Pasture is the cheapest form of feed and dairy farmers have been told for years that to maximise returns their cow’s diet should include a large proportion of pasture dry matter. Last season the Macalister Demonstration Farm produced 155,000kg of milk solids from an average of 310 cows after … [Read more...]

Paddock 16 has just been grazed with 70% of the paddock having a residue of 5 cm which is ideal. The remaining 30% has a residue of 20 cm. However, in amongst that 20cm of dead, spiky, stubble, is 15 cm of green, growing leaves, the latter only accessible by very hungry cows. That 15 cm of feed, on … [Read more...]

It is wet now from rain with surface water lying in places.  It will not be going anywhere soon. Surface water keeps a soil water-logged, reduces growth and makes it hard for ryegrass to compete. It also makes damage by pugging harder to avoid, although some of these effects in colder weather are … [Read more...]

The important physical targets that drive the feed margin (milk per cow and grass per hectare) are both meeting, or exceeding, the targets we set 12 months ago.  But the financial target (feed margin, $1,636) is not being achieved because we thought that we would be feeding our own (cheaper) … [Read more...]

After some rain, soil moisture is very good. Average graze rest time for the whole farm is 33 days, ranging from 32 to 35 days.  Paddock 16 is about to be grazed, is now 32 days rested, and has 2.3 leaves regrown (an average leaf appearance rate of 13.9 days). It has 1,000 kg DM/ha grass available, … [Read more...]