Farming Diary for March

Pastures

• It's March so accept that it's autumn, certainly in the North Island, and it's time to make serious plans for winter which means working out how much feed is on hand now, and predicting how much is going to grow.
• The January-February rains certainly saved our bacon in many parts and got pastures growing again, but we'll have to wait a bit longer to see if we are going to get a true 'autumn flush' to produce feed in excess of demand.
• If we don't, then the gap will have to be filled with supplements, which hopefully were not all fed out before Christmas in the drought.
• The main concern is what to do with exhausted and possibly dead pastures from the drought.  The prospect of having to replace a large percentage of the farm is daunting, as despite what the advertising hype says, it can be a very expensive operation.
• Think hard before believing this hype, and spending money because so often pastures quickly end up in the same sorry state as those they replaced.  Modern cultivars have shown up some serious deficiencies in the North Island where black beetle is rife.
• It's tempting to suggest that in today's commercial world of research, not enough time is spent in testing new cultivars before they are put on the market.  An attitude seems to have grown up that seed companies need new models every year like the car industry.  We don't.  Farmers want reliable products that will stand up to a range of conditions, and now especially droughts.
• If your pastures are a disaster and cash is short, get some independent advice about what to do.  If you can't afford new pastures, just sit back and see what comes away with the autumn rains.  You may be surprised, as there are masses of old seed (called hard seed) in the soil which will germinate.
• One thing is certain - now the ground is wet, all the weed seeds stored in the ground over the last 40 years will start to germinate. Make sure you can identify weeds in their early growth stages and know what to do about them.
• Don't dive in with chemical spray (which costs money and can upset neighbours) unless things are really serious.  Cutting and wilting is the first thing to try, and then use stock to graze them, as wilted weeds are always more palatable than fresh ones.
• If the farm is waste high in weeds, it's too late to do anything for this season other than to just tidy things up for visual reasons, but mark in the farm diary to fix this next season.
• The main way to manage weeds is to exhaust their root system by frequent cutting/grazing while they are growing. Sprays are for when this can't or won't work.
• It's a good time of year to prune willows and poplars before they shed their leaves which are good mineral-rich fodder.
• Warning:  Stock will also relish wilted prunings thrown over the fence from the garden so check out which of these are poisonous.

Sheep

• North Island rams should be all at work. Keep an eye on them to make sure they're doing the job properly.  Watch especially for lameness and shoulder injuries from fighting.
• Fitting a harness and crayon on the ram will show which ewes have been mated and have not returned.  Make sure the harness fits well, and keep checking it for chafing under the ram's front legs. An active ram loses weight fast as he eats little while searching for ewes on heat, and the harness will need regular adjustment.
• If using one ram at a time, change him over after the first cycle (17 days) just in case he has low fertility.  If you had him vet checked before mating, he should be sound - but you never know.  A cycle can vary from 14 -21 days.
• If using multiple-sire groups, make sure the rams don't spend all their time fighting, or if one dominant ram isn't stopping the others working. Rams can also be racists where ewes of contrasting coloured breeds will be left to the last.
• Don't dip ewes or rams for a month before mating and for 6 weeks after mating, as there have been cases of poor embryo survival, which may have been the dip chemicals. Chemical companies say there is no evidence of this, but I don't believe them.
• Lambs/hoggets (the future flock) are the main priority. Any surplus should be sold - possibly at a loss, but at least it leaves feed for your flock replacements.
• If hoggets start to scour, don't drench before you've checked with your vet using a Faecal Egg Count (FEC) about the cause and the correct product to use.
• Mature ewes should not need drenching, despite the advertising hype and the attractive promotions.
• Facial eczema is still a risk so maintain prevention right into April.  Watch for ryegrass staggers too, and cull all sheep that have chronic footrot.

Cattle

• Cows that have lost condition will need building up again which means feeding supplements if you have enough.
• It takes 280kg of Dry Matter to replace one condition score on a cow, above its daily maintenance requirement.  So that's a lot of feed needed each day and if you don't have it on the farm, you will have to face the cost of providing it or quitting stock. Getting condition back on a cow can take much longer than you think.
• Dairy weaner calves should be growing steadily at a minimum of 0.5kg /day or more, but this may not be achievable if quality feed is short when they will just maintain weight.
• Autumn fresh green pasture, although high in protein is very low in Dry Matter so it's a good idea to feed some hay to help digestion.
• Cattle will scour on this green feed and it's easy to panic and assume it's worms and rush for the pouron. This is a mistake, as you should check if worms are the problem by a FEC, and then get your vet to recommend the best product to use. It may not be worms.
• Keep up FE precautions - and don't be talked into stopping because spore counts the nights may be cooling off.  With frequent rises in spore counts over the season, the animals are highly sensitised and it takes very little to cause more liver damage.
• Watch for ryegrass staggers too in cattle (and horses).
• If you send any cull cows to the works, arrange through your vet to have liver samples taken to check for mineral and trace element status.
• Pregnancy test any cows you are not sure of their status - you can't afford to keep empty ones.
• Again if things are serious and feed is very short, quit some stock.

Management

• Get a soil test done this month to see what fertiliser is needed. Be wary of products on the market where there are little data, or where you cannot find farmers who have used the product and what their experience has been.
• Check for earthworm populations by digging a few spade spits over each paddock. You should find at least 2-3 worms per spit.
• Lime is very important for soil health - check if it's needed.
• Be especially careful to avoid spreading any fertiliser near drains, dams, creeks or wetlands.
• Keep checking the water supply - especially for leaks.
• Check the electric fence earth pegs too if the ground has been dry for a long time.
• Do a feed budget to see how you are placed for winter feed and if you need to get rid of some stock.  If you are not sure how to do this, then get some help.
• Check financial budgets and cash flows and pay accounts monthly.