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 |