11/01/2021

Week ending 11-1-21 farm notes:

FARM PERFORMANCE

Cows are holding an average of 1.6 kgMS/cow/day since going onto 3 n 2 two weeks ago (when averaged over a 6 day period instead of the 7 days). With 15 mm of rain received each week for the last 3 weeks we have averaged 50 kgDM/ha/day growth and cover has lifted to 2079 kgDM/ha.  With our rotation length pushed out to 35 days we require a pre-graze target of 2800kgDM/ha with our current diet of 12.5kgDM grass, up to 3kgDM turnips, 2kgDM silage and up to 2kgDM PK.

Feeding and milking over the 2 day cycle looks like this:

5am Milking then 6kg grass in paddock + 2 kg silage + 2kg PK

1pm shifted onto 3kg Turnips

6pm Milking then into 6kg grass in paddock

6am shifted onto 3kg turnips + 3 kgDM silage + 2kgDM PK in crop paddock

11am Milking then into 11kg grass in paddock

Cleancrop Toto turnips were yielded yesterday at 15.8tDM/ha and 14.6tDM/ha.  Which gives us over 50 days of feeding at 4kgDM/cow/day.  Cleancrop Toto is best up to 90 days and Cleancrop Bulb up to 110 days.  Both crops were sown on the 20^th October.  With such good yields we want to ensure we get through them quick enough to reduce spoilage. Farmax budgets will be updated this week to help planning for the rest of the season.

Changes for next week include all silage and PK being feed in the crop paddock as we have more space available now.  As we increase Turnips up to 4kg for both herds we will look to reduce the amount of PK used. We have 40t of PK at the contracted price of $306 that we will look to spread out over the next few months as its being feed to calves and the younger mob who are still getting used to increasing their intake on the turnips. 

We don’t want to slow down our rotation much more than 35 days over the coming 7-10 days given the near to above normal rainfall predictions for January.  We can see a slight deficit coming through in the feed wedge so we will maintain the grass silage in the diet and just alter the PK offering to suit the grazing event. Our goal is to continue offering 18kg DM/cow/day.

Approximately 3ha of hay was cut yesterday due to be baled later this week.

Kale crops are also looking very good. Yields will be done prior to grazing in late February.

ANIMAL WELLBEING

Counting breathing rate in cows today (some over 40 breaths/minute) confirms that cows are struggling in the heat to consume their allocated pasture intake which makes it challenging to achieve target residuals. Sprinklers are being used regularly for the 11am and 6pm milking in the yard.  Depending on the temperature and airflow they are being used from 30 minutes up to the duration of the whole milking. DairyNZ Cool cows updates shows over 9 hours/day where milk production may be affected if we don’t intervene.

Cow have also got access to some shade in the crop paddocks. Getting enough water flow into troughs has been challenging and access to water along the races and in crop paddocks has been a great benefit for the cows.

First spore counts were done last week resulting in zero.  We have got our Zinc ready to start priming the dosatron next week and we will continue taking spore counts weekly from now on.

BUSINESS HEALTH

Nothing to report

HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Frequent checks on seedlings that were potted up show they are thriving under the timed irrigation system and shade provided in the growing frames. 

QUALITY WORKPLACE

The change in milking frequency has provided a reduction in hours worked/week. The last 2 weeks have averaged 98 people hrs/week compared with the 4 weeks of December at 121 people hours/week. Putting up fences in crops takes about 1hr/day. We try to feed silage and PK in the crop paddocks now that there is more space, to reduce time transporting feed around the farm. Calves are getting visual checks at least once a day and feed changed and fences shifted every second day which is taking about 1.25 hrs.  Jo has had a good 2 week break from processing excel spreadsheets, LaArni had a week away and Tom goes away for the last 2 weeks at the end of January. We are using this week to catchup on farm and holiday stories and prepare for Tom’s departure while we are all back together for the week.

COMMUNITY

It was a pleasure to host a visitor on our Tuesday farm walk this week.  Tom and I learn heaps from the questions asked and the way others do things differently.  We are starting early at 9am to beat the heat. Flick through a text or email if you would like to join us and we will make sure we wait.

PLANNING FOR THE MONTH AHEAD:

• Herd test
• Weighing calves
• Fed samples for silage, chicory, pasture and crop to be analysed

Cheers from Jo + Tom