Easy way to feed P for profit

Cattle feeding on the bulk phosphorus put on prior to the wet season as part of the Easy P strategy currently being trialled at ‘Kidman Springs’.

A method of phosphorus (P) supplementation that removes the need to deliver P to stock during the wet season is proving just as effective as traditional methods of supplementation.

An MLA-funded project is assessing the ‘Easy P’ strategy, which aims to provide a method of supplementation suitable for areas that are difficult to access during the wet season by including P.1.

This method provides enough P for stock until the next dry season – removing the time, effort and labour required to supplement stock with P during the wet season, especially in areas which are difficult to access.

The Easy P strategy is being compared against traditional wet season P supplementation strategies through a research trial and several Producer Demonstration Sites (PDS) currently underway across WA, Queensland and the NT.

Promising results

One trial being conducted on NT research station ‘Kidman Springs’ by the Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade is already returning promising results, according to the department’s Principal Livestock Research Officer, Tim Schatz.

“What the data is telling us is that the Easy P treatment is performing the same as traditional wet season supplementation,” Tim said.

“That’s really pleasing to see because even if it was only 70–80% as effective as traditional programs, the benefits you get from P supplementation in deficient country would still make it worthwhile.

Removing barriers

One of the key challenges many producers face when supplementing P is accessing paddocks during the wet season, when many grazing areas become inaccessible.

“Feeding out phosphorus can make a huge difference – to the point where it’s probably one of the most important things you can do for your cattle in deficient areas,” Tim said.

“Much of northern Australia is phosphorus deficient and if you don’t supplement in these areas, growth and reproduction are really adversely affected, as well as actual survival.

“However, there are places where it’s just very difficult to put the supplement out during the wet season – they’re remote, the roads get boggy and you can’t get around.”

By removing the need to feed out P during the wet, Tim said the Easy P strategy could provide a more efficient way for producers to supplement livestock while not having to compromise on herd performance.

“This strategy is a way of getting around that access issue by putting out the supplement before the wet season, before access becomes tricky,” Tim said.

“You then don’t have to try and get supplement out across creeks and boggy roads in the wet season, you just put out bulk bags before it starts raining – and the results so far are showing that’s an effective way of doing it.”

Do you have a question about phosphorus supplementation for cattle? Ask the experts – email your question to phosphorus@mla.com.au

Initial results

The trials on Kidman Springs, which began in mid-2020, compared the performance between two herds of 18-month-old heifers. One herd received P via traditional wet season supplementation and the other via the Easy P method.

To date, the average weight gain within both herds has been near identical, with the herd fed P via the traditional method weighing in at 386kg on average after first mating in May 2021, while the average weight of heifers in the herd using Easy P was 385kg.

Pregnancy rates in the two herds were identical and high at 95%, and Tim expects the performance of heifers fed via the Easy P strategy to continue to perform well thanks to the continued supplementation of P during the dry season.

“The Easy P strategy also includes P in the dry season supplement, so cows can replenish their P stores after their calves have been weaned as lactation drains a lot of P from their bodies,” Tim said.

“That way they have higher P stores for their next lactation.

“There are massive benefits from phosphorus supplementation for survival, growth and reproductive rates.”

The Easy P strategy will continue to be trialled on Kidman Springs over the course of the next three years, in tandem with other similar trials taking place on a range of PDSs hosted on properties across northern Australia.