Measuring per cow profitability and per ha profitability
Every decision has an input today and an output tomorrow, a cost today and a potential benefit later. You apply the input if you judge that the anticipated output response from the input, (with the known prices of the input and output applied, and the risk you have it wrong) will be worth it. Applying nitrogen, keeping the grazing rotation longer, keeping the grazing residue high enough, are examples of input decisions with possible benefits in the future.
Feeding Pastures for Profit uses current observation (sometimes called the “Body of Evidence” of paddocks, cows, and vat), and judgement of the future, to help make the best decisions.
Here is the body of evidence for paddock 23 at the MDF: soil moisture a bit dry, but irrigating now; achieving 34 days grazing rest, 2.2 leaves regrown, on a 30 day grazing allocation, no sign of seed heads (at least not in the very dominant PRG); 1,000 kg DM per hectare available; grazing residue between clumps 3 cm, very high utilisation (percentage of grass on offer eaten), cows standing at the gate, then following the bike.
The other MID farm is producing almost the same milk per cow, with the same feed efficiency, but is making more margin (a bit less per cow, but much more per hectare). The other farm has a higher stocking rate, higher grass consumed per hectare, and higher grain fed per cow. Note, for the other farm, that its “feed costs /kg MS” are higher and “proportion of grazed grass” in diet lower.
| FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE | MDF TEN DAYS AGO | MDF THIS TEN DAYS | ANOTHER MID FARM | Units |
| Ten days to date: | 10-Sep-20 | 20-Sep-20 | 20-Sep-20 | |
| Milker graze area | 58 | 63 | 60 | Ha |
| Milkers | 200 | 215 | 285 | Head |
| Stocking rate | 3.4 | 3.4 | 4.8 | cows/ha |
| Average graze rest time | 46 | 34 | 35 | Days |
| Estm’d pasture consmp’n | 43 | 42 | 51 | kg DM/ha/day |
| Pasture consum’d per cow | 12.4 | 12.4 | 10.7 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Pasture growing spend | $2.28 | $2.28 | $2.10 | $/ha/day |
| Estm’d pasture price | $53 | $54 | $41 | $/T DM |
| Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow | 5.0 | 5.4 | 7.2 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Conc (incl additives)supp avg price | $387 | $387 | $392 | $/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 | 113 | 113 | 113 | kg MS/tonne DM |
| Total feed intake/cow | 17.2 | 17.6 | 17.6 | kg DM/cow/day |
| NDF Fibre in diet | 33.4% | 33.1% | 27.6% | % NDF |
| Litres/cow | 26.1 | 27.2 | 27.8 | l/cow/day |
| Fat test | 4.07% | 4.09% | 3.87% | % |
| Protein test | 3.40% | 3.29% | 3.43% | % |
| Milk Solids per cow | 1.95 | 2.01 | 2.03 | kg/cow/day |
| Milk price (less levies)/kg MS | $5.72 | $5.70 | $5.74 | $/kg MS |
| Milk price (less levies)/litre | $0.43 | $0.42 | $0.42 | $ per litre |
| Milk income/cow | $11.15 | $11.44 | $11.64 | $/cow/day |
| All feed cost/cow | $2.58 | $2.76 | $3.27 | $/cow/day |
| Margin over all Feed/cow | $8.58 | $8.68 | $8.37 | $/cow/day |
| MOAF /ha /day | $29.58 | $29.62 | $39.78 | $/ha/day |
| Farm MOAF per DAY | $1,716 | $1,866 | $2,387 | $/day |
| Feed cost $/kg MS | $1.32 | $1.37 | $1.61 | $/ kg MS |
| Proportion of grazed grass in diet | 72% | 70% | 61% | % |