Saturday, March 30, 2024

Figuring the feeding

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Does the feeding of barley to hinds and fawns late in summer stack up? Barley fed from feeders left out on hill blocks increased the weights of Clayton Station’s hinds and fawns. ‘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.’
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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.

The more figured approach to feeding has been one upshot of being a Deer Industry South Canterbury Focus Farm.

“In the past we’ve never put figures on feeding. You do what you think is your best but at the end of the day there has to be a result.” Hamish Orbell says.

Putting up his hand for closer scrutiny has made him question and reassess his largely hill-based hind breeding business. The bottom line is that Clayton Station’s 110kg hinds are producing 55kg weaners, 3kg short of the 58kg Downlands Deer’s Kris Orange wants.

“There’s still that rejection rate and that’s the hard reality. It’s been frustrating but it’s made us look harder at what we’re doing.

"The problem we have is that deer are being pushed further into the hills so we’re ending up with 110-115kg hinds that wean a 55kg fawn – that’s not inefficient but it’s not what Kris wants and it’s not really paying the bills.”

Breeder in-line finishing tips

  • Be open-minded and understand the needs of the finisher
  • Communicate. Have regular meetings and be clear on the weaning and delivery process
  • Get an independent person to negotiate the price and payment terms. Hamish and Kris call on a stock agent who has a good understanding of the weaner market, and
  • Get feedback from the finisher so hind, fawn and weaning management can be fine-tuned or changed if necessary.
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