Paddock 16 will be grazed soon, on 30 days rest. The average leaf appearance rate since previous grazing was 13.3 days, typical for late September. The MDF is reducing spring N input from 100 kg urea to 80 kg urea this season, and has also not swapped over from the winter foliar fertiliser applications, due to the price of urea. Paddock 16 has a yellowish colour, and a bit of rust. If N is to be reduced, the grazing rotation needs to get the full three leaves, to get the quantity, so the grazing rest time should be extended.
The Dairy Farm Monitor Project results (2020-2021) have just been published. The MDF is one of the 80 farms across the state analysed. The MDF has the highest stocking rate (4.1 milkers per milking hectare). MDF milk solids per ha was 2,105 kg, the highest in the state, by far. The MDF pasture consumption per milking ha was second highest (13.5 tonne; the highest was 15.3 tonne). MDF milk solids per cow was 512; state average, 530 kg. While production figures are comparable to other farms and indicate the MDF is performing quite well, indicators like the EBIT show the difference between commercial farms and a farm where all staff are paid to an industry standard level. In looking at the EBIT, the MDF EBIT per cow was $527. All other MID irrigators achieved close to or above $1,000 per cow.
| FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE | MDF TEN DAYS AGO | MDF THIS TEN DAYS | ANOTHER FARM | Units |
| Ten days to date: | 10-Sep-21 | 20-Sep-21 | 20-Sep-21 | |
| Milker graze area | 61 | 61 | 115 | Ha |
| Milkers | 200 | 235 | 480 | Head |
| Stocking rate | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.2 | cows/ha |
| Average graze rest time | 35 | 35 | 35 | Days |
| Estm’d pasture consmp’n | 37 | 44 | 47 | kg DM/ha/day |
| Pasture consum’d per cow | 11.3 | 11.4 | 11.2 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Pasture growing spend | $2.72 | $2.72 | $2.31 | $/ha/day |
| Estm’d pasture price | $73 | $62 | $49 | $/T DM |
| Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.4 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Conc (incl additives)supp avg price | $417 | $417 | $418 | $/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 | 114 | 116 | 117 | kg MS/tonne DM |
| Total feed intake/cow | 17.0 | 17.1 | 17.5 | kg DM/cow/day |
| NDF Fibre in diet | 31.0% | 31.0% | 29.7% | % NDF |
| Litres/cow | 27.8 | 28.7 | 28.2 | l/cow/day |
| Fat test | 3.59% | 3.61% | 3.81% | % |
| Protein test | 3.46% | 3.36% | 3.48% | % |
| Milk Solids per cow | 1.96 | 2.00 | 2.05 | kg/cow/day |
| Milk price (less levies)/kg MS | $6.45 | $6.43 | $6.42 | $/kg MS |
| Milk price (less levies)/litre | $0.46 | $0.45 | $0.47 | $ per litre |
| Milk income/cow | $12.64 | $12.90 | $13.18 | $/cow/day |
| All feed cost/cow | $3.27 | $3.14 | $3.21 | $/cow/day |
| Margin over all Feed/cow | $9.37 | $9.75 | $9.97 | $/cow/day |
| MOAF /ha /day | $30.72 | $37.58 | $41.62 | $/ha/day |
| Farm MOAF per DAY | $1,874 | $2,292 | $4,787 | $/day |
| Feed cost $/kg MS | $1.67 | $1.57 | $1.56 | $/ kg MS |
| Proportion of grazed grass in diet | 67% | 67% | 64% | % |