MDF Spring Rotations: Compare your farm
At the MDF, paddock 20 is being grazed, 28 days rested, at 2.1 leaves. So, the average LAR since the previous grazing is 13 days, typical for early October. No sign of flower heads rising in the PRG, although the few weedy grasses are flowering strongly. Paddock 20 offer is 2,600 kg DM per hectare and the residue is 1,400 kg, a consumption of 1,200 kg DM. The cows do not need to be too hungry to get the residue down to this level because that is where the residue was, in this paddock, at the previous grazing. So, the paddock 20 consumption rate for the period between grazings is 43 kg DM per hectare per day.
But, from calculations for the last ten-day period in September, the average consumption rate for the whole farm was much higher, having cracked 50 kg DM grass consumption per hectare per day. This is well above target.
The milk production per cow was right on target.
At the MDF, we do strive to use optimal management practices and our wish is to support and inform our MID farmers. Therefore, while we acknowledge that no operation is ”perfect,” our information is freely available and we think it is worth using this data as a local benchmark for your operation. Therefore, in the table below, there are two farms, one the MDF, which can be used to compare your rotation length, grass production and consumption. Checking your grass and milk production relative to the margin especially carefully during the next few months will tell you a lot about your current management practices.
Feel free to contact the MDF at mdf@wideband.net.au with any questions or comments.
| FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE | MDF TEN DAYS AGO | MDF THIS TEN DAYS | ANOTHER MID FARM | Units |
| Ten days to date: | 20-Sep-20 | 30-Sep-20 | 30-Sep-20 | |
| Milker graze area | 63 | 60 | 60 | Ha |
| Milkers | 215 | 236 | 300 | Head |
| Stocking rate | 3.4 | 3.9 | 5.0 | cows/ha |
| Average graze rest time | 34 | 31 | 30 | Days |
| Estm’d pasture consmp’n | 42 | 50 | 56 | kg DM/ha/day |
| Pasture consum’d per cow | 12.4 | 12.7 | 11.3 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Pasture growing spend | $2.28 | $2.28 | $2.10 | $/ha/day |
| Estm’d pasture price | $54 | $45 | $37 | $/T DM |
| Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow | 5.4 | 5.4 | 7.2 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Conc (incl additives)supp avg price | $387 | $353 | $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 | 116 | 115 | kg MS/tonne DM |
| Total feed intake/cow | 17.6 | 18.0 | 18.2 | kg DM/cow/day |
| NDF Fibre in diet | 33.1% | 33.2% | 28.0% | % NDF |
| Litres/cow | 27.2 | 28.0 | 29.3 | l/cow/day |
| Fat test | 4.09% | 4.25% | 3.81% | % |
| Protein test | 3.29% | 3.26% | 3.47% | % |
| Milk Solids per cow | 2.01 | 2.10 | 2.13 | kg/cow/day |
| Milk price (less levies)/kg MS | $5.70 | $5.68 | $5.76 | $/kg MS |
| Milk price (less levies)/litre | $0.42 | $0.43 | $0.42 | $ per litre |
| Milk income/cow | $11.44 | $11.95 | $12.28 | $/cow/day |
| All feed cost/cow | $2.76 | $2.49 | $3.24 | $/cow/day |
| Margin over all Feed/cow | $8.68 | $9.46 | $9.03 | $/cow/day |
| MOAF /ha /day | $29.62 | $37.20 | $45.17 | $/ha/day |
| Farm MOAF per DAY | $1,866 | $2,232 | $2,710 | $/day |
| Feed cost $/kg MS | $1.37 | $1.18 | $1.52 | $/ kg MS |
| Proportion of grazed grass in diet | 70% | 71% | 62% | % |