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GET THE calculator out and don’t leave it to guesswork when planning winter feed crops for next year.
That was a key message to come out of a Beef + Lamb New Zealand field day on Waiouru Station earlier this month (see p23).
“Sometimes farmers will say I’m going to sow 10has of crop and the stock class is then going to have to fit that,” explained PGG Wrightson Seeds’ specialist Charlotte Westwood.
“Instead, they should be saying I have 2000 ewes to winter, therefore I have demand for X amount of dry matter per head per day over a given period.
“It’s about the need to plan: how much area you need to grow; and how to grow the best yielding crop,” she stressed.
Westwood’s other key message is, having grown a crop, accurately determine the amount of feed using quadrant samples tested for drymatter.
There’s no point “eyeballing” crops to determine yield because few, if any, people can do it accurately.
“There are book values out there for the crops, but they are unreliable, especially for kale because it’s quite variable with dry matter percentage… there can up to a 2 or 3 % dry matter difference.”
If the book value percentage is higher than actual drymatter, and farmers are unaware of this, they’ll end up underfeeding stock, she warns.
“You must send a sample away to do a dry matter assessment. And while sending it away have it nitrate tested.”
Crops are a good option in areas where pasture growing seasons are limited by climate but yields do need to be high, says Westwood.
Where cold winters limit pasture growth, beside brassicas providing a weather-proof bulk of feed to carry stock through, they also have a lower minimum temperature for growth, so will grow a little when the pasture has long since stopped.
The other benefit to factor in is growing a crop is a good start to a re-grassing programme.
In New Zealand, every dairy farmer worth their salt knows just how important it is to look after the welfare of their animals. The health of the herd directly impacts profit margins, which, in turn, determines the viability and sustainability of the farm.
As we approach the winter months it’s important to be prepared for the challenges and uncertainties that come with unpredictable weather events.
Farmers needing stock feed or wanting to supply or donate feed are being urged to use the National Feed Co-ordination Service.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Federated Farmers have restarted the national Feed Coordination Service to help farmers recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle.
Driving from home base in the Horowhenua through Hawke’s Bay and up the East Coast, it’s pretty evident that feed for cows is in short supply and that ground is still wet.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
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