Farming Diary for May

Pasture & feed management

• Autumn has turned out to be a challenge in many northern parts, as we thought the April rain had saved the day, as after the good pasture growth it produced, it was easy to conclude that we would be in good shape for winter.
• But there has not been a great 'autumn flush' that we hoped for before temperatures started to drop, and the  semi-tropical summer grasses (especially paspalum) started to disappear.
• In May animals are well into their pregnancy so you need to build up a bank of feed for spring and the only way to do this is to shorten the rotation and use good quality feed supplements to meet the shortfall.
• This will be a problem on many farms as less silage and hay was made in spring, and although it's available, the price could blow financial budgets and cash flows.  Some careful planning is essential.
• By May, pregnant stock should be well on the way to have regained any lost condition.  If stock got very thin due to drought or late weaning, then they'll need to be fed well, and often at levels when they were at full production.  This will take time and good feed, so make sure you don't run out of either.
• Resown pastures will need special care to make sure they have established well, and the new grass plants have tillered well.
• Tillering is the process of putting up new shoots from the growing point just below the ground surface. Grazing too early, treading or pugging must not damage this delicate tissue.
• To see if new plants are ready for a very light grazing with stock (calves, heifers or sheep are best), give them 'the pull test'. Grab a handful of plant leaves and tug to tear them off, as an animal would do when grazing.
• If they pull out of the ground, it's too early to graze. A quick on-and-off grazing with young stock is best, at a very light stocking rate.
• If the young grass plants look yellow, then a light dressing of Nitrogen (25kg/ha) will help to get them going again.
• Grazing management is keeping the balance between roots and shoots. The leaves are the plant's factory, which produces nutrients stored in the roots, to be used for new growth. There should be a constant transfer of nutrients between roots and shoots and vice versa.
• Weeds will bolt with the autumn dews and rain so don't spend money spraying them before trying cutting and wilting, and then making hungry stock clean them up. Wilting increases palatability.
• Use sheep (old ewes) to eat ragwort as it's toxic to cattle.
• Avoid soil pugging at all costs, as this does major damage to the delicate crumb structure which holds air and water, and it may not repair for months. Some soil damage can be permanent.

Cattle

• If winter feed is short, get rid of everything that will not contribute to future income.  It's better to cut any losses now than wait and make a bigger loss later.
• Get cows pregnancy tested and cull empties or very late calvers. The are making good money at present.
• Remember though, that although you may get $600+ for a big empty boner cow, it will cost you at least $1000 to replace her with a home-reared heifer. They are not reared for free.
• The key to profit in breeding cows is to spread their running costs over a long life.  This is especially the case and should be very achievable with beef cows that only rear one calf a year.
• What's not appreciated is that a cow's maximum milk yield is at age 8, but few dairy cattle live that long due to wastage (mainly mastitis and infertility). So old pregnant cows are your money-makers.
• Remember that using dairy-type cows to multiple suckle calves is equivalent to milking them twice a day over a full lactation so they must be fed to meet this demand.
• Cows need to calve at Condition Score 5 (which is when they have rounded hips), so plan their feeding to make sure you are on target.  Cows with flat hips can only be under CS 5.  See our website to learn how to Condition Score cows the easy way.  Check the website to see how to do this.
• Aim to keep young stock growing through late autumn and into winter. It's always a challenge, as they need good quality supplements together with pasture.  Don't let them waste feed and if necessary, feed out twice a day instead of once, especially in wet muddy conditions.  A well-designed hayrack is a good investment.
• Young stock (calves/yearlings) are prone to "autumn ill thrift" which has many causes.  They become thin and scour, and owners immediately think it's worms. Get a Faecal Egg Count (FEC) done through your vets and use the correct product to prevent drench-resistant worms developing.  It may not be worms.
• Facial eczema (FE) is not over, so there will be plenty cows needing special care from now until calving.  The problem is subclinical disease resulting in damaged livers. These animals under stress at calving and can go down with metabolic diseases such as milk fever or abort. Talk to your vet about how to build up mineral status in cows over winter and some extra energy in spring.
• Calves and yearlings are especially vulnerable to FE as they don't drink enough water from in-trough treatment systems, and a bolus may not deliver enough zinc in crisis situations.
• If cattle have been on long-term zinc treatment to prevent FE, get some blood or liver profiles done to check copper levels.  These may be too low as zinc strips copper from the liver and is especially important on peat farms.
• Also check about Leptospirosis vaccinations. Make sure any purchased stock have been treated too, because the family can pick up this disease from cattle. Check for lice too, as they can stop calves and rising yearlings from thriving.

Sheep

• Rams should be well through their work in the North island and with sheep numbers down, every lamb is going to be worth saving this spring. So keep pregnant ewes in good condition right throughout pregnancy. Check the website to see how to Condition Score sheep.
• Don't drench ewes for worms, unless you have a clearly identified crisis confirmed by a Faecal Egg Count, and a talk to your vet about the best product to use.
• If sheep are scouring, it may not be worms and you need to find out before spending money on drench.  Don't be lured by advertising specials.
• Pregnancy scanner contractor may do small numbers and this gives valuable information, so that scarce feed can be given to those ewes carrying multiples. Scanning is done at 100 days of gestation. Joining with neighbours may make it more economic for the scanner.
• Wet winter pastures usually encourage footrot, but don't spend too much time treating it. Culling affected animals is the best long-term solution as there's a fair degree of genetics involved.
• If you shear about now, make sure you are prepared for bad weather by having feed saved up for any ewes off-shears along with some shelter.
• Good preparation of the wool clip is certainly justified now that wood prices have improved.  Get advice from your shearer.
• Watch for lice in sheep with long wool, and check what is the best treatment with your vet. Lousy sheep rub on fences - check for lice around the neck and along the back line.

Farm Management

• Keep checking the feed budget to see what feed you have, what's going to grow, and what supplements will be needed to get right through to calving and lambing. If you don't know how to do this, get some help.
• Check the financial budget for unexpected winter costs.
• Keep accounts up to date and pay bills regularly.
• Plan to go to the National Field Days at Mystery Creek to catch up on the latest events. This year's theme is 'Breaking Barriers to Productivity'.  Don't get 'wants' confused with 'needs'.