Farming Diary for September

Pastures

• It should be time to see some real spring growth, and look forward to the date on your farm where pasture growth exceeds stock needs and you can talk of a genuine feed surplus.
• But don't get too carried away just yet.  It's important, especially for anyone new to farming, to realize what 'pasture' is.
• Get down on your knees and keep having a close look at the sward and identify the grasses, clovers, weeds and bare ground components.  Do it regularly and notice how they vary greatly throughout the year.
• The leaves are the factory and the roots the storehouse, and your grazing management controls the balance between the two.
• So plan to utilise what's growing right now, and then work out how things are likely to pan out in the next two months.  Consider the long-term weather forecast as running out of feed is a regular event on farms in spring, and it can be very expensive when cash which is not in the budget has to be found to buy supplements.
• It's in the 'second grazing round' where trouble strikes where you thought the winter-saved pasture which reached the top of your short gumboots, and was in excess of 4000kg DM/ha would never run out.
• It's poor management to let the pasture get too long.  The biggest sin is to graze too low and not leave enough 'residual' pasture to generate regrowth. This residual should be at least 1100kg DM/ha or 50mm long.
• To fill feed gaps, use up any wrapped silage or balage, as well as any past-season's hay, as these feeds deteriorate with age.  Feeding hay is ideal to counteract the very high protein and low fibre and dry matter in spring pasture.
• Weeds are starting to grow, especially thistles and ragwort, so learn to identify them and get advice on what should be done in the young leaf stage. Don't leave them till they have built up massive food reserves in their roots and are seeding.
• If there is no clear spring pasture flush after autumn fertilizer applications, then your stocking rate may be too high. Consider Nitrogen to boost pasture growth and build up feed ahead of stock and for early silage, but use N carefully to prevent runoff into drains and creeks near paddocks.

Sheep

• The bulk of lambing should be over in most places and early lambs docked, so it's time to check flock performance. There are eight different ways to work out a 'lambing percentage' some of which fudge important costly issues like how many dry/dry (barren) and wet/dry ewes (lambed and lost lambs) there were.
• The best figure is 'lambs docked/100 ewes to the ram'.  It should be over 120% these days regardless of the breed of sheep.  If it's not, then check where the wastage occurred, to fix things for next season.  Cull all ewes that didn't rear a lamb to weaning.
• Check with your vet if your flock vaccination programme was adequate.  If you did the ewes you may not need to do the lambs at docking. Pulpy kidney and tetanus are the main concerns as the former always seems to kill the biggest lambs.
• Don't dock lambs' tails too short. The tail dock should cover the vulva of a ewe lamb and the equivalent in the male.  This allows lambs to wag their tails when passing faeces and keeps them cleaner.  See the Sheep Code of Welfare available on the MAF website.
• There's always intense advertising pressure about now for farmers to drench stock, accompanied by attractive freebees. Don't drench lambs at docking - only consider drenching lambs at weaning.
• Mature ewes should not need drenching.  If ewes are really skinny, the problem is more likely to be lack of feed prior to lambing. Don't drench any sheep before you have some definitive evidence from a Faecal Egg Count that it's needed.
• Give the best feed to heavy-milking ewes, especially those suckling multiples. Farmers with high-fertility flocks run triplets with the twins, rather than with singles. There's a greater chance of a stray triplet sneaking a feed in the melee of many lambs and confused mothers.
• Dag all dirty ewes, as when it warms up, the Aussie green blowfly will be around. Dirty ewes can spread their dags to lambs and they can get flyblown too.  Lambs don't need to get dirty to be struck.
• Ewes and lambs need plenty of good clean water, and cover troughs with mesh to prevent lambs drowning as they race around.   Book the shearer to get the wool off North Island hoggets in the next few weeks.

Cattle

• Calving should be well through in the North Island, and with the increased supply of dairy calves, prices should have eased. Do not pay silly prices for calves, as there's no profit in them.
• Dehorn all calves before they are six weeks old using the hot iron and an anaesthetic. Consult your vet about this.  Don't use caustic paste as the finished job is unpredictable.
• Calves sucking cows should be growing well. Keep their mothers on good feed with good quality supplements if feed gets short. Expect cows that are multiple suckling to be slow coming on heat.
• Pay special attention to any rising yearlings that may have to go to the bull in October.  They should be approaching their target weights (see our website) and should be cycling well. Watch the neighbour's bull, and put an extra hot wire on the boundary fence anticipating his arrival.
• It's time to sort out what bulls will be needed, and where to get them. Remember leased bulls can be a health risk so check with your vet what tests are needed.
• If you intend using AI, then contact your service provider now. Check our website on the important points of an AI programme and how to keep your AI technician happy. It's very important.
• Ensure stock have a good supply of good quality water - and keep the troughs clean.
• Don't treat any cattle for worms with pourons before talking to your vet.  Resistance to the Cooperia family of worms is widespread and extensive use of pourons is part of the story.

General

• Check your financial budget for unexpected expenses that occurred in winter.
• Update financial records and pay accounts regularly and on time.
• Check that you have a safe and adequate offal hole on the farm to dispose of the inevitable deaths of young animals in spring.
• Be alert to security and especially stock rustling.