Farm System

"macalister demonstration farm"

The farm runs a Spring calving herd only, with replacements reared under contract off-farm and milkers carried at home during the dry period.

It has a low capital feed infrastructure (no wagon, no concrete feed pad) and milks twice per day in a low capital dairy.

The MDF runs a high stocking rate (4 per ha) and relatively high pasture inputs and purchased feed supplements, mostly wheat (with minerals) but no crops. If a margin seems apparent the supplement is fed.

The farm management system is guided by DPI/Dairy Australia packages such as Target 10 Grazing, Target 10 Soils and Fertilisers, Target 10 Cow Nutrition, In-Calf, Countdown DownUnder, The People in Dairy, and Feeding Pasture for Profit.

Feeding performance is monitored in a Margin Over all Feed analysis against twenty local farms as part of the MID Tracker Project.