The milkers at the Macalister Demonstration Farm have responded to more feed, over the recent ten days, lifting from 1.42 to 1.49 kg MS per cow day. The extra feed is lucerne silage. The intake of grazed grass per cow has decreased. The grass consumption from the hectare has fallen from 29 to 25 kg DM grass per hectare per day. It was 32 this time last year.
Milk per cow is still well below this time last year (1.63 kg MS).
The price of grazed grass is high ($306 /t DM) compared to last year ($194), due partly to high nitrogen price, but also because the grass consumption is lower than last year.
The milk price is significantly higher.
All in all, the feed margins, whether it be the whole farm daily margin, the margin per cow, or the margin per hectare, are lower than this time last year. The whole farm daily feed margin is down 14% on last year.
| FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE | MDF THIS TIME LAST YEAR | MDF TEN DAYS AGO | MDF THIS TEN DAYS | Units |
| Ten days to date: | 31,Mar,21 | 20,Mar,22 | 31,Mar,22 | |
| Milker graze area | 61 | 67 | 67 | Ha |
| Milkers | 282 | 295 | 295 | Head |
| Stocking rate | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.4 | cows/ha |
| Average graze rest time | 31 | 34 | 34 | Days |
| Estm’d pasture consmp’n | 32 | 29 | 25 | kg DM/ha/day |
| Pasture consum’d per cow | 6.9 | 6.5 | 5.7 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Pasture growing spend | $6.19 | $7.70 | $7.70 | $/ha/day |
| Estm’d pasture price | $194 | $268 | $306 | $/T DM |
| Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow | 6.8 | 6.3 | 6.3 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Conc (incl additives)supp avg price | $393 | $430 | $430 | $/T DM |
| Hay/silage supp fed/cow | 2.3 | 1.9 | 3.4 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Hay/silage supp price | $222 | $280 | $280 | $/T DM |
| Feed Conversion Efficiency | 102 | 97 | 97 | kg MS/tonne DM |
| Total feed intake/cow | 15.5 | 14.3 | 14.9 | kg DM/cow/day |
| NDF Fibre in diet | 29.8% | 29.7% | 30.0% | % NDF |
| Litres/cow | 18.8 | 16.2 | 16.9 | l/cow/day |
| Fat test | 4.74% | 5.13% | 5.07% | % |
| Protein test | 3.94% | 3.66% | 3.76% | % |
| Milk Solids per cow | 1.63 | 1.42 | 1.49 | kg/cow/day |
| Milk price (less levies)/kg MS | $6.75 | $7.15 | $7.18 | $/kg MS |
| Milk price (less levies)/litre | $0.59 | $0.63 | $0.63 | $ per litre |
| Milk income/cow | $10.99 | $10.16 | $10.73 | $/cow/day |
| All feed cost/cow | $4.53 | $4.98 | $5.41 | $/cow/day |
| Margin over all Feed/cow | $6.46 | $5.18 | $5.32 | $/cow/day |
| MOAF /ha /day | $29.86 | $22.83 | $23.42 | $/ha/day |
| Farm MOAF per DAY | $1,821 | $1,529 | $1,569 | $/day |