Past Management Predicts Pasture Performance
The time and place to assess your management and the grass growth resulting from it is in the paddock that is about to be grazed, while setting the electric fence. Both jobs require skill and knowledge, and it’s convenient to do one essential job while doing another. At this point, the paddock has done the job you required of it, over the period since it was last harvested. The previous grazing residue (may have been topped), the fertiliser applied, the fast water application and drainage, and the time rested, have all set the paddock up for tonight’s harvest of high quantity and quality grass. Is it green leafy ryegrass and clover at wrist height, with a residue of two-knuckles height underneath, from fence to fence? Maybe there are patches that have not performed well. The reason for any lack of performance needs to be understood and fixed for the next grazing. A dairy farm’s profitability depends on not having underperforming patches.
At the MDF, Paddock 13b will be grazed soon. It is currently 30 days rested, at 2 leaves regrown, (typical leaf appearance rate for late April), is Matrix ryegrass, and soil moisture is currently ok. It is mostly dark green leafy ryegrass, but some pale green/yellowish patches, almost no weeds. Most patches are wrist height, but some only mid-palm. The residue underneath is variable between two knuckles and mid-palm.
These practical/visual assessments of paddock 13b’s quantity equate to 900 kg DM /ha available, which is a growth rate over the growing period of 30 kg DM/ha /day. This visual assessment of one paddock’s quantity matches with the average calculated consumption over the whole farm in the table.
| FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE | MDF TEN DAYS AGO | MDF THIS TEN DAYS | Units |
| Ten days to date: | 20-Apr-21 | 30-Apr-21 | |
| Milker graze area | 61 | 70 | Ha |
| Milkers | 282 | 280 | Head |
| Stocking rate | 4.6 | 4.0 | cows/ha |
| Average graze rest time | 32 | 32 | Days |
| Estm’d pasture consmp’n | 31 | 29 | kg DM/ha/day |
| Pasture consum’d per cow | 6.8 | 7.2 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Pasture growing spend | $5.29 | $5.29 | $/ha/day |
| Estm’d pasture price | $169 | $184 | $/T DM |
| Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow | 6.8 | 6.3 | 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 | 97 | 97 | kg MS/tonne DM |
| Total feed intake/cow | 15.3 | 15.2 | kg DM/cow/day |
| NDF Fibre in diet | 29.7% | 30.5% | % NDF |
| Litres/cow | 17.7 | 17.5 | l/cow/day |
| Fat test | 4.68% | 4.66% | % |
| Protein test | 4.02% | 4.07% | % |
| Milk Solids per cow | 1.54 | 1.52 | kg/cow/day |
| Milk price (less levies)/kg MS | $6.99 | $7.00 | $/kg MS |
| Milk price (less levies)/litre | $0.61 | $0.61 | $ per litre |
| Milk income/cow | $10.74 | $10.65 | $/cow/day |
| All feed cost/cow | $4.33 | $4.30 | $/cow/day |
| Margin over all Feed/cow | $6.40 | $6.35 | $/cow/day |
| MOAF /ha /day | $29.59 | $25.41 | $/ha/day |
| Farm MOAF per DAY | $1,805 | $1,779 | $/day |