Location: Bangor, Dunalley, south-east Tasmania
Property area: 6,400 ha (15,814 acres) including 35kms of coastline
Enterprise: Superfine Merinos, prime lambs, beef cattle, farm forestry
Enterprise targets:
During spring/summer we aim to achieve-
- Crossbreds target lambing – 130%
- Merinos target lambing – 90%, and a 18-20kg target body weight for weaning by Christmas
- Hereford/Angus cattle – 200kg for weaning in January/February
Goals: To maintain the health and natural assets on Bangor and to perform consistently in the top 20% of farm businesses (gauged through a benchmarking program)
Livestock: 6,000 Merinos, 800 ewes for prime lamb flock, 200 Hereford/Angus-cross cows
Pastures: Perennial pasture base, ryegrass, cocksfoot, fescue, phalaris, sub-clover, white clover
Soil types: Range from duplex on dolerite, coastal sands, and heavy black clays
Annual rainfall: 650mm
Read Matt's article from Prograzier magazine on Carefully managing native pastures (PDF, 120KB)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
20 January 2009
We have experienced a relatively cool summer so far, though one day last week did reach about 34°C which is hot for our area. The forecast is for a few more warm days this week. The burst of rain we received in November/December has helped us through to now with green feed for the weaners. However, we will probably start supplementary feeding them in 2-3 weeks time with grain and lucerne hay, as paddock feed is fast running out. For the past few years, I have been drafting off the tail of the merino weaners, making sure they get the best paddock and sufficient supplement to keep them growing. This is a great strategy, as when left as part of the big mob, those little weaners always struggle. Along with the monthly weighing and worm testing, this takes a lot of the worry out of managing them.
Our DSE’s are currently 50%, which is normal for this time of year. The big thing now will be to build back up again as soon as conditions allow (here’s to an early autumn break!) As part of this process we have been preparing a few of our most drought affected pastures to direct drill annual ryegrass this autumn. With a bit of feed, we should be in a position to trade some cattle this year.
And I am pleased to say that crayfish was on the menu a few times over Xmas, though like our stocking rate, they still seem a bit scarce this season.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
22 December 2008
We had average rainfall in November, and the same so far for December . This has kicked along the perennial grasses and clover, so we have a little bit of feed around now. This is especially noticeable in the paddocks which weren’t overgrazed earlier in the spring – a great advert for proper grazing management! Our stocking rate is down to 60% of normal for this time of year, so that will help stretch the grass a bit further.
All our lambs are weaned now. Merinos have had 3 imprint feeds before weaning; this will stand them in good stead if we have to start supplementing later. For now they are on green grass, with the aim to keep them growing at least 2 kg per month over summer. We weigh and FEC at least monthly so we know what is happening to them. We sold 500 of the prime lambs at straight of their mothers at weaning, keeping a tail of 150 as well as 200 ewe replacements.
There has been no runoff despite the rain however stock water is okay. Our topography allows a system of larger waterholes from which we reticulate troughs in nearly every paddock. Dry or boggy waterholes in paddocks can be fenced off or filled in.
The crayfish season is still pretty slow. The onshore winds which brought the rain made the sea a bit rough but hopefully by Christmas we will be able to get in the water and catch a few.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
18 November 2008
We just finished shearing the merino wethers; fleece weight was slightly down but they should test very fine this year. Our average for wethers is around 16.5 microns; I’m expecting this year to be a little finer. Traditionally we would send this wool to the February sale in Launceston, however due to a shortage of wool this year there will only be a specialty sale of a few hundred bales of the best Tasmania super-fine wool. Hopefully we can get a couple of bales into that sale. We also sheared the ram hoggets, they are looking really good. I will send fleece measurements and other data to Sheep Genetics Australia to have ASBVs calculated to assist with selection. I am really noticing some positive improvements in our genetics of our wool flock now.
The mature merino ewes lambed at about 85 % this year, and lambs are doing pretty well. We will be weaning well before Christmas this year, at about 13 weeks. The only thing the lamb gets from its mother after then is worms, and this year the weaners are going to need a fair bit of supplementary feeding to get them through until the autumn break. In order for the lambs to get used to the grain we will start imprint feed in the month leading up to weaning, while they are on their mothers.
And very importantly, the crayfish season opened last weekend. One advantage of living on the coast in SE Tassie is having the opportunity to chase a few. They seem pretty scarce so far, but hopefully numbers will pick up as we head towards Christmas!______________________________________________________________________________________
22 October 2008
There has been little rain in the past month. Pasture cover now looks like it normally does by Feburary. We have sold nearly all our cattle, and are running at about 60% of our normal stocking rate. The past 3 years are the driest on record. I just hope we are at the end of it not in the midst of it!
The merinos have finished lambing and I am expecting about a 90% lambing rate. We marked the crossbred lambs last week and are very happy with an above average lambing rate of 130%. This is a reflection of the condition score that we maintained at joining. We will begin weaning in early December and I anticipate selling all lambs as stores straight away.
We were pleased with the wool off the hoggets shorn last month. Average fibre diameter was 15.2 microns, with staple strengths ranging from 30 to 40 N/ktex. This is OK considering the year the lambs had, but ideally we like to aim for staple strength of over 40. The 20 bales are up for auction in Melbourne this week.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
30 September 2008
The crossbreds have finished lambing and the merinos are half way through. It looks as though there will be a pretty high lambing percentage but we will know for sure next week when we begin marking.
Unfortunately we are almost certainly facing another failed spring, our third in succession. This year our rainfall deficit is 150 mm. We have taken the decision to sell our entire cattle herd, with the older cows going first. The season in northern Tassie is going well, so there is a good market for cows and calves. At least the little calves don’t have too far to travel.
Although it was a tough decision this is a proactive approach, which means there will be more feed for the sheep and lambs going into the summer months. Their condition score is OK considering, about half a score below what I would normally like.
We have just shorn our merino hoggets. Considering the season they have had, their wool cuts are good, though staple strength looks to be down. We have been breeding our own rams now for the past 5 years, using objective measurements combined with visual classing. Our breeding objective is to reduce micron and increase fleece weight, staple strength and worm resistance. We are starting to see some positive changes fleece value per animal now.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
8 September 2008
Our crossbred ewes are about half way through lambing. There are a lot of early lambs and twins this year. It looks like a good lambing percentage. Merinos start next week; I expect a high lambing percentage from them as well. Grain feeding ewes has stopped now. We have managed to keep them in reasonable condition. Some mobs are about half a condition score short of our target, but they should lamb OK.
We haven’t had much rain in August, and with no subsoil moisture or run-off, its looking like it may be another dry spring. By the end of September we should have a pretty good idea as to what the season is going to bring. We have a plan in place for this, the first part of which will be selling cows and calves. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen!
_______________________________________________________________________________________
11 August 2008
We have had our first month of above average rainfall for a long time. Supplementary feeding continues, as we will get very little pasture growth now until spring. The cattle have started calving with about half a dozen on the ground and the ewes are four weeks out from lambing.
The ewes are receiving 3-4kg of barley a week in order to maintain their condition score. Looking at the crossbreds I think we should have a pretty good lambing percentage this year – hoping for at least 120%. We scanned the merino hoggets and only 13% were dry which also gives me confidence in a pretty high lambing percentage. I have been determining their condition score once every 3 weeks coming up to lambing. It can slip very quickly, especially in Tasmania with the coldest part of winter coinciding with the last part of pregnancy.
There are no drastic pasture weeds on our place but Corbie grubs have become an issue with the succession of dry years we have had. We have sprayed large parts of the farm this year. Winter, especially during the earlier, is the best time to spray, as we can use lower rates of insecticide on the smaller grubs. I don’t like spraying, but have no choice as a bad infestation will wipe out ryegrass and fescue.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
18 July 2008
We have had 40 mm in the past couple of weeks but there is still no subsoil moisture. Despite a cold spell the temperature has been relatively mild which is helping things grow. We are still supplementary feeding our stock and have increased the ewes ration considerably, with them currently on 2-3kg of grain per week as they get closer to lambing. The cattle are no longer on agistment and have returned in about condition score 3. They can afford to lose a little condition before calving. We are continuing to supplementary feed them as they approach calving.
Rain is predicted early next week; we really need the next couple of months to be wet to give us some subsoil moisture, and to fill up water storages. The rain is providing some hope for a normal spring.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2nd July 2008
In terms of magnitude and length we are in one of the worst droughts in over two generations. We are just 2-3 months away from lambing and calving so our main aim at the moment is to maintain our animals to hit target body condition. We are supplementary feeding – both sheep and cattle and also have some cattle away on agistment. We normally carry 350 head of cattle but we are now down to 180 – we are trying to maintain animal condition, as well as pasture cover and composition. Our total DSEs are down by about 40 % on normal.
Ewes are entering the last 2 months of pregnancy, when energy demand starts to rise rapidly. We have just commenced supplementary feeding of all ewes with barley. Most of our cattle have about half a condition score to spare, so we are supplementing them all with a little hay, but this ration will increase now as we enter the coldest months.
_______________________________________________________________________________________