The effect of input costs and milk price on farm margins.
The two main drivers of a higher feed margin are well above last year, but not quite at the target we set for the year. We are feeding the same amount of concentrate and forage supplement as last year, but both at considerably lower prices, and the milk price is higher this year. So, the feed margin is way better, up $849 per day. To show how significant that amount is, if extrapolated out to 300 days, would equate to $250,000 more profit for the farm year (if all non-feed costs and non-milk income remained the same).
Milk per cow has fallen a little from last period, due to a little less grass, less grain, and the grain’s lower energy.
Soil moisture very good. Grazing residue is variable, some paddocks just right, some very short (3cm). The short residue is not because cows were forced hard at this grazing, but mostly because the residue was short from the previous grazing. A certain residue often continues at the same level, grazing after grazing. It is easy to drop a high residue, but difficult to lift a low one.
| FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE | MDF TEN DAYS AGO | MDF MNTH TARGET | MDF THIS TEN DAYS | ANOTHER MID FARM | Units |
| Ten days to date: | 21-May-20 | May | 31-May-20 | 31-May-20 | |
| Milker graze area | 69 | 73 | 69 | 80 | Ha |
| Milkers | 255 | 276 | 255 | 299 | Head |
| Stocking rate | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | cows/ha |
| Average graze rest time | 36 | 38 | 35 | Days | |
| Estm’d pasture consmp’n | 27 | 28 | 26 | 30 | kg DM/ha/day |
| Pasture consum’d per cow | 7.2 | 7.5 | 6.9 | 8.0 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Pasture growing spend | $2.56 | $2.49 | $2.23 | $/ha/day | |
| Estm’d pasture price | $96 | $97 | $75 | $/T DM | |
| Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow | 6.3 | 7.2 | 6.3 | 5.5 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Conc (incl additives)supp avg price | $426 | $426 | $516 | $/T DM | |
| Hay/silage supp fed/cow | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.6 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Hay/silage supp price | $200 | $200 | $140 | $/T DM | |
| Feed Conversion Efficiency | 96 | 94 | 99 | kg MS/tonne DM | |
| Total feed intake/cow | 16.3 | 17.1 | 16.2 | 16.6 | kg DM/cow/day |
| NDF Fibre in diet | 33.2% | 33.2% | 32.7% | % NDF | |
| Litres/cow | 17.8 | 18.6 | 17.1 | 20.2 | l/cow/day |
| Fat test | 4.93% | 4.94% | 5.08% | 4.67% | % |
| Protein test | 4.08% | 3.96% | 4.03% | 3.65% | % |
| Milk Solids per cow | 1.60 | 1.66 | 1.56 | 1.68 | kg/cow/day |
| Milk price (less levies)/kg MS | $7.64 | $7.59 | $7.55 | $/kg MS | |
| Milk price (less levies)/litre | $0.69 | $0.69 | $0.63 | $ per litre | |
| Milk income/cow | $12.22 | $11.83 | $12.69 | $/cow/day | |
| All feed cost/cow | $4.00 | $4.02 | $3.92 | $/cow/day | |
| Margin over all Feed/cow | $8.22 | $8.99 | $7.81 | $8.77 | $/cow/day |
| MOAF /ha /day | $30.37 | $33.92 | $28.87 | $32.77 | $/ha/day |
| Farm MOAF per DAY | $2,096 | $2,476 | $1,992 | $2,621 | $/day |