So we are blessed here with abundant rain, lots of rye/clover pasture and so happy, naturally raised, grass fed stock. We also minimise re-drafting so they can remain in their instinctive 4-6 pod friend groups. A big part of managing this system is feed budgeting. We initially did this informally, judging paddocks as they presented.
We are moving to a more systems approach, working out our rotation pattern in a more planned way. Calculating what cow-calf units, heifers, steers and bulls need in terms of dry matter intake allows us to plan feed needs over a season, by paddock, and meet any deficit with additional meadow hay to avoid overgrazing and paddock plugging over our wet Winter months.
Key to this is predicted monthly pasture production per hectare, and also training stock to take meadow hay at appropriate times. We are heading into our Winter feeding period now and so are training younger stock to feed from hay rings.
Feeding out a few square bales to accustom young stock to hay who cannot reach into hay ring
Our future growers and breeders
Feed growth table for our area
