Winter-proof your farm
As we approach the winter months it’s important to be prepared for the challenges and uncertainties that come with unpredictable weather events.
GET THE calculator out and don’t leave it to guesswork when planning winter feed crops for next year.
That was a key message to come out of a Beef + Lamb New Zealand field day on Waiouru Station earlier this month (see p23).
“Sometimes farmers will say I’m going to sow 10has of crop and the stock class is then going to have to fit that,” explained PGG Wrightson Seeds’ specialist Charlotte Westwood.
“Instead, they should be saying I have 2000 ewes to winter, therefore I have demand for X amount of dry matter per head per day over a given period.
“It’s about the need to plan: how much area you need to grow; and how to grow the best yielding crop,” she stressed.
Westwood’s other key message is, having grown a crop, accurately determine the amount of feed using quadrant samples tested for drymatter.
There’s no point “eyeballing” crops to determine yield because few, if any, people can do it accurately.
“There are book values out there for the crops, but they are unreliable, especially for kale because it’s quite variable with dry matter percentage… there can up to a 2 or 3 % dry matter difference.”
If the book value percentage is higher than actual drymatter, and farmers are unaware of this, they’ll end up underfeeding stock, she warns.
“You must send a sample away to do a dry matter assessment. And while sending it away have it nitrate tested.”
Crops are a good option in areas where pasture growing seasons are limited by climate but yields do need to be high, says Westwood.
Where cold winters limit pasture growth, beside brassicas providing a weather-proof bulk of feed to carry stock through, they also have a lower minimum temperature for growth, so will grow a little when the pasture has long since stopped.
The other benefit to factor in is growing a crop is a good start to a re-grassing programme.
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
World Veterinary Day falls on Saturday 27 April.
The Director General of MPI, Ray Smith says it's important for his department to celebrate the success of a whole range of groups and people around the country.
A small company which mobilised veterinarians around the country to deal with Mycoplasma bovis was one of the winners in this year's Biosecurity Awards, held at Parliament.
One of the country's top Māori sheep and beef farms is facing a five-year battle to get back to where it was before Cyclone Gabrielle struck just over 14 months ago.
OPINION: The new government has clearly signalled big cuts across the public service.
OPINION: Your canine crusader is not surprised by the recent news that New Zealand plant-based ‘fake meat’ business is in…