PADDOCK HISTORY
IN 3 YEARS GRASS PRODUCTIVITY AIMS TO PRODUCE MORE FROM THE NATURAL PASTURES THAN THE NEW RESEEDED AND LEYE PASTURES. SAVING PURCHASING ALL THAT CAPITAL EQUIPMENT AMMOUNTING TO HUGE EXPENDITURES.
GRASS PRODUCTIVITY’S question is, “Why buy a huge tractor”? Maybe a small tractor or quad bike and trailer could do the job.
IT’S GOING BACK TO EXTENSIVE LOW INPUT FARMING, THE NATURAL WAY WITH NATURAL PASTURES.
What’s YOUR Alternative?
It seems that most grassland farmers favour set stocking. The animals are left grazing the same area until no grass is left and then moved to fresh pasture to repeat the same process. The problem is they are able to practice selective grazing and demolish the nutritious palatable grass varieties, leaving unpalatable less nutritious grasses, weeds and the tough stuff. Once they have grossly overgrazed the palatable nutritious grasses and all but destroyed them, and due to being hungry, will eat the least palatable grasses,
IT GOES DOWNHILL ALL THE TIME? NEGATIVELY IMPACTING ON THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE GRASS PRODUCTIVITY AND REDUCING THE PROFITABILITY OF THE FARMING ENTERPRISE.
Not only have all the palatable highly nutritious grass been destroyed but are taken over by unpalatable grasses, weeds and moss. This happens with most set stocking with 40-50% moss and weeds appearing and even higher!!
First law – Sufficient intervals, rest periods.
Second law – Limited timed rationed occupation Periods.
GRASS PRODUCTIVITY FACTS TO FACTOR IN:
HOW: Fact finding, gather valuable information.
For example; Existing farm plan, goals, net profit target, cost structure, soil type, ph. soil sampling and analysis, designed fertiliser applications, pasture layout, number of paddocks, fencing, watering points, grass types, quality of the grass, % weeds, % moss, overall 12 day farm wedge, hay harvested, type of herd, number and breed of ewes, number and breed of rams, lambing %, weaning %, live wieners sold, their weight and age, average price sold, weight of carcass sold, carcass grading, average price per carcass, number of deaths and cause of death, drenching, supplementary feeding, etc.
ASSESSMENT: Assess upgrades/improvements required.
By walking the farm on a regular basis one’s assessment of the whole operation becomes more informative – the number of paddocks, the infrastructure, where the watering points and gates are, the quality of the pasture, and the plant life in the pastures and rate of regrowth after defoliation to name a few.
KNOW: The daily GRASS PRODUCTIVITY growth curve in kgDM/ha in all paddocks identifying entry and exit levels. This chart is an example of how our software works, after having walked the farm, recorded the field size, Grass productivity in each field, a clear picture emerges and by pressing a button, the fields are rearranged in order of production and sequence of grazing.
At what stage in the “S” curve to start grazing?
Grass Productivity principles are always working towards identifying when the grass is at maximum production in the “S” curve. Depending on the quality of the soil and the herbage the growth in the latter 35% on the time scale of the “S” curve may contribute 2 to 3 times as much growth as in the first 65% time scale. In addition to the huge increase that occurs in the latter stages of the “S” curve, is the added benefit of the increased crude protein and starch. The full benefits are achieved by applying the Grass Productivity principles in place of the set /rotational, continuous, indiscriminate grazing methods in which are the hidden rest periods working at low productivity cycles and could reduce Grass productivity to as low as 30% of it’s full potential. Although there is less rotations with extended rest periods the Grass productivity, crude protein and starch can be more than doubled while improving soil and plant condition.
KNOW: The flock daily kg/DM rationed requirements.
Have current soil samples taken and the comprehensive soil analysed to know the condition of the soil and the macro and minor nutrient levels.