Productive grazing with feed quality management

Summary

Producers in grazing systems often overestimate the value of late spring/early summer feed quality and graze stock on pastures that provide sub-optimal feed value without supplementary feeding. The problem is especially pronounced in weaner stock and can then take time to rectify until they are fully attuned to grain, legume, or hay feeding, further affecting animal health and production.  It affects most producers in the region, especially in years when paddock feed is still green, but its feed quality is below animal requirements for growth or body weight maintenance. 

This producer demonstration site project aims to demonstrate the decline in pasture feed quality in late spring and early summer over consecutive years and quantify the animal production constraints resulting from pastures with sub-optimal feed value pastures.   

Objectives

​​By March 2025 in the central and western regions of Victoria will establish a minimum of 10 demonstration farms, engaging 17 core and 110 observer producers to: 

1. ​ ​Collect & have analysed approximately 240 feed quality samples from 10 – 12 PPS member farms annually, in late spring and early summer to communicate results to host farmers (core producers). 
2. ​Analyse data collected & produce information in the form of progressive reports to 140 farm business members showing the feed quality results against the required nutritional needs of sheep & cattle. 
3. ​Improve the accuracy of timing of the introduction of supplementary feeding and ensure that animal needs are being met by the feed types used on 100% core producer farms and 80% of observer producer farms.  
4. ​Implement an extension program to communicate the outcomes of the feed quality data to improve 100% of core and 80% of observer producers knowledge/skills:  
   • ​of nutritional deficits and the timely implementation of supplementary feeding programs. 
   • ​on feed budgeting, refining stock feed management to meet condition score & production targets. 
5. ​Conduct cost/benefit analysis on supplementary feed programs using project data, animal liveweights & industry supplementary feeding research. 
6. ​By the end of the project  
   • ​100% core producers (17) and 80% of observer producers (88) will be using the PPS data base to refine their supplementary feeding program. 
   • ​100% core producers and 50% of observer producers will have adopted the use of paddock and supplementary feed testing, where needed, to refine their summer management of stock.​ 

Progress

The Perennial Pasture Systems (PPS) farmer group is conducting this PDS in the Upper Wimmera & Upper Hopkins & Central West regions of Victoria.  

The project is providing evidence-based science for producers to identify plant quality loss before it affects animal production. The increasing variability of spring rainfall and differing rate of decrease in pasture quality is making the timing of late spring grazing crucial to maintaining sustainable grazing systems. Confident timing and management decisions will improve animal health & production, pasture resilience and maintain ground cover. The aim of the project is to provide quantitative pasture quality information to farmers to assist in maintaining healthy, productive & sustainable grazing systems. This would have a positive outcome for animal, pasture & soil management by assisting farm managers to identify when pasture quality falls below animal requirements would allow better targeted supplementary feed programs, pasture rotations and entry into stock containment areas. Various pasture types are being measured for feed quality values through late spring and early summer to identify when pasture falls below critical nutritional values and define trigger points for management interventions.