Category: Newsletter

MDF Fortnightly Update 543

Checking the numbers always pays off

At the MDF, rotation length is stable and laser-graded bays are about to come into the rotation, meaning that the graze rest time is likely to lengthen. This is key to maintaining grass growth and good paddock conditions through the colder winter months, and capitalizing on the spring flush of feed to optimize milk production.

In the table below, although the MDF is stocked more heavily, grass consumption per cow is a lot higher than the comparison farm, and is set to increase once the laser graded bays are back in the rotation. Concentrates are the same, but the other farm is feeding much more hay/silage to maintain feed intake. So, grain intake, total feed intake and NDF in the diet of the cows on the two farms is almost identical. The big difference is the amount of grass on offer, and the impact this has on milk solids and feed costs/cow.

The importance of offering as much grass as possible to produce cheap home grown feed to each cow is reflected clearly in input costs and MOAF/day.

 

FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE MDF TEN DAYS AGO MDF THIS TEN DAYS ANOTHER FARM Units
Ten days to date: 10-May-21 20-May-21 20-May-21
Milker graze area 72 70 60 Ha
Milkers 278 269 182 Head
Stocking rate 3.9 3.8 3.0 cows/ha
Average graze rest time 33 33 32 Days
Estm’d pasture consmp’n 27 27 11 kg DM/ha/day
Pasture consum’d per cow 7.1 7.1 3.8 kg DM/cow/day
Pasture growing spend $4.79 $4.79 $2.88 $/ha/day
Estm’d pasture price $176 $176 $251 $/T DM
Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow 6.3 6.3 6.3 kg DM/cow/day
Conc (incl additives)supp avg price $393 $417 $417 $/T DM
Hay/silage supp fed/cow 2.3 2.3 5.7 kg DM/cow/day
Hay/silage supp price $222 $222 $206 $/T DM
Feed Conversion Efficiency 95 97 91 kg MS/tonne DM
Total feed intake/cow 15.1 15.1 15.3 kg DM/cow/day
NDF Fibre in diet 30.4% 30.4% 30.2% % NDF
Litres/cow 17.2 17.0 18.3 l/cow/day
Fat test 4.64% 4.85% 4.33% %
Protein test 4.00% 4.07% 3.69% %
Milk Solids per cow 1.49 1.52 1.47 kg/cow/day
Milk price (less levies)/kg MS $7.10 $7.08 $7.09 $/kg MS
Milk price (less levies)/litre $0.61 $0.63 $0.57 $ per litre
Milk income/cow $10.57 $10.75 $10.41 $/cow/day
All feed cost/cow $4.22 $4.37 $4.79 $/cow/day
Margin over all Feed/cow $6.35 $6.38 $5.62 $/cow/day
MOAF /ha /day $24.51 $24.52 $17.06 $/ha/day
Farm MOAF per DAY $1,765 $1,717 $1,024 $/day

 

 

 

MDF Fortnightly Update 542

The following are some grazing tips which cumulatively could have a large effect:

  • Don’t follow milkers with any other stock

This means no bulls, no young stock, no dries; they will eat off the early regrowth well before any rough stuff that might want to be “cleaned up.” This will dramatically reduce regrowth speed and set the paddock back for the next rotation.

  • Don’t graze a paddock at less than 2.75 leaves even if it is seed heading.

Usually not all the paddock is heading at once, and no matter how quickly you come back into a paddock the seedheads will still be there. The dairy herd requires high quality grass for maximum milk production, and should not be made to eat ryegrass past its best. Seedheading is a major inevitable drawback of ryegrass quality and is best removed by mowing/topping.

  • Do not have day and night paddocks; once started, get out of a paddock as soon as possible.
  • Heel-test a paddock

This simple test will determine whether it is too soft to graze; wet paddocks and pugging have multiple negative effects.

  • If in doubt, top

If 30% of the paddock after grazing has clumps remaining that are higher than 8 cm, top it to 6 cm, at all times of the year, within one day of grazing.

  • Conserve silage strategically

If the next paddock is too long, has too many seed heads, or has too much residue underneath for high utilisation, mow and make it into silage immediately.

  • Use Rotation Right

If Rotation Right tool says 2.5 feeds, don’t get two or three feeds, get 2.5.

  • Don’t force cows to eat poor quality grass, nor graze shorter than 5 cm.

 

Note that the other farm (Busselton, WA) is still feeding significantly more profitably, although still with no grass.

 

FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE MDF TEN DAYS AGO MDF THIS TEN DAYS ANOTHER FARM Units
Ten days to date: 30-Apr-21 10-May-21 10-May-21  
Milker graze area 70 72 110 Ha
Milkers 280 278 322 Head
Stocking rate 4.0 3.9 2.9 cows/ha
Average graze rest time 32 33 0 Days
Estm’d pasture consmp’n 28 27 1 kg DM/ha/day
Pasture consum’d per cow 7.0 7.1 0.2 kg DM/cow/day
Pasture growing spend $5.29 $4.79 $0.00 $/ha/day
Estm’d pasture price $189 $176 $0 $/T DM
Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow 6.3 6.3 8.4 kg DM/cow/day
Conc (incl additives)supp avg price $393 $393 $395 $/T DM
Hay/silage supp fed/cow 2.3 2.3 12.7 kg DM/cow/day
Hay/silage supp price $222 $222 $271 $/T DM
Feed Conversion Efficiency 96 95 100 kg MS/tonne DM
Total feed intake/cow 15.0 15.1 20.7 kg DM/cow/day
NDF Fibre in diet 30.4% 30.4% 36.0% % NDF
Litres/cow 17.2 17.2 29.5 l/cow/day
Fat test 4.58% 4.64% 4.04% %
Protein test 4.07% 4.00% 3.23% %
Milk Solids per cow 1.49 1.49 2.14 kg/cow/day
Milk price (less levies)/kg MS $7.00 $7.10 $7.05 $/kg MS
Milk price (less levies)/litre $0.61 $0.61 $0.51 $ per litre
Milk income/cow $10.44 $10.57 $15.09 $/cow/day
All feed cost/cow $4.30 $4.22 $6.77 $/cow/day
Margin over all Feed/cow $6.14 $6.35 $8.32 $/cow/day
MOAF /ha /day $24.57 $24.51 $24.36 $/ha/day
Farm MOAF per DAY $1,720 $1,765 $2,680 $/day
Feed cost $/kg MS $2.88 $2.83 $3.16 $/ kg MS
Proportion of grazed grass in diet 47% 47% 1% %

 

MDF Fortnightly Update 541

Past Management Predicts Pasture Performance

The time and place to assess your management and the grass growth resulting from it is in the paddock that is about to be grazed, while setting the electric fence.  Both jobs require skill and knowledge, and it’s convenient to do one essential job while doing another.  At this point, the paddock has done the job you required of it, over the period since it was last harvested. The previous grazing residue (may have been topped), the fertiliser applied, the fast water application and drainage, and the time rested, have all set the paddock up for tonight’s harvest of high quantity and quality grass.  Is it green leafy ryegrass and clover at wrist height, with a residue of two-knuckles height underneath, from fence to fence? Maybe there are patches that have not performed well. The reason for any lack of performance needs to be understood and fixed for the next grazing. A dairy farm’s profitability depends on not having underperforming patches.

At the MDF, Paddock 13b will be grazed soon. It is currently 30 days rested, at 2 leaves regrown, (typical leaf appearance rate for late April), is Matrix ryegrass, and soil moisture is currently ok.  It is mostly dark green leafy ryegrass, but some pale green/yellowish patches, almost no weeds. Most patches are wrist height, but some only mid-palm. The residue underneath is variable between two knuckles and mid-palm.

These practical/visual assessments of paddock 13b’s quantity equate to 900 kg DM /ha available, which is a growth rate over the growing period of 30 kg DM/ha /day.   This visual assessment of one paddock’s quantity matches with the average calculated consumption over the whole farm in the table.

 

FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE MDF TEN DAYS AGO MDF THIS TEN DAYS Units
Ten days to date: 20-Apr-21 30-Apr-21  
Milker graze area 61 70 Ha
Milkers 282 280 Head
Stocking rate 4.6 4.0 cows/ha
Average graze rest time 32 32 Days
Estm’d pasture consmp’n 31 29 kg DM/ha/day
Pasture consum’d per cow 6.8 7.2 kg DM/cow/day
Pasture growing spend $5.29 $5.29 $/ha/day
Estm’d pasture price $169 $184 $/T DM
Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow 6.8 6.3 kg DM/cow/day
Conc (incl additives)supp avg price $393 $393 $/T DM
Hay/silage supp fed/cow 2.3 2.3 kg DM/cow/day
Hay/silage supp price $222 $222 $/T DM
Feed Conversion Efficiency 97 97 kg MS/tonne DM
Total feed intake/cow 15.3 15.2 kg DM/cow/day
NDF Fibre in diet 29.7% 30.5% % NDF
Litres/cow 17.7 17.5 l/cow/day
Fat test 4.68% 4.66% %
Protein test 4.02% 4.07% %
Milk Solids per cow 1.54 1.52 kg/cow/day
Milk price (less levies)/kg MS $6.99 $7.00 $/kg MS
Milk price (less levies)/litre $0.61 $0.61 $ per litre
Milk income/cow $10.74 $10.65 $/cow/day
All feed cost/cow $4.33 $4.30 $/cow/day
Margin over all Feed/cow $6.40 $6.35 $/cow/day
MOAF /ha /day $29.59 $25.41 $/ha/day
Farm MOAF per DAY $1,805 $1,779 $/day

 

MDF Newsletter May 2020 #114

IN THE NEWSLETTER THIS MONTH

The Launch of the E-Media update project

Guangdong VTR Yeast Supplement – Extended Trial Update

Lactation Curves- Are We Getting The Most From Our Cows?

Variable Rate Fertiliser Application Trial results

Budget to Actual Performance – How is the MDF performing?

What’s on the To-Do list this month

Covid-19 At The MDF

 

http://macalisterdemonstrationfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MDF-NEWSLETTER-114-May.docx

MDF Fortnightly Update 514: Back In The Black

The MDF is now performing above target, in terms of milk production per cow, and grass consumption per ha. These crucial drivers of profit have boosted the feed margin per cow AND the feed margin per hectare now well above target. (To enable a meaningful comparison, with last week, or with another farm, the margin must be held against the things or assets that must be in place to get that margin, i.e. cows and or land). The whole farm feed margin is just a little below target due to lower cow numbers (16 below target).

 

It is now time to begin increasing the grazing rest time, so that we can grow as much grass as possible from now throughout winter. We need to gradually move from the current grazing rest time of 33 days to mid-winter (July) grazing rest time, the longest rest time of the year. If there will be some cows on the grazing area all through winter (and not a sudden removal of some, or even all, animals at some point), it is usually best to gradually increase the grazing allocation of the farm, rather than changing suddenly, say in late June. Increasing gradually will ensure that the optimum rest time for each month, on the way to July, will be achieved.

 

There will be differing opinions about the best rest time in winter. July always needs around 60 days grazing rest to get three leaves regrown. To move from a grazing rest time of 33 now, to say 55 days on July 6, requires a move of 22 days over 100 days. If you are using the “Feeding Pastures for Profit” Rotation Right Tool, you can simply increase the allocation by 2.2, every ten days, then follow the “feeds per paddock” that the tool says, and you will achieve 55 days rest on July 6th.

 

FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE MDF TEN DAYS AGO MDF THIS TEN DAYS ANOTHER MID FARM Units
Ten days to date: 10-Mar-20 20-Mar-20 20-Mar-20  
Milker graze area 64 64 95 Ha
Milkers 280 265 330 Head
Stocking rate 4.4 4.1 3.5 cows/ha
Average graze rest time 33 33 30 Days
Estm’d pasture consmp’n 41 42 32 kg DM/ha/day
Pasture consum’d per cow 9.3 10.1 9.3 kg DM/cow/day
Pasture growing spend $5.53 $5.53 $2.99 $/ha/day
Estm’d pasture price $136 $133 $92 $/T DM
Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow 6.8 6.8 7.3 kg DM/cow/day
Conc (incl additives)supp avg price $487 $487 $462 $/T DM
Hay/silage supp fed/cow 0.0 0.0 0.0 kg DM/cow/day
Hay/silage supp price       $/T DM
Feed Conversion Efficiency 103 106 107 kg MS/tonne DM
Total feed intake/cow 15.9 16.6 16.5 kg DM/cow/day
NDF Fibre in diet 30.3% 30.1% 30.0% % NDF
Litres/cow 20.1 21.5 22.9 l/cow/day
Fat test 4.51% 4.48% 4.25% %
Protein test 3.74% 3.81% 3.56% %
Milk Solids per cow 1.66 1.78 1.79 kg/cow/day
Milk price (less levies)/kg MS $7.31 $7.34 $7.30 $/kg MS
Milk price (less levies)/litre $0.60 $0.61 $0.57 $ per litre
Milk income/cow $12.12 $13.09 $13.04 $/cow/day
All feed cost/cow $4.55 $4.62 $4.24 $/cow/day
Margin over all Feed/cow $7.57 $8.47 $8.80 $/cow/day
MOAF /ha /day $33.02 $35.08 $30.58 $/ha/day
Farm MOAF per DAY $2,120 $2,245 $2,905 $/day