Weaners left Clayton for finishing weighing 55kg (average), 4.5kg heavier than last year. It’s still too early to know whether the cost of the first-time feeding experiment has paid off for Hamish Orbell.
He has calculated a feeding cost of $7/head so will need an average liveweight gain of more than 2kg/head, based on a store price of $3.50/kg.
“Yes, they’re heavier and they should fatten faster so I should get more at killing, but it’s difficult to quantify in black and white,” he says.
Also, the payback of grain feeding hinds is yet to be fully assessed. The first indicator – in-fawn scanning – delivered a mixed message. Of the grain-fed hinds 95% scanned in-fawn – 2% fewer than the non-grain fed hinds – but the foetal fawn size of the grain-fed hinds was two weeks ahead of the non grain-fed hinds.
“The 2% difference is probably neither here nor there but two weeks earlier could add another 5kg at weaning or slaughter.”
A more complete picture of the feeding trial success will be known once all the weaners, sent on for finishing at the Orange family’s 260ha finishing farm at Geraldine through an inline breeding arrangement, are slaughtered.
Regardless, Hamish will repeat the exercise next year.
“This year it took the hinds a while to get used to the feeder and that could have affected results, but next year they should be more familiar with the system.”
Hamish had used Advantage feeders with velvet stags so this year decided to try one on the hill for the hinds and fawns for more targeted feeding.
He used one medium-sized feeder, topping it up every two weeks, and over the 32 days fed five tonnes of barley.
To get a measure of the feeder effectiveness he compared growth rates of a grain-fed and non grain-fed mob. In the grain-fed mob the fawns averaged daily growth of 30g more than those without.
Hamish Orbell positions the Advantage feeder for the three-year-old velvet stags.