Increasing grass consumption and eliminating silage is lifting milk response per cow at the MDF
The MDF’s rotation length is now out to 40 days. Paddock 23 is about to be grazed, and is at 1.9 leaves. So, LAR is 21 days, typical for July. From observation, it has grown at an average of 25 kg DM per hectare per day, over the 40 days. The MDF grass at the 2 leaf stage has not reached the level where it becomes very tall, creates canopy closure, falls over, and the cows do not graze it out well. Sometimes this can happen when the rotation length pushes out to 3 leaf stage and a lot of N is applied.
Soil moisture is excellent. ProGibb and EasyN (the N at a lower rate than normal) has been applied. The Prairie Grass, mostly along the drier check-banks, appears to have longer, pale green, floppy leaves, but the ryegrass looks no different to a normal nitrogen response.
Milkers and dry cows are now grazing the farm. The dry cow are stocked at a very heavy rate, and the small number of milkers are on a lower stocking rate. No silage is being fed, grass consumption per hectare is no better than last week, but grass per cow has lifted strongly. Fibre in the diet has gone down, grass intake and overall intake has improved, feed conversion efficiency has increased, and the cows have responded strongly with increased milk production.
| FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE | MDF TEN DAYS AGO | MDF MNTH TARGET | MDF THIS TEN DAYS | ANOTHER MID FARM | Units |
| Ten days to date: | 20-Jun-20 | Jun | 30-Jun-20 | 30-Jun-20 | |
| Milker graze area | 64 | 60 | 55 | 154 | Ha |
| Milkers | 200 | 190 | 120 | 580 | Head |
| Stocking rate | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 3.8 | cows/ha |
| Average graze rest time | 37 | 41 | 40 | Days | |
| Estm’d pasture consmp’n | 25 | 21 | 22 | 20 | kg DM/ha/day |
| Pasture consum’d per cow | 7.9 | 6.5 | 9.9 | 5.2 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Pasture growing spend | $2.49 | $2.49 | $2.13 | $/ha/day | |
| Estm’d pasture price | $101 | $115 | $108 | $/T DM | |
| Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow | 6.3 | 7.2 | 6.3 | 8.6 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Conc (incl additives)supp avg price | $370 | $370 | $408 | $/T DM | |
| Hay/silage supp fed/cow | 1.6 | 3.3 | 0.0 | 3.1 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Hay/silage supp price | $200 | $180 | $/T DM | ||
| Feed Conversion Efficiency | 95 | 101 | 94 | kg MS/tonne DM | |
| Total feed intake/cow | 15.5 | 16.1 | 16.0 | 16.3 | kg DM/cow/day |
| NDF Fibre in diet | 31.5% | 30.8% | 28.0% | % NDF | |
| Litres/cow | 16.9 | 17.2 | 18.9 | 17.9 | l/cow/day |
| Fat test | 4.84% | 4.70% | 4.71% | 4.99% | % |
| Protein test | 4.07% | 4.05% | 3.95% | 3.89% | % |
| Milk Solids per cow | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.64 | 1.59 | kg/cow/day |
| Milk price (less levies)/kg MS | $7.77 | $7.76 | $7.67 | $/kg MS | |
| Milk price (less levies)/litre | $0.69 | $0.67 | $0.68 | $ per litre | |
| Milk income/cow | $11.68 | $12.70 | $12.20 | $/cow/day | |
| All feed cost/cow | $3.44 | $3.47 | $4.61 | $/cow/day | |
| Margin over all Feed/cow | $8.24 | $8.17 | $9.22 | $7.59 | $/cow/day |
| MOAF /ha /day | $25.75 | $25.87 | $20.12 | $28.58 | $/ha/day |
| Farm MOAF per DAY | $1,648 | $1,552 | $1,107 | $4,401 | $/day |
| Feed cost $/kg MS | $2.29 | $2.12 | $2.90 | $/ kg MS |