Target 10 Communicator
March 2011 Edition
Managing New Pastures
Tom Farran, DPI Tatura
By now many of you will have sown some new pastures or will be in the process of sowing new pastures. For these new pastures to perform to their full potential they need to be well managed. One of the most crucial times to get the management of pasture right is during the establishment phase through until after the first grazing. The following information outlines some important points to think about as you get your pastures up and going and introduce them into the herd’s diet.
Early Grazing Management
With poorer quality fodder this season reducing the production of many herds, the sight of paddocks with high quality green feed will be hard to resist. There will be temptation to reduce the poor quality hay and silage supplements that have been hurting the milk cheque and get stuck into utilising the new high quality paddock feed. However, if you can be patient and give the pastures a good opportunity to establish themselves and begin to grow, then you will reap the benefits for the rest of the year.
Young ryegrass plants use much of their stored energy to produce new leaf growth. The plant relies on these new leaves to capture sunlight energy to produce more leaves, support root development and replenish their store of energy reserves. If pastures are grazed too early, too short, or too frequently when growth is just beginning, then you will be left with a ryegrass plant with reduced energy reserves and a diminished ability to capture sunlight.
The overall result of grazing too early or too often will be a pasture that is slow to regrow, with increasingly smaller leaves. This means that a longer interval between grazings will be required, and less feed will be in the paddock each time. Pastures will not thicken up and weed species will have a greater chance to infiltrate the paddock. The result will be a weaker, weedier pasture with a reduction in the overall dry matter production over the year.
When to Graze?
Science has shown that a newly sown ryegrass pasture can sustain more than three actively growing leaves before the first grazing (but not in subsequent grazings). The new seedling will also till very well without needing to be grazed to stimulate tillering. Until the plant reaches the ‘canopy closure’ stage, it will continue to accumulate more high quality feed at an exponential rate. ‘Canopy closure’ refers to when the pasture has grown to the stage that the ground can no longer be seen from above without first having to part the pasture.
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Once ‘canopy closure’ has been reached the bottom leaves will start to decay, quality will begin to decline, tillering will reduce and net growth rates will begin to decline. This means that in theory it is better to leave the new plants to grow out close to canopy closure before they are grazed.
While in theory it is best to graze new ryegrass pastures just before canopy closure, practicality will overrule the theory in most cases. Why is this so? On most farms there will be a substantial area of new pasture that has been started at the same time (more than one paddock). If you wait until the first new paddock is close to ‘canopy closure’ before you graze it, then the last new paddock will be well past canopy closure before the cows get to it. Good management is about making the right comprise and using the grazing strategy which works for your situation. If a paddock has been oversown, the new seedlings could easily be shaded out by the existing ryegrass plants, so in this case you will need to graze earlier to ensure that this shading does not set the new seedlings back. Again it is a compromise.
It is also important to check that the new pasture is ready for grazing by doing the ‘pluck test’. Make sure that the new ryegrass plant will not pull out of the ground when pulled up by hand, i.e. the leaves tear off rather than the roots pull out of the ground.
Practical tips for managing the first grazing
Most farmers find that they will have a block of new pastures that are ready to be grazed all at the same time. This means that not all of the new pasture will be able to be grazed at the perfect time, so some pasture will need to be grazed a bit early and some a bit late.
It is also necessary to be thinking about what is best for the cows at this time as well. It is best for the cows to be kept on a consistent diet without large day to day fluctuations. This means it is important to allocate a consistent volume of grass per day. A hectare of new pasture that is grazed well prior to canopy closure will not have as much pasture available as a hectare of new pasture that is close to ‘canopy closure’. So if you are allocating the same size area of land to the cows each day the cows will end up having a lot more pasture available to them by the end of the new block of pasture. In this instance controlling over and undergazing and allocating supplements profitably will be much more complex as the cows will be getting a different amount of pasture each day.
To help allocate the herd a more consistent amount of pasture each day it may be necessary to allocate the herd a larger area of land at the beginning of grazing the block of new pastures and gradually reduce the area of land being offered to the herd as you work your way through the block of new pasture.
There are a number of tools available to help manage a smooth transition onto new pastures. One of which is the Rotation Right tool which is explained and developed for participants in the Feeding Pastures For Profit course which DPI will begin delivering in the region this autumn. By getting this first grazing right you will have offered a consistent amount of pasture to your herd, optimised your pasture harvest, and left a ideal residual of pasture to ensure regrowth will occur as quickly as possible. You will also have built a pasture wedge that will enable consistent pasture intakes into the next rotation.
Once you have finished the first grazing you will then have a rotation established. You may however need to adjust you rotation length to make sure that you are grazing the ryegrass at its ideal stage of 2-3 leaves.
Getting the Residual Right
You need to avoid overgrazing young ryegrass plants as the energy reserves that are used to produce new leaf growth after grazing are located in the bottom 4-6cm above the ground, not in the roots as was once believed. By grazing below this level you are depriving the plant of its energy reserves and as a result new leaves will be much smaller in size, yet still take the same amount of time to grow.
It is often very difficult to get the cows to leave a 4-6cm residual at the first grazing. This new pasture is of high quality right to the ground as there is no ‘residual’ sheath that was left behind from last grazing. As a result cows will find it easy to graze the new pasture hard. In many cases the best and/or only option is to use the on-off grazing technique. This is where the cows are put onto the grazing area for a short period, and then removed from the paddock as soon as they have grazed down to the desired residual of 4-6cm. With young plants containing a large portion of water and little dry matter it is important to continue supplementary feeding of fodder such as hay or silage and grain to ensure cows are getting their daily energy and protein requirements. Otherwise you will be mining body condition and this will have detrimental effects later on in the lactation.
Management of Weed and Insect Pests
Weeds are a common problem in newly sown pastures. In the weeks after sowing it is essential to observe paddocks regularly and react quickly to any problems with weeds or insects. Weeds that emerge after sowing are best controlled when they are young (3 to 6 weeks after they have germinated). Less chemical is required which is good for the hip pocket, the pasture and the environment. Even better, a dense, healthy pasture will generally out-compete a low weed burden without the use of herbicides. Check for lucerne flea and red-legged earth mites at least once a week. Both pests can be easily controlled with registered chemicals.
The Feeding Pasture for Profit program has many practical tools and tips for grazing new pastures. To participate in or find out more information about the program, or to find out more information about the article please call you local DPI Dairy Extension Officer at Tatura (03) 5833 5222; Echuca (03) 5482 1922; or Cobram (03) 5871 0600.
On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program Round 2
On December 9th 2010, the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities announced an open call for submissions to the second round of the $300 million Commonwealth On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program (Farm Water Program).
The Farm Water Program seeks to improve the efficiency and productivity of farm irrigation water use and management through assisting irrigators to modernise their farm irrigation infrastructure, while returning water savings to the environment.
The submission being developed by the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (as a Delivery Partner) for funding under the Farm Water Program includes eligible technologies that improve surface irrigation (e.g. pipe and riser, fast flow, automation) and pressurised irrigation (e.g. sub-surface drip and centre pivot). The total value of the submission is $80,039,726. If irrigator interest in the Farm Water Program exceeds the available funding, a ballot will be held to determine successful irrigator projects.
The second round is worth $150 million. The call for submissions from Delivery Partners closes March 31st, 2011.
Irrigators will be invited to submit projects to the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority and will need to generate a minimum water saving volume of 20ML,of which at least 50 per cent must be returned to the Australian Government in the form of unencumbered (not restricted by trading rules) permanent entitlements.
The Department of Primary Industries will be coordinating a Pre-qualification and an Expression of Interest process to help irrigators develop projects. Timelines for these processes are still being finalised.
During the Expression of Interest process, the Department of Primary Industries will be working with irrigators to develop their Water Savings Plans and ensuring the project is fully integrated with the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project and the Farm Irrigation Assessors negotiating Connections Agreements.
Whole farm planning programs across the North East, Goulburn Broken and North Central Catchment Management Authority areas will again underpin the eligibility and project development process for the Farm Water Program. Irrigators are encouraged to update their whole farm plan to reflect works intended to be carried out if successful for Farm Water Program funding.
The Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority is leading development of the Farm Water Program submission with support from consortium members including North Central and North East Catchment Management Authorities, Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project, Goulburn-Murray Water, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Department of Primary Industries and Dairy Australia.
More information will be published as it becomes available.
Managing mastitis when it’s muddy
With the recent widespread rains, many dairy farms across the country are dealing with more mud and humidity than usual. This can cause cracking of the teat skin and increased mastitis levels resulting in increases in Bulk Milk Cell Counts (BMCC) and clinical cases.
Dr John Penry who manages Dairy Australia’s Countdown Downunder project has some tips for managing mastitis when it’s muddy.
“Mud and very humid conditions are a double whammy for mastitis. It increases the risk factors for mastitis infection and reduces the teat’s natural defences against bacteria,” he said.
Mastitis risk is a numbers game: the more bacteria near the teat end, the greater the risk of infection. Mud and faecal material increase the number of bacteria present.
Moisture and mud dry out the teat skin, leaving it more prone to small cracks where bacteria can multiply.
“Simple changes to milking management and teat disinfection can make a real difference to the prevention of mastitis in wet weather,” said Dr Penry.
When conditions are muddy, Countdown has seven management tips for herd managers to consider:
- Take extra care with teat disinfectant – concentration and application.
- Wash dirty teats with low pressure water.
- Check air admission holes in the clusters, ensuring they are free from dirt.
- Have your machines checked by a technician if they have been rain or flood-affected.
- Pay extra attention to finding clinical cases and treating them early.
- Review mastitis treatment practices; consider injectable antibiotics.
- Run a hospital herd with mastitis cases.
- Have some extra people available during milking.
To learn more about these tips and how to implement them practically on your own farm, consider completing an upcoming Cups On Cups Off course run by Murray Dairy and the NCDEA. The course helps farmers control mastitis to improve milk quality and cut costs. This is a great opportunity to train new staff - from the ground up by providing them with the fundamentals of good milk harvesting practices, or simply improve your own skills.
The Cups On Cups Off course is based on Countdown Downunder information and covers the entire milking process with special emphasis on mastitis prevention and control. The course is suited to all persons who milk cows, owner / operators, family members, employed staff or share farmers.
A number of Cups On Cups Off courses will be held at different locations across the Murray Dairy Region in 2011. For more information about the course dates and locations, and to book your place, contact Melissa Dorsett at Murray Dairy on (03) 5833 5928 or email melissad@murraydairy.com.au
TARGET 10 TICKLERSA farmer was milking his cow. He was just starting to get a good rhythm going when a bug flew into the barn and started circling his head. Suddenly, the bug flew into the cow's ear. The farmer didn't think much about it, until the bug squirted out into his bucket. It went in one ear and out the udder. ----------------------------------------------- Q: What happens when bananas sunbathe? A: They start to peel! Q: What gets bigger the more you take from it? A: A hole. |
Weather Damaged Feed
Wet growing conditions this past spring have impacted on many harvested forage crops (hay and silage). Not only was it difficult to get hay and silage cut, raked and baled in between rainfall events, some fodder was then left sitting in wet paddocks for a period of time. Cropping farmers were exposed to rainfall events which impacted on the quality of their grain crops, with a large amount of grain being down graded from milling and malting grade to feed grade due to weather damage.
Farmers are now faced with the choice of whether to use weather damaged hay, silage and grain as feed for their cattle. There are a few considerations that need to be taken into account when weighing up the options and risks of feeding weather damaged feed.
Silage
If silage bales have been sitting on wet soil or were inundated by water they may be sodden due to seepage of water into the baled material; despite being wrapped in four layers of plastic.
Water changes the preservation acids contained within the silage allowing air to enter the bale. The pH will rise and undesirable bacteria will multiply in the air resulting in decomposition of the feed. Signs of water damaged silage include bales that are black, are oozy or slimy and have an odour.
It is not recommended that water damaged bales of silage be fed to livestock, however in the case of there being no other options, by feeding the whole bale of water damaged silage to livestock, the animals can then freely choose the unaffected portions of the bales.
With silage bales that were affected by flood water there may be a small risk that Clostridium botulinum bacteria have contaminated the bale and this may cause botulism in livestock. The symptoms of botulism are evident when animals lose muscle tone, sit down and are unable to rise, eat or drink. They can otherwise appear normal.
Hay
Moulds develop easily on hay that has been sitting in water, especially in warm weather. Moulds can dramatically decrease the nutritive value and palatability of the hay. Some moulds are toxic and may cause sudden death or longer-term health problems such as liver damage, photosensitivity and in some cases abortion.
Often the best course of action is to avoid feeding mouldy hay to livestock. This requires a keen eye or sensitive nose when selecting hay to feed each day. Mixing mouldy hay with other feed sources may reduce the cows feed intake or put the cows off their feed mix entirely. It is best to allow animals to self select their feed where possible. People can also be affected by mould spores, which cause a condition called ‘farmer's lung’ where the fungus actually grows in lung tissue. Be careful when handling mouldy hay and wear a dust mask.
If livestock need additional grain to balance the hay ration try to use mould free grain if possible. For farmers using a mixer wagon there are several products which are designed to ‘absorb’ fungal toxins (known as ‘mycotoxins’). Speak with your nutrition adviser or feed company representative before embarking on this alternative. Don’t try to feed too much mouldy hay or silage in the ration because the animals cannot self select their feed and they may end up consuming feed that they would normally refuse.
It is also important to remember that hay bales that have been inundated by water for many days will most likely be starting to rot and there is a risk of spontaneous combustion.
Grain
Weather-damaged grain is typically equal to sound grain in metabolisable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) value and shouldn’t affect animal performance or feed conversion efficiency. However, if a lot of the grain is fed, milk composition (protein and fat concentration) may be influenced by the proportions of starch versus less complex sugars in the shot and sprouted kernels.
Mildly shot and sprouted grain has a slightly lower test weight than sound grain. If germination of many kernels has advanced to the stage where the roots and shoots have emerged, the grain’s test weight will be substantially
lower. With the starch reserves in the grain having been largely depleted at that stage, the grain’s ME value will be reduced. This has implications for balancing the ration as you need to feed a greater volume of the grain to meet the energy requirements of the cow.
If you are feeding more than 3 kg of shot or sprouted wheat, triticale or barely per cow, per milking (i.e. more than 6 kg/cow/day) you may increase the risk of ruminal acidosis. Make sure that weather damaged grain is introduced into the ration slowly over several days, while monitoring for any feed rejection, drop in milk production, changes in milk composition and changes in cow health. Consider adding buffers and rumen modifiers and increasing the fibre content in the ration as required to manage your herd’s risk of ruminal acidosis.
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Grains at different stages of germination. Source: Dr J Barrero CSIRO |
Another factor that needs to be taken into consideration when buying and feeding weather damaged grain is appropriate storage. Storage facilities need to be dry and well ventilated to minimise the risk of developing moulds that produce mycotoxins and insect infestation. If grain is stored too wet then there may be problems with the grain clumping together, making it difficult to remove and process from the storage facility. Grain with a moisture level greater than 12.5 per cent, and/or a large proportion of sprouted grains, are more susceptible to mould growth. The higher the moisture content, the higher the risk.
Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins can be detrimental to the productivity and health of cattle; they can lead to liver and kidney disease. The visible symptoms of poisoning by mycotoxins can be difficult to detect. A subtle reduction in feed intake, milk yield and / or milk fat and protein tests may be seen. Talk to your nutrition adviser about including a mycotoxin binder feed additive in your grain or concentrate mix.
There are a number of indicators that your livestock may be suffering from toxicity, including:
- Weight loss or stomach pain
- Poor appetite, sometimes accompanied by scouring
- Reduced milk production
- Immune suppression
- Photosensitisation (swollen, red ears, muzzles and white skin that dries, cracks and peels)
- Enlargement of the abdomen
- Sudden death
Sometimes affected animals may also exhibit neurological symptoms such as tremors, wobbliness or convulsions.
Bear in mind that the risk of mycotoxins is many times greater in this season’s hay or silage than grain due to the heavier mould levels. Consider doing a total mould and yeast count on fodder or grain as an initial check of the likely risk level. More sophisticated tests are then an option.
Conclusion
When considering purchasing weather damaged fodder and grain the quality, condition and price of the feed must be assessed. The risks associated with using damaged, poorer quality feed must be weighed up against the other options available. The risk may outweigh the cost benefit of a cheaper source of fodder or grain.
In the case of flood water containing decomposing animal tissue, silage bales that have been compromised by polluted water could pose a risk to stock if the feed has been infected with bacteria. The quality of the silage will determine what class of stock it can be safely fed to, if at all.
Managing mouldy feed sources can be difficult. Common sense and good observation are often the best decision aids. It is vital to continuously monitor the health of the herd and as soon as signs of toxicity become evident then feeding of mouldy feeds should cease immediately and a vet and/or nutritionist consulted.
When buying grain, assess a representative sample for the extent of sprouting, then check the test weight and moisture level, before doing the usual quality checks. Buy according to the relevant Grain Trade Australia grain standards. Different deliveries of grain may vary significantly in test weight, so ensure your grain feeding rates per cow per day are always calculated by weight, not volume.
For further information on buying and feeding weather-damaged grain, refer to the special Grains2Milk fact sheet on the Dairy Australia website. For further information on water-damaged fodder, refer to the DPIV fact sheet.
RE-NAME THE COMMUNICATOR & WIN!The Target 10 Communicator is undergoing a makeover. In coming issues you will see the format of the newsletter undergo a restyling. As the newsletter is for dairy farmers like you, the editors would like to offer you the opportunity to put forward your ideas for a new title. We are giving you’re the chance to name the Northern Irrigation and Riverina dairy newsletter and the lucky winner will receive a shopping voucher to the value of $100. We are looking for a catchy title that reflects the nature of the newsletter and the unique region which we call home. The north has long been a strong contributor in the dairy industry of Victoria and during that time, the Target 10 Communicator newsletter has played an important role in communicating essential information to dairy farmers. Why the change?The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) provides advice and support to farmers to build a resilient dairy industry. Recently DPI has undergone a restructure to strengthen its capacity to deliver services to clients. As a result the dairy team now operates under the Dairy Services Branch which also includes irrigation specialists, whole farm planning, and environmental teams. Its time the communicator had a new refreshed look and a new name to reflect the large range of services it now covers. The important work that we do will continue into the future and the new-look newsletter will be essential in communicating news, events and technical information to our readers. How to enter?Please submit your ideas to Leah de Vries via email leah.devries@dpi.vic.gov.au. Suggested names should be no longer than 5 words in length and tittles should reflect the dairying regions we live and operate in. Entries close April 30th. The winner will be announced in the June edition of the newsletter which will feature a new look & the new title! |
Monthly Reminders
Pastures
Most pastures will need some type of renovation. Have you decided what needs to be oversown and what should be resown? Contact your local Dairy Extension Officer if you need help with this decision.
Remember to leave enough time for the pasture to establish itself, rather than grazing it as soon as there is some greenness and then suffering through the winter due to the pasture not being able to perform well.
Make sure that any fertiliser you want to spread this autumn has been ordered. It’s also a good idea to be ready to go when it arrives, so make sure that your equipment is serviced.
Stock
Check the ration of all classes of stock on the farm. Are their requirements being met? Pay particular attention to the feed requirements of your autumn calving cows. They need more feed and higher quality feed in comparison to the spring calving cows in the herd.
Carefully monitor freshly calved autumn cows for mastitis.
Check for any pink eye, particularly amongst the young stock.
Milking Shed
- Check if the liners need to be replaced – Countdown Down Under recommends that they should be replaced after 2,500 cow milkings.
- Make sure the plate cooler is working properly and you are using the coldest source of water possible. Check that the condense fins are clean and not blocked with debris.
What's Coming Up?
Cups On Cups Off Course Dates 2011
A number of courses will be run across the region.
The course runs over two days and there is a cost of $185 per person.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 16, Mar | Thurs 17, Mar | Lockington |
| Tues 29, Mar | Wed 30, Mar | Tatura |
Victoria Fodder Forum
Held in conjunction with the Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) the Victorian Fodder Forum will focus on key agronomic considerations for hay crop establishment and management this year.
Some of the presentations will feature:
- New oat varieties for hay and seed availability
- Emerging markets for export hay
- Why hay is so good in a cropping rotation
- Update on agricultural machinery and hay transport dimensions
- Plus much much more
Held on March 24, from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm at the Boort Community Centre Boort, Victoria
For more information about the forum and to register contact Nick McClelland (03) 9530 2199 or email nick@afia.org.au
Herd ’11 CONFERENCE
Herd ’11 will focus on the three big issues: fertility, genetics and data.
ADHIS has teamed up with the National Herd Improvement Association and Holstein Australia to create a program that’s relevant and exciting.
The conference will be held at the Mercure Hotel, Ballarat on March 30 & 31.
For more information and to register contact Michelle Axford at ADHIS, (03) 8621-4240 or email maxford@adhis.com.au
