Making profitable use of low-grade Poa tussocks on the NSW Monaro

Summary

Stock improved their condition during the feeding trials. A discussion evening was held with 35 people attending, some participants said they had made management changes and were realising the benefits from more effective use of supplements. The project participants concluded that to ensure effective supplementary feeding it was important to:

understand basic rumen function and what was trying to be achieved;
set achievable targets;
regularly monitor pastures for quality, quantity, digestibility of the species present - PROGRAZE would teach these skills;
monitor livestock performance, weight and condition score;
conduct soil tests to identify any deficiencies;
draft stock and feed those with potential to reach target market weights and condition;
use controlled grazing with small paddocks; and
start supplementary feeding if season is dry. Identify "trigger points" to know when to start feeding.