost growth. Even with a low response rate, nitrogen fed grass can still be the cheapest form of high quality feed.

• If you have paddocks with low soil nutrients that can be irrigated with effluent it is coming up to the best time of year to apply the effluent, getting some pasture growth and having a low risk of run off.

Irrigation• Consider the best bang for your buck for irrigation water if water is limited. Strategically drying off areas that are low yield may be beneficial. Watering fewer paddocks well might yield more than all paddocks poorly.

• Mix the dairy effluent into the irrigation water if practical – summer pastures are very responsive to the additional nutrients.

• Complete an irrigation budget now to prepare for late season watering (especially if spill is unlikely)

Summer crops• Target paddocks that need to be renovated to improve the pasture base on the farm and reduce the pasture that is not grown in late spring by cropping.

• Have a plan of crop type, seed bed preparation, nutrient and pest management and planned grazing dates. Ensure you lock in seed as availability could be variable.

• Ensure you consider the seasonal conditions in determining what crop to grow. Is a water efficient crop more suited, or is the moisture available to drive growth.

• Application of dairy effluent onto summer fodder crops is a very effective use of this nutrient resource to boost crop yield. Yield responses will be greater on crops than non- irrigated pasture.

• Look after your crops by checking for pest, weeds and disease regularly, and treating when required. Ensure soil nutrient levels are adequate for the crop is able to reach yield potentials.

Cows• Do a feed budget to ensure you have enough fodder to get through the summer and autumn. This will also estimate the grain usage and give an idea of the purchased feed bill for the summer and autumn. It’s best to have this plan early.

• If you are nearing the end of the joining period it may pay to assess the number of cows not in calf. Knowing the numbers of cows not in calf allows for early decisions to be made on what you will do with the empty cows.

Calves and Heifers• Ensure your young stock received a second 7 in 1 vaccine. This builds immunity against Clostridial diseases and Leptospirosis.

• Talk to your vet about vaccinating your young stock for pink eye.

• Calves require a high protein and high energy diet to keep growing. A feed budget can be done to ensure calves and other young stock have enough pasture, silage, grain and hay to gain weight and grow to planned joining and calving weights.

Business and Budgets• Review your last quarter of GST to get an indication of cash flow if you have not done it.

• If you need additional fodder or irrigation water now is a good time to source it as it’s traditionally at it’s cheaper.

• Plan expenditure and identify any possible cash surpluses, if or when the cash becomes available use it in a planned way to ensure it’s effective.

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