D013131 - B.GFB.1728 - Bredwell Fedwell – Southern Beef

Summary

This project was for the Bred Well Fed Well (BWFW) beef workshops. BWFW beef is a practical, one-day workshop which highlights the key production benefits of genetics, plus feed management for improved reproduction. This project focused on the importance that these two strategies are combined to enable optimal improvement in performance and therefore farm profit. This project coordinated delivery of Bred Well Fed Well Beef workshops, to increase the knowledge, skills and confidence of producers to achieve nutritional and genetic improvements in their herd.

Objectives

The project outcomes by May 30, 2019 were: 

Increase producer knowledge of the impacts of female nutrition on female and progeny performance, animal welfare and farm profit 

Increase awareness and knowledge of how EBVs can be used to achieve enterprise objectives. The Bredwell Fedwell workshops also aim to reduce the perceived complexity of the technology and identify opportunities for producers to begin using EBVs; and  

Encourage at least 10% of participants to progress to participate in further training including but not limited to Profitable Grazing Systems.

Progress

Participants were asked questions before and after sections of the workshop to more clearly clarify the changes as a result of the workshop.  Most of the questions were multiple-choice. 
The confidence in having a written cow breeding goal jumped from 19% to over 90%. Condition scoring skills raised by 2 units out of 10 which is a positive outcome given than confidence was quite low to begin with.  

MLA action

MLA continues to deliver the Bred Well Fed Well workshops to producers to enable them to boost productivity through a genetics and nutrition regime suited to their environment and markets.