AgResearch’s Tom Fraser said good feed planning is not about allocating a paddock of brassicas to last 100 days because it suits the farmer.
“It is about allocating feed to meet the energy requirements of livestock.”
He said animal production targets could include ewe scanning percentage, lamb finishing weights, or cattle growth rates. Working back from these targets generates a focus on providing the quantity and quality of feed the animals require. Getting the supply and demand balance right on a consistent basis is what drives animal production and farm profitability.
There are plenty of tools available to farmers to help make formal feed planning simple but it is a matter of getting the inputs right. Up to date feed demand figures for sheep and cattle of all ages and classes can be sourced in B+LNZ’s A Guide to Feed Planning for Sheep Farmers, DairyNZ’s Farm Facts and Figures book, as well as NZ Grazing Company’s free Heifer Graze calculator.
Local farmer Roger Dalrymple is no stranger to feed planning and the value of getting it right. Finishing 25,000-40,000 lambs, contract grazing 3000 steers, and more than 2000 Fonterra heifers, means many hungry mouths and little room for error.
Dalrymple’s advice at the field day was simple.
“Animal feed demand – learn it, understand it, eat, think, drink it – it’s your business.”
Equally important is having a good understanding of the factors affecting feed quality and utilisation. Quality is measured as metabolisable energy and these values are used in a feed plan to calculate the total energy available for livestock.
Workshop facilitator Hamish Buchanan said in the paddock quality depends on three major aspects – legume, green leaf, and dead matter. After some practice, estimating pasture quality can be as simple as a visual pasture assessment – for those who are unsure B+LNZ are running FeedSmart workshops that teach the use of pasture calibration guides, among other valuable feed planning skills.
When it comes to conserved feed however, Fraser advised that the best method was to pay a small fee for a proper feed quality test, especially if buying in silage or baleage. As these were expensive feeds, and were often used over winter where pasture supply was low, it was a small price to pay to know the exact feed quality, and therefore exact amount required, to fill the energy deficit.
Utilisation is the proportion of feed that is actually consumed and needs to be included in the feed plan for all feed types. Utilisation can vary hugely, especially during winter where conditions are wet and muddy, and stock are feeding in concentrated areas. It could be that a mere 40% of the feed available to stock is actually getting down their throats, therefore only 40% of the energy supplied.
Pasture and crop yields also need to be accurate for a feed plan to meet livestock energy demands. B+LNZ provided sward sticks for estimating pasture mass at different times of year, but for feed crops such as brassicas, farmers were advised to get a little more hands-on, or call in some expert assistance.
Fraser said after investing in the seed and fertiliser required to reach optimum yield, it might be worth asking the company rep to come and assess the actual crop yield. Otherwise cutting and drying representative samples of the crop was the best way to get accurate yield measurements.
Overall the workshop provided good stimulation to get farmers thinking more about feed planning and the energy supply-demand equation. With the right information to construct even a simple feed plan farmers are in the position to not only meet animal production targets but they are better able to anticipate feed surpluses and deficits. Farmers are able to react to change with more confidence and make information-based decisions around shifting feed demand, prioritising stock, buying in supplements, and ultimately making money from feed.
– Alice Allsop
