Checking the numbers always pays off
At the MDF, rotation length is stable and laser-graded bays are about to come into the rotation, meaning that the graze rest time is likely to lengthen. This is key to maintaining grass growth and good paddock conditions through the colder winter months, and capitalizing on the spring flush of feed to optimize milk production.
In the table below, although the MDF is stocked more heavily, grass consumption per cow is a lot higher than the comparison farm, and is set to increase once the laser graded bays are back in the rotation. Concentrates are the same, but the other farm is feeding much more hay/silage to maintain feed intake. So, grain intake, total feed intake and NDF in the diet of the cows on the two farms is almost identical. The big difference is the amount of grass on offer, and the impact this has on milk solids and feed costs/cow.
The importance of offering as much grass as possible to produce cheap home grown feed to each cow is reflected clearly in input costs and MOAF/day.
| FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE | MDF TEN DAYS AGO | MDF THIS TEN DAYS | ANOTHER FARM | Units |
| Ten days to date: | 10-May-21 | 20-May-21 | 20-May-21 | |
| Milker graze area | 72 | 70 | 60 | Ha |
| Milkers | 278 | 269 | 182 | Head |
| Stocking rate | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.0 | cows/ha |
| Average graze rest time | 33 | 33 | 32 | Days |
| Estm’d pasture consmp’n | 27 | 27 | 11 | kg DM/ha/day |
| Pasture consum’d per cow | 7.1 | 7.1 | 3.8 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Pasture growing spend | $4.79 | $4.79 | $2.88 | $/ha/day |
| Estm’d pasture price | $176 | $176 | $251 | $/T DM |
| Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Conc (incl additives)supp avg price | $393 | $417 | $417 | $/T DM |
| Hay/silage supp fed/cow | 2.3 | 2.3 | 5.7 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Hay/silage supp price | $222 | $222 | $206 | $/T DM |
| Feed Conversion Efficiency | 95 | 97 | 91 | kg MS/tonne DM |
| Total feed intake/cow | 15.1 | 15.1 | 15.3 | kg DM/cow/day |
| NDF Fibre in diet | 30.4% | 30.4% | 30.2% | % NDF |
| Litres/cow | 17.2 | 17.0 | 18.3 | l/cow/day |
| Fat test | 4.64% | 4.85% | 4.33% | % |
| Protein test | 4.00% | 4.07% | 3.69% | % |
| Milk Solids per cow | 1.49 | 1.52 | 1.47 | kg/cow/day |
| Milk price (less levies)/kg MS | $7.10 | $7.08 | $7.09 | $/kg MS |
| Milk price (less levies)/litre | $0.61 | $0.63 | $0.57 | $ per litre |
| Milk income/cow | $10.57 | $10.75 | $10.41 | $/cow/day |
| All feed cost/cow | $4.22 | $4.37 | $4.79 | $/cow/day |
| Margin over all Feed/cow | $6.35 | $6.38 | $5.62 | $/cow/day |
| MOAF /ha /day | $24.51 | $24.52 | $17.06 | $/ha/day |
| Farm MOAF per DAY | $1,765 | $1,717 | $1,024 | $/day |