Pushing out the rotation can mean lower pasture consumption in the short term. The MDF’s average pasture consumption is now 28 kg DM/ha/day, compared to another MID farm which is consuming 37 kg DM/ha/day.
Last period the other farm was on similar grass consumption, but has now increased grass availability and it is really paying off in the margins. This feed wedge may have cost more in inputs, but it would still be very cheap feed, at a feed price that a lot of money could be made from, especially when the milk price is above 60 cents per litre.
At the MDF, when we look at paddocks, we can gauge how our management is tracking:
Paddock 21 has been grazed out very well (see video on MDF website). This is a perfect residue for grass regrowth speed, and perfect for ease of high utilisation at next grazing. But, when a paddock is grazed so evenly, with no high clumps remaining, it is a sign that cows must have been hungry. The cows would have responded well (with a profitable lift in milk) to more feed. But that feed cannot be grazed grass at the MDF.
Paddock 14 is still ahead of the cows, and has grown well. There is a little bit of rust on the leaves, and it is about to fall over. It has great ryegrass composition, except near the end of the bay, where it stays a bit wet, and there are patches of dormant Distichum and Wild Millet, in which Winter Grass is now growing. It has 2.3 leaves regrown (see photo on MDF website) at 34 days rested, a LAR of 15 days, typical for early May. Paddock 14 is relatively small; the plan is for one feed, which will deliver 8 kg grass per cow per day.
To ensure your rotation is on track, please make use of the rotation right tool to assist your planning.
Check your ryegrass leaf stage in paddocks soon to be grazed to ground truth your management!
| FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE | MDF TEN DAYS AGO | MDF THIS TEN DAYS | ANOTHER MID FARM | Units |
| Ten days to date: | 20-Apr-20 | 30-Apr-20 | 30-Apr-20 | |
| Milker graze area | 73 | 73 | 154 | Ha |
| Milkers | 260 | 258 | 715 | Head |
| Stocking rate | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.6 | cows/ha |
| Average graze rest time | 34 | 34 | 32 | Days |
| Estm’d pasture consmp’n | 28 | 28 | 37 | kg DM/ha/day |
| Pasture consum’d per cow | 7.9 | 8.0 | 7.9 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Pasture growing spend | $5.15 | $4.05 | $3.03 | $/ha/day |
| Estm’d pasture price | $183 | $143 | $83 | $/T DM |
| Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow | 6.8 | 6.8 | 8.6 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Conc (incl additives)supp avg price | $464 | $464 | $472 | $/T DM |
| Hay/silage supp fed/cow | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.3 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Hay/silage supp price | $471 | $471 | $178 | $/T DM |
| Feed Conversion Efficiency | 96 | 96 | 98 | kg MS/tonne DM |
| Total feed intake/cow | 16.4 | 16.6 | 17.3 | kg DM/cow/day |
| NDF Fibre in diet | 30.6% | 30.7% | 27.6% | % NDF |
| Litres/cow | 18.8 | 19.0 | 21.0 | l/cow/day |
| Fat test | 4.74% | 4.80% | 4.46% | % |
| Protein test | 3.96% | 3.92% | 3.83% | % |
| Milk Solids per cow | 1.63 | 1.66 | 1.74 | kg/cow/day |
| Milk price (less levies)/kg MS | $7.53 | $7.51 | $7.55 | $/kg MS |
| Milk price (less levies)/litre | $0.66 | $0.65 | $0.63 | $ per litre |
| Milk income/cow | $12.30 | $12.45 | $13.11 | $/cow/day |
| All feed cost/cow | $5.74 | $5.45 | $4.91 | $/cow/day |
| Margin over all Feed/cow | $6.56 | $7.00 | $8.20 | $/cow/day |
| MOAF /ha /day | $23.37 | $24.75 | $38.07 | $/ha/day |
| Farm MOAF per DAY | $1,706 | $1,807 | $5,863 | $/day |
| Feed cost $/kg MS | $3.29 | $3.29 | $2.83 | $/ kg MS |