Is your rotation right?
Macalister Demonstration Farm Update 539 (2nd April 2021)
At the MDF, milker numbers are slightly above this time last year, as are total milk solids, although milk per cow is slightly below. The laser grading has taken some time and has only just been sown. So with that area still out, the farm has a solid stocking rate (4.6) and is feeding more supplements. But milk price has lifted (step-up and time of year) and supplements are not too highly priced. The MDF litre price (not MS price) has lifted significantly from the previous period (57 to 59 cents per litre) because of a jump in the fat and protein test of the milk. Given the circumstances, the farm is achieving good results so far.
The next challenge at this time of year, is grazing rotation length. It is time to gradually extend the rotation so that maximum grass growth (three leaf stage) can be achieved in July. For the past twenty years at least, the grazing rest time to get three leaves in July has been at least 60 days (given good moisture and adequate NPK). The lengthening must start now, as it is hard enough to do it now when there is quite a bit of grass available, but even more difficult later when less grass is growing. The rotation extension means more feeds must be got from each paddock now, so to maintain milk production, more supplements will need to be fed. The justification can only be “pain now, but more gain later”. More cost now, but bigger pay-off later. Feed 25 tonne of supplement now, to get 50 tonne more grass later. Grazing management is always about “later”: setting up the paddock now, for later. Of course, the time delay of getting the payoff must always be considered (are interest rates so high now?) but the big payout swamps the delay.
| FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE | MDF TEN DAYS AGO | MDF THIS TEN DAYS | Units |
| Ten days to date: | 20-Mar-21 | 31-Mar-21 | |
| Milker graze area | 61 | 61 | Ha |
| Milkers | 282 | 282 | Head |
| Stocking rate | 4.6 | 4.6 | cows/ha |
| Average graze rest time | 31 | 31 | Days |
| Estm’d pasture consmp’n | 34 | 33 | kg DM/ha/day |
| Pasture consum’d per cow | 7.4 | 7.0 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Pasture growing spend | $6.19 | $6.19 | $/ha/day |
| Estm’d pasture price | $181 | $190 | $/T DM |
| Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow | 6.8 | 6.8 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Conc (incl additives)supp avg price | $393 | $393 | $/T DM |
| Hay/silage supp fed/cow | 2.3 | 2.3 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Hay/silage supp price | $222 | $222 | $/T DM |
| Feed Conversion Efficiency | 102 | 102 | kg MS/tonne DM |
| Total feed intake/cow | 15.9 | 15.6 | kg DM/cow/day |
| NDF Fibre in diet | 30.6% | 29.9% | % NDF |
| Litres/cow | 20.1 | 19.0 | l/cow/day |
| Fat test | 4.53% | 4.74% | % |
| Protein test | 3.85% | 3.94% | % |
| Milk Solids per cow | 1.69 | 1.65 | kg/cow/day |
| Milk price (less levies)/kg MS | $6.76 | $6.75 | $/kg MS |
| Milk price (less levies)/litre | $0.57 | $0.59 | $ per litre |
| Milk income/cow | $11.40 | $11.13 | $/cow/day |
| All feed cost/cow | $4.53 | $4.53 | $/cow/day |
| Margin over all Feed/cow | $6.87 | $6.60 | $/cow/day |
| MOAF /ha /day | $31.77 | $30.50 | $/ha/day |
| Farm MOAF per DAY | $1,938 | $1,860 | $/day |