Improved pastoral feedbase management

Summary

This project will demonstrate on 10 properties, in the NSW Central West Rangelands, that the weaning percentage of sheep enterprises can be improved by testing feed quality of the pastoral feedbase, identifying periods of nutritional deficit and developing and implementing profitable strategic supplementation options. The core producers will plan and implement supplementation strategies in their flocks to lift weaning rates by a minimum of 10% in those flocks averaging under 100%, and by 5% in flocks averaging over 100% over a 2 year period.

Objectives

By November 2022, the project will:

1. Have tested 72 samples at the 3 core producer sites (each with 2 sites per farm) nominated by the Pastoral Profit Group, through the Feed Central pasture plant quality test, over Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn 2020/2022 Matching photo standards will be collected.

2. Produced feed quality reports for Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn 2020 to 2022 which will allow 30 pastoralists (3 core producer sites with feed testing and sentinel monitoring, 4 core producer committee members and 23 observer participants) to understand the potential of their feed base to meet ewe requirements, and to identify periods where strategic supplementation may be required. For each deficit periods profitable supplementation options will be created.

3. Allowed group members to plan supplementation strategies and implement them in their flocks to lift weaning rates by a minimum of 10% in those flocks averaging less than 100%, and by 5% in flocks averaging over 100% over a 2 years’ period. This implementation will proceed and be monitored on the 10 core properties through 2019.20 and 2020/21.

4. Produced a report showing the variation in feed quality over a 12-month cycle for the targeted species and also variation which exists year on year. This report will contain seasonal photo standards to assist pastoralists better understand their pastoral feed base over a seasonal production period, identify times of feed quality deficiency and know their profitable seasonal supplementary feed options. The cost:benefit of feeding strategies that were used over the period of the demonstration will be presented with particular reference to improvements in reproductive performance and ewe mortality monitored over time.

Progress

This project was established to demonstrate that the weaning percentage of sheep enterprises can be improved by testing feed quality of the pastoral feed base. The initial key focus of the project was to improve lamb survival rates and hence enterprise profits.  

The project faced some significant challenges, with COVID lockdowns and then major flooding. Exceptional seasonal conditions were experienced through the project.  In consultation with the core project group the project was adapted to meet these challenges. To do this, a focus on identifying and using abundant seasonal feed surpluses was made, as this became the key interest of producers.  
 

Through COVID and flooding the project remained relevant through:

• Meeting monthly on ZOOM with the core group and experts.
• Introducing new technology for Biomass and Groundcover assessment in the form of remote monitoring from CIBOLABS to replace pasture cuts. Gaining confidence in this new technology through paddock validation by producers.
• Focussing on identification of periods of surplus feed availability and its qualification. 
• Partnering with Elders, Landcare Groups and North West Local Land Service to increase the reach of the project. Recording a series of seven key topic Webinars to report findings back to growers.

Major project outcomes were:   

• Demonstrating the use of commercial pasture feed testing to measure seasonal feed quality, to better understand the implications of feed quality on ewe performance, a major driver of farm profit. 
• Undertaking monthly meetings with the core project group to develop confidence in the remote technology (calibration of remote feed base monitoring with what producers saw in the paddock). Using remote gathered information to improve feed budgeting skills for animals on hand.
• Demonstrating how remote monitoring can be used in feed base decision-making by identifying and quantifying feed surplus/deficiency periods. Using feed base information to develop skills around business opportunity investigation (Gross Margins on trade/agist options to quantify financial benefits).
• Demonstrating how the Australian Feed base Monitoring project (CIBO/MLA) on three properties can be used to budget feed and to create business opportunities.

A comment from a participating producers:  
 
“The process of continually stopping to think about the quality of feed we have on the ground and objectively planning stocking rates around that has already helped making decisions to buy, hold or sell stock and impacted productivity."  

Project is now complete – Final report will be published in the near future