Dairy News Australia - October 2017 - With Gippsland Region by Dairy News Australia

GIPPSLAND REGION

Tom and Gemma Otton with daughters Sophia and baby Madelyn.

Moving south to pursue dream STEPHEN COOKE

A FIERCE desire to grow their equity, and the unpredictability of the Bega seasons, has seen Tom and Gemma Otton take up a sharefarming role with Peter and Jeanette Clark at Kongwak. They trucked their herd of 180 cows (in four loads) from Bega to their new Gippsland home, and have since expanded it to 300 head. Mr Otton is a fifth generation beef farmer from Bega, while Mrs Otton is from a fishing family, having moved to Bega from Nowra. They met while working for the herd manage-

ment information company, Dairy Express, and their interest in dairy grew as they became involved with good farmers in their two years in the job. Mr Otton was offered a job with Glencraig Jerseys, which essentially saw him managing the farm after three months. It was a steep learning curve, but it instilled in them both a passion for Jerseys and genetics. After three years the young couple was given an opportunity to lease a friend’s farm, and bought the herd and machinery. Securing finance to purchase the herd of 180 cows proved frustrating.

“We went to 10 banks. NAB was the 10th bank and they said, ‘no worries’.” As a result, their advice to other farmers is to keep trying. “You’ll get there eventually,” Mr Otton said. “Once we had the loan, because we made repayments and paid NAB back, it was easier to get a loan for our next cows.” He described their time at Bega as the “toughest of our lives”. On top of the milk price collapse, “the spring and summer was the worst in Bega for at least 10 years. We received 30 mm in five months, and were using 2 Ml a day to irrigate.” They were milking 140 cows and realised it would require better seasons to expand, some-

thing that couldn’t be guaranteed in Bega. “It was a 200-cow farm with reliable rain but we went six months without rain and in Bega you can get your annual rainfall all at once,” Mr Otton said. “The irrigation bills were extreme and the $30 000 irrigation bill in February was the killer for me. We realised, we’re not going to make a profit from this.” They made the decision to move to an area that would help them achieve their goals. After seeking advice and visiting several areas, they signed a 50:50 sharefarmer agreement with the Clarks, and trucked their cattle down. Continued page 3 >

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2017

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Chairman’s message

Working together for dairy LATER THIS month, the report from an exten-

sive investigation into feedbase options will be released. I’ll leave it up to the Gardiner Foundation, who conducted the interviews and research, to reveal the report’s contents, but I think it’s worth talking about the project as an example of how the Gippsland dairy industry is supported in ways that many would not appreciate. The Gardiner Foundation spends millions of dollars each year on projects that directly impact on the profitability and sustainability of dairy farmers. Its work with GippsDairy on the feedbase project is just one example of how it contributes to improving the industry. But Gardiner is just one cog in the wheel that

helps maintain Gippsland as one of the world’s premier dairy regions. Federal and State Governments often co-contribute to projects as diverse as Tactics for Tight Times, which helps farmers get through a difficult period, to DairyBio’s investment in research into long-term improvement in animal and plant performance. The ongoing Fert$mart project is another example of how GippsDairy works with partner organisations to deliver vital programs. Fert$mart is supported by catchment management authorities, the Federal Government and Melbourne Water. It’s a team effort that delivers an important project that I, along with many other dairy farmers, have benefited from. DataGene is another organisation that uses

industry resources to create better outcomes for farmers. Owned by industry stakeholders including Dairy Australia, Australian Dairy Farmers and National Herd Improvement Association, DataGene is a critical tool in maintaining Australia’s herd performance at world class levels. This spirit of co-operation can also be found at the local level, where dairy farmers share their knowledge and time to help deliver the many programs and projects delivered by GippsDairy. Whether it’s Focus Farmers opening up their businesses for public scrutiny or just a local farmer hosting a discussion group in the machinery shed, it all adds up to an industry that is willing to help itself to improve. Farming can sometimes seem like a lonely

business, where you rely on your own hard work and know-how to get through each season. But it’s a real comfort to me to know that we have people across Australia working just as hard as we do to make sure this industry has a bright future. So when you see the Gardiner Foundation’s feedbase report, remember that there were a lot of people — from GippsDairy extension officers, to scientists and Gippsland farmers — who were needed to produce the final document. Like the dairy industry itself, it was a real co-operative effort. • Grant Williams GippsDairy chair

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GIPPSLAND REGION // 3

Move south proves positive < CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“We had four trucks of cows, nine hours in poor weather, and only lost one calf. There were no cows down,” Mrs Otton said. There have been some lingering effects — the cell count rose with older cows, and production has dropped with a small percentage of the herd. The couple wanted to purchase 100 of the Clarks’ herd and set parameters — spring calving, younger than six, all calving between July and September; 107 head fit the bill and were purchased. “We looked at selling our herd in Bega and buying here but realised we would be between $30 000 and $50 000 better off trucking them down,” Mr Otton said. “They were in calf to AI bulls and have genetics from strong cow families (including Sleeping Beauty, Fern Leaf, Dolly and Molly) so it would have been disappointing to see that investment lost.” They now have 250 Holsteins (with some crossbreds) and 50 Jerseys, milking on 160ha. Their plan is to expand the herd to 400 in the next three to five years. To do this, everything will be retained. “Whenever a heifer is born we keep it,” Mr Otton said. “If you only calve 50 heifers a year, you’re only breeding replacements. If you retain 100 calves a year, you can increase numbers and make the old girls nervous.” They still have crossbred cattle they bought in Bega and won’t cull anything that is productive until they have reached their expansion goal. “If it’s an ordinary-looking crossbred, but is producing 700 kg solids and 130 per cent solids to body weight, why would you get rid of it? “To us, sending a crossbred heifer calf to bobby market is insane. You could make money in the dairy. It also increases our equity, which I’m big on.” They have a keen interest in genetics and

The herd ready for milking.

select their own, conducting extensive research into bulls and cow families. They want to achieve 4.5 per cent fat and 3.6 per cent protein, producing 7500 litres a cow. They select strongly on feet and legs, and udders. “Our goal for the herd is 150 per cent milk solids to body weight. We also aim to produce 5000 kg total solids in a cow’s lifetime. We may not get there but it’s something to work towards — you never say never,” Mr Otton said. “We love our Jerseys but Holsteins are more profitable on this farm. In Bega, Jerseys were more profitable. They could turn fresh air into milk.” They perform their own AI and use Moo Monitors when calving. They are currently discussing whether to introduce a sync program. “We want lots of cows calving on August 1. I’d rather have two big weeks rather than lot of cows over eight weeks,” Mrs Otton said. They calve 70 per cent in spring and 30 per cent in autumn, which is the opposite ratio to what they did in Bega. The Ottons appreciate the quality of the farm, with the Clarks having maintained a pasture improvement program, and maintained laneways. The 30-head swing-over dairy is fully computerised and has ADF cups, while Mr Clark is building a feed pad in time for summer. The calf rearing facilities include a covered calving pad and milk pumped from the dairy to a vat in the calf shed. Calves receive ad lib milk mixed with cultured milk, which the calves thrive on, to the couple’s initial surprise. Having done the hard yards, Mr Otton said opportunities started to open for them. “When we first looked for a sharefarm arrangement, it was difficult without a herd, but when we had one, people were very keen for us to come.” It can be a hard road for young farmers to get their start, but the Ottons have shown that the opportunities are still there.

Sophia Otton bringing in the cows.

Calves in the calf shed.

Tom and Gemma Otton have a passion for Jersey calves and genetics.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2017

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RURAL RUMENATIONS RURAL RUMENATIONS with Katie MacAuleywith Katie MacAuley

Columnist Katie MacAulay lives in South Gippsland, and has been married to a dairy farmer long enough to appreciate the smell of good silage. She loves chooks, enjoys stacking hay bales with the tractor and wonders why the lawn grows twice as quickly as the grass in the paddocks.

Picture perfect bovine celebrities BACK IN the good old days, there was a pleth-

ora of catalogues to read. Clothes, furniture, cars, holidays. Thick glossy publications with lots of stylishly lit pictures to fawn over. Then along came the internet and everything changed. No more plastic-wrapped beauties arrived to read over lunch. Instead our email inbox cluttered up with large attachments that wouldn’t load and links to advertising websites. Even when our internet connection lasts long enough to download the necessary information, I find it hard to flick through internet-based catalogues and make decisions. I like sticky notes, a pen and paper and being able to physically flick from one marked page to another. Besides, my computer screen is unreadable when I sit on

the back verandah in the sunshine. Hence, it was only a matter of time before I developed an interest in flicking through AI sire and pasture catalogues. They have pretty pictures and I can read them on the verandah while Tinkerbell bounces on the trampoline. I won’t read pasture catalogues outside though. Perusing pictures of luscious knee-high rye-grass while looking at my lawn of distitchum, capeweed and other undesirably hardy green plants is a mood dampener. Why does my lawn look like a photo shoot for ‘Weeds of Australia’ when just metres away, Hubby has acres of healthy rye-grass and clover? (Perhaps I should include the lawn in the replanting rotation?) However, the AI sire catalogues are great fun

and perfect for a read in the sunshine. Not only do they substitute for a travel brochure — photo backgrounds include snow-covered Scandinavian alps, deciduous European forests, fields of golden canola, beautiful rivers, lakes and mountains, stone walls and floral hedges — it’s like a roundthe-world trip without the stress of packing! The animals themselves bear little resemblance to our herd but that’s okay, because they are the celebrities of the bovine world. Why would they resemble real-life cows any more than I’d expect myself to resemble Miranda Kerr? For starters, bovine celebrities are spotlessly clean with fluffy poodle tails. While our herd consists of ‘cow-shaped’ animals, bovine celebrities have backs as straight as Lego blocks.

The way catalogue cattle stand is also unique to Bovine Celebrity Land. Cows quietly graze on their chopped grass, back legs splayed and their tails pushed to their left side so their udders are in complete view. Others fully extend their necks and point their noses in the air like golden retrievers who’ve just smelled something good. The size of their paychecks, perhaps? Once I finish admiring the pretty pictures, it’s time to read the statistics — but the sheer volume of them overwhelms my brain. Couldn’t we just reduce it down to a single parameter — how about the OPI (Offspring Photogenicity Index)? Because surely in today’s image-obsessed world, it’s not about how you perform in the dairy but how good you look while doing it.

Maximum efficiency, Maximum profit! Taking Stock of the situation All Gippsland dairy farmers are invited to register for free one-to-one Taking Stock sessions with a farm consultant to assist with planning and budgeting. GippsDairy and Dairy Australia are offering the fully-funded three to four hour consultations as part of the Tactics for Tight Times program. Taking Stock helps the dairy farm business assess its current financial and physical position including: • understanding and managing your budget • identifying cost saving options • calculating pasture consumption • managing debt and your balance sheet • understanding additional support services that can be accessed, including counselling and health services • creating an action plan

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GIPPSLAND REGION // 5

Power prices hit farms DAIRY FARMERS are being crushed under the weight of power prices, with climbing power bills impacting their ability to stay competitive. The rising cost of electricity has hit farmers hard, with Australian Dairy Council figures claiming that dairy farmers spend between $35 and $75/day on electricity to power their dairies, compared to between $20 and $45/day seven years ago. The power price spike has also hit Katandra West farmers Gayle and Laurie Clark, despite the couple installing a 30 kW solar system on the dairy shed roof a number of years ago. While the system has resulted in significant savings, it hasn’t been enough to avoid climbing power prices. “The solar system cut our dairy bill by about a third when we first installed them … unfortunately there has been increases in our power bills lately. No-one gets away without an increase unfortunately,” Mr Clark said. “Looking at it now just sort of cements that what you did was a good decision. At the time is was a tough financial decision to justify.” The Clarks have used power generated by the solar system to power their roller mill and drive their irrigation pump in the recycle dam, with the savings seeing the solar system paid off within a couple of years. Yet while the Clarks have been able to ease their power price pain, Katunga dairy farmer and Australian Dairy Farmers natural resources and management group chair, Daryl Hoey, said he has heard instances of farmers’ bills doubling in

recent months and has called on the federal and State Governments to do more. “Significant solutions have to come from government input and it appears at the moment the government is on a complete freeze on thinking on this and don’t know how to react,” Mr Hoey said. “Prices will continue to go up until they start to come up with some real solutions rather than just token gestures. “We’ve got an embedded high cost in our system. Until governments completely rethink their distribution network and start to provide real alternatives to bring down the prices, there’s no real light at the end of the tunnel.” Katamatite East dairy farmer Iwan Van Den Berg, who operates an 800 ha farm with his wife Melissa, and his brother Erwin and partner Julie, milking about 1250 cows, echoed Mr Hoey’s claims and said his electricity bills had been climbing for some time. “They’re not quite double but they are certainly a lot higher (than they have been in the past),” he said. “We’re trying to research all sorts of new ideas however there’s nothing getting done about it from higher up. We won’t be the only ones that would suffer as a result of the prices. Gas is already a significant input cost for dairy processors in Australia. Based on reports, gas prices are forecast to rise between 50–100 per cent by 2019, according to the Australian Dairy Industry Council. This will impact the processing of dairy and increase the manufacturing costs of milk products.

Fonterra profit slump FONTERRA HAS posted an 11 per cent decline in full-year profit as margins fell across its ingredients and consumer and food service divisions. The co-operative’s profit was $745 million in the 12 months ended July 31, from $834 million a year earlier, the Auckland-based company announced in September. Sales rose to $19.2 billion from $17.2 billion while cost of sales climbed to about $16 billion from $13.6 billion. Rising prices offset a three per cent decline in volumes at 22.9 billion litres of milk equivalent. Normalised earnings before interest and tax dropped 15 per cent to $1.2 billion, which Fonterra said reflected “reduced margins across the business”. The final cash payout was $6.52 for the 2016–17 season, for a 100 per cent share-backed farmer. Chair John Wilson said being able to maintain its forecast dividend “despite the milk price increasing by 57 per cent over the year and the impact of negative stream returns was an excellent result”. The results include an impairment loss of $35 million on Fonterra’s investment in Beingmate, its distribution partner in China, reducing the carrying value to $617 million. Still, “the market fundamentals remain strong and the changes to the regulatory

regime, anticipated to be effective from 1 January 2018, are expected to have a positive impact on Beingmate’s financial performance,” it said. The company has also announced it is planning to grow its Australian milk supply and processing capacity now that it has firmly established its place in the domestic market and as a global ingredients hub for Fonterra’s cheese, whey and nutritionals portfolio. Fonterra Australia managing director René Dedoncker said the business was generating sustainable returns and was now looking to grow to meet higher demand for dairy. “We have hit all of our performance targets, we have a clear strategy which is delivering and we have the right assets and product mix on the ground,” Mr Dedoncker said. “We are now looking to build on that base with further expansion linked to growing customer demand for consumer dairy, food service products and dairy ingredients. “With our plants full we will be accelerating our capital investments in regional Victoria and Tasmania, playing to our strengths in cheese, whey and nutritionals.”

MG WATCHES MILK SUPPLY Murray Goulburn Co-operative says it is closely monitoring its milk supply levels and trying to optimise factory efficiencies in the face of an exodus of milk suppliers. The company has reported a 21 per cent reduction in milk intake last financial year, compared to 2016. “We haven’t made any decisions, or come to any conclusions, regarding any of our factories,” the company said in a prepared statement. “We do not intend to mothball assets for the sake of it and will be looking at everything on a commercial basis.” Murray Goulburn has already decided to close three factories at Rochester, Kiewa and in Tasmania. “In addition to the intended closure of three processing sites, we have a business improvement program under way to optimise efficiency across MG’s cost base relative to milk intake,” the company said. “Despite the loss of milk, MG remains one of Australia’s largest dairy processors and has a leading dairy foods business with good market share in key dairy categories both domestically and in a number of international markets. “Scale is not an end in itself — there are numerous small processors which are very profitable. We are not focused on the size of MG, but our efficiency and viability. “You can be a small, efficient processor and you can deliver very good

farm gate milk prices to your suppliers, you can also be large and inefficient. “We are working with our commercial partners to minimise the impact of lower milk intake. “MG will discontinue a number of low returning product lines as a result of the intended staged closure of three processing sites. “The commercial review we are currently progressing (as part of the strategic review) is looking at milk allocation in individual product lines and sales channels, to ensure that sufficient returns are being made.” Murray Goulburn issued the statement following supplier meetings at Kiewa, Cobram, Heywood, Koroit, Cobden, Maffra, Leongatha, Cohuna and Rochester.

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Fine-tuning supplements to increase profits STUDIES TO determine the nutritive charac-

teristics of perennial rye-grass are helping Agriculture Victoria research scientist Meaghan Douglas develop grain rations that will optimise milk production. Fine-tuning supplement mixes and amounts could minimise the need to feed high amounts of protein during spring, which could help farm profitability. Ms Douglas is a research scientist at the National Centre for Dairy Research, Ellinbank. She is completing a PhD focusing on optimising the supply of nutrients from pasture and supplements to grazing dairy cows through a joint agreement with Agriculture Victoria and the University of Sydney. Her primary focus is investigating the nutritive characteristics of perennial rye-grass cultivars grown on farms in Gippsland, northern Victoria and south-west Victoria. Eighteen cultivars of perennial rye-grass have been collected from each region during early and late spring, summer, autumn and winter by Agriculture Victoria staff at Ellinbank, Tatura and Warrnambool, and analysed for their nutritive characteristics.

To complement this information, Ms Douglas conducted two experiments to determine the degradation characteristics of different perennial rye-grass cultivars in the rumen of dairy cows over 72 hours. “These experiments investigated the ruminal degradation characteristics of protein and fibre in three perennial rye-grass cultivars harvested in early spring when the pasture is vegetative, and in summer during the reproductive phase of the plant life cycle,” she said. Ms Douglas said there were differences in the amount of protein degraded in the rumen between the early spring perennial rye-grass cultivars within regions of Victoria. “The later flowering, tetraploid cultivar had the greatest amount of total protein available for degradation in the rumen in northern Victoria, while the early flowering, diploid cultivar had the greatest amount in south-west Victoria,” she said. Using the large knowledge base of perennial rye-grass nutritive characteristics created during this work, Ms Douglas hopes to optimise supplementary grain rations for pasture-based dairy cattle during each season of the year that can be

Research scientists Marlie Wright and Meaghan Douglas with Ellinbank farm manager Greg Morris.

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The Ellinbank farm received a wet end to winter and a wet start to spring.

fed in the dairy to increase milk production by complementing the nutrition the cows receive from pasture. The diets will be formulated using nutrition model CPM Dairy, and during Ms Douglas’ PhD this model will be used to formulate optimal grain rations for use in pasture-based systems. “The model will be evaluated by undertaking grazing experiments and using the nutritive characteristics of perennial rye-grass during each season to formulate supplementary grain rations,” she said. “These grazing experiments will be conducted at Ellinbank using the rye-grass data from Gippsland. “If the model is able to successfully formulate

a ration for grazing dairy cows in Gippsland when compared to the results of the grazing experiment, then it could be applied to farms in northern and south-western Victoria where the perennial ryegrass data will be known.” To evaluate the model, two grazing experiments have been conducted at Ellinbank, one in late spring and one in autumn. Four supplementary grain diets fed in the dairy during milking were tested: a control diet consisting of wheat and barley; a formulated grain mix used in previous grazing research at Ellinbank, which consisted of wheat, barley, maize grain and canola meal; and two “designer grain mix” diets, which were formulated using CPM Dairy. Continued page 8>

Ellinbank farm manager Greg Morris.

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8 // GIPPSLAND REGION < Continued from page 7

“The first mix consisted of the same ingredients as the formulated grain mix, however the purpose of this grain mix was to provide nutrients that complemented those that the cows were receiving from the pasture in order to optimise milk production, therefore the amounts of each ingredient were in different proportions to the formulated grain mix,” Ms Douglas said. “The second mix consisted of wheat, barley, maize grain and replaced canola meal with urea and a fat supplement to determine whether the observed responses to feeding canola meal were due to some intrinsic feature of canola meal, or

whether a similar outcome could be achieved using similar nutrients from different sources.” Measurements taken during the experiments included milk production, body weight and condition score, rumen pH measurements as well as total dry matter intake of both pasture and grain. Ms Douglas said results from the late spring grazing experiment demonstrated that cows could achieve a similar milk yield when fed a designer grain mix with half the amount of canola meal as the formulated grain mix. “This work has shown that knowing the nutritive characteristics of perennial rye-grass in late spring can assist in formulating grain rations to optimise milk production.”

Research scientist Meaghan Douglas is developing grain rations that will help lift profitability.

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The Ellinbank herd grazing in the paddock.

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October reminders Pasture management • Pasture intake per cow depends on having high quality pasture and enough pasture available per hectare. This is a very challenging balance in most spring conditions but is possible to achieve. • Rotation needs to be set to offer the highest amount of milker quality pasture. Stop counting leaves and set the rotation based on quality – aim to graze pastures before 25 per cent of the paddock has reached canopy closure. • Allocate the right area of pasture each day to maintain pasture pressure. If the rotation is right and you have removed as much supplement as you are prepared to from the diet then consider banking paddocks to maintain grazing pressure.

• Consider the use of nitrogen to boost pasture production and potentially minimise the use of supplements. Pasture responses of 10 to 20kg DM/ha for every kg/nitrogen/ ha are common in spring and represent very good value for money if you need and/or can utilise the additional feed grown. • Purchase concentrates at an affordable cost and an appropriate quality. Diet balance is a major consideration when purchasing concentrates. When cows are eating twothirds or more of their diet as high quality pasture, high protein concentrates are not normally required. Basic additives such as macro minerals and buffer are normally required.

Secure feed now for the summer feed gap • Estimate feed required to feed your cows well over the anticipated feed gap. • Focus on quality and quantity of feed as well as cost. • Investigate all options for filling the feed gap

and act early to secure the feed at the best possible price. Common options are grain, silage, purchased hay and spring-planted summer crops.

When thinking about silage, remember a true surplus conserved is relatively cheap. Some silage tips: • Cut pastures early, at the two- to three-leaf stage or before canopy closure. • Cut pasture for silage as close to grazing height as possible (4cm to 6cm). • Wilt the silage as fast as possible (use a tedder if needed). Aim for 45 per cent DM for bales and 33 per cent DM for stacks or pits. • Seal quickly and well to exclude air. • Repair holes immediately using specific silage tape.

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Calf shed inspired by chooks JEANETTE SEVERS

“I LOOKED at my neighbour’s farm and thought, I can do that,” Rohan Bingley said. ‘That’ was replicating the caravans used to house chooks on the neighbouring free-range egg farm. Mr Bingley was looking for a solution to raise his dairy calves. “But I realised the individual coops wouldn’t work for calves. What I wanted was a mobile shed with pens,” he said. “So I sat down and designed exactly what I wanted for my calves.” It wasn’t the first independent step he has taken on the dairy farm in the past couple of years. About two years ago, Mr Bingley, an electrician with a thriving Blonde d’Aquitaine bull stud and commercial beef herd at Goon Nure, near Bairnsdale, decided he wanted to be a dairy farmer. He wanted to set up a single operator system and visited a number of dairy farms, talking to farmers about what did or did not work on their properties. He took on board a lot of advice and sourced two second-hand herringbone outfits, to cut up to build the new dairy. The 20-swing-over herringbone, with automatic cup removers and grain feeders, will milk 120 to 130 cows in its second year.

Rohan Bingley with his calves.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2017

GIPPSLAND REGION // 11 It has been built with the potential to expand as and if the herd grows — for instance, Mr Bingley knows that an additional labour unit or a sharefarmer arrangement would require a bigger milking herd. Last year, he designed and constructed the dairy, clay feed pad, laneways and artificial insemination yard, and reconfigured the paddock layout and irrigation and water outlets on the 130 ha farm. His expertise as an electrician came in handy, sorting out his submersible bore pumps and irrigators. It was his interaction as an electrician, rewiring other farmers’ dairies, that piqued his interest in the industry. “As an electrician, I’ve been involved in putting other dairies together,” he said. “What I’ve noticed, is in the dairy industry, there’s scope to grow. It’s a reliable industry in the main. As I get older and want to retire, if any of the family want to be involved there’s opportunities for them.” He gathered a predominantly Friesian herd in 2016. All were joined with AI to Friesian sires and Friesian bulls used for mop-up. Mr Bingley’s launch as a dairy farmer started on February 1 this year, when the first of his herd began calving. But the problem of what to do with the calves was bugging him leading into Christmas. “Everybody said calf diseases were the biggest problem,” Mr Bingley said. “Another farmer said to me, if he could pick up the shed and move it … That resonated with me and one day I was sitting, looking out at my neighbours’, with their movable pens and caravans for their free-range chooks; and I thought, ‘I can do that’. “But I didn’t want individual pens for the calves, I wanted a mobile calf shed I could move on to a green site every year.” So, again, he put his thinking hat on and designed and built a five-bay shed, moved like a sled and connected to the bore water system in each paddock. Each pen has its own hose connected to the shed irrigation system, enabling easy filling of the water troughs. The washdown comes from the same bore system, which has an outlet in each paddock. Each pen in the open-fronted shed is 3.6 m x 3m, with a solid corrugated iron back wall and high ventilation gap below the roofline. There are hip-height solid corrugated iron partitions between each pen and the 12-teat feeders hang off each gate. Sawdust flooring is sourced from a local hardwood mill. The skids on the shed are galvanised steel, 100 mm x 50 mm x 3 mm, with a towing capacity that means a four-wheel drive can move it into another paddock. The concrete blocks are moved separately. From day one, the calves receive milk brought across from the vat in the morning and ad hoc water and pellets. Each pen within the shed is designed to house eight calves. At two weeks old, each pen is extended using 3 m gates and the number of resident calves doubles; two 12-teat feeders are used in each extended pen. By now, the calves are also receiving hay, along with milk, pellets and water. “We kept the shed low profile and, for security against the wind, we attached it with wire guide-ropes and turn-buckles to concrete expylons from a bridge,” Mr Bingley said. “Each group of 16 calves stays in the extended pens for 12 to 14 weeks, until they’re weaned off milk.” They are then moved into the paddock the calf shed is located in; and have access to water and hay, as well as pasture. Mr Bingley has learned a lot and the initial change for next calving season will be to implement ad hoc hay from day one. Pen one will now

be at the opposite end from this year’s calving season. Mr Bingley is very happy with the success of his idea. “Only one calf died and the shed can be moved with a four-wheel drive or tractor,” he said. “A dairy farmer told me to wash out the milk feeders and turn them upside down to dry in the sun, to keep the birds out of them. One of the easiest ways to attract disease is to encourage birds into the milk feeders, apparently. “I made sure that regularly during the day, I checked the calves and they’re drinking water and don’t get dehydrated. I could install an automated watering system, but humans are inherently lazy and I probably wouldn’t come and check on them as often if I didn’t have to manually turn the hose on. “It also means I clean out the troughs regularly, every day.” Coming into the end of his first year as a dairy farmer, Mr Bingley has taken on board other changes he can make to his system. The success of using sexed semen for his heifers was a lightbulb moment. “I joined 39 heifers with sexed semen and had a 100 per cent success rate last year,” Mr Bingley said. “Next year, 47 heifers are coming into the herd and they are out of a group where 48 were AI’d with sexed semen. The remainder of the herd was a 90 per cent joining rate using AI. “My focus is on looking after the heifers and reproduction is pretty important to us as a seasonal calver.” That includes already ordering two dropdecks of oaten, vetch and lucerne hay, specifically to be fed to the cows during calving in 2018. “Next year, we’ll use beef bulls to mop up, because there’s money to be made out of the crossbred calves,” Mr Bingley said. Currently, bull calves are sold at five days old; that system will be applied against the beef-cross calves as well.

Five to seven-month-old calves.

Water goes into the calf drinking trough

The irrigation system inside the calf shed.

Rohan Bingley extending a pen.

The skid and concrete weight.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2017

GIPPSLAND REGION // 13

November reminders Pasture management

Summer crops

• Pasture intake per cow depends on having high quality pasture and enough pasture available/ha. This is very challenging to balance in most spring conditions but it is possible to achieve. • Set the grazing rotation to offer the highest amount of quality pasture. Stop counting leaves and set the rotation based on quality and canopy closure. Allocate the right area of pasture each day to maintain pasture pressure. • If done for the right reasons and done well, fodder co¬¬nservation is a profitable and practical part of managing a dairy. A true surplus conserved is relatively cheap. • If you have conserved what the cows could have eaten you have added cost by conserving and another cost by purchasing something else or by under-feeding.

• Target paddocks that need to be renovated to improve the pasture base on the farm and reduce the pasture that is not grown in late spring by cropping. • Have a plan regarding crop type, seed bed preparation, nutrient and pest management and planned grazing dates. • Application of dairy effluent onto summer fodder crops is a very effective use of this nutrient resource to boost crop yield. Yield responses will be greater on crops than non-irrigated pasture. • Don’t forget the risks of cropping, such as dry hot conditions and pest attack, that may mean that crops planted do not guarantee available feed from these paddocks in the summer months.

Silage key actions: • Cut pasture for silage as close to grazing height as possible (4 cm to 6 cm). • Wilt the silage as fast as possible (use a tedder if needed). • Bale with the correct moisture level to exclude air from bales or stacks (45 per cent DM for bales and 33 per cent DM for stacks or pits). • Store bales in areas with high traffic levels to avoid attack from birds. • Seal any air leaks as soon as possible (bales or stacks). • If pasture becomes limited in late November and soil moisture is still adequate, consider an application of nitrogen and/or a blend if required, to maintain or build pasture cover coming into summer. This pasture will be highly beneficial as feed from pasture is essential to profitably maintain milk production. • If you have paddocks with low soil nutrients that can be irrigated with effluent it is coming up to the best time of year to apply the effluent, getting some pasture growth and having a low risk of run-off.

Irrigation • Apply irrigation water to maximise pasture growth rates if possible. • Have a plan of how much area you can water through the summer to ensure your water lasts for the irrigation season. • Mix the dairy effluent into the irrigation water — summer pastures are very responsive to the additional nutrients.

Cows • Do a feed budget to ensure you have enough fodder to get through the summer and autumn. This will also estimate the grain usage and give an idea of the purchased feed bill for the summer and autumn. Feeding cows off peak production can be planned and focused on profit if it’s planned early. • If you are nearing the end of the joining period it may pay to assess the number of cows not in calf. Knowing the numbers of cows not in calf allows for early decisions to be made on what you will do with the empty cows.

Calves and heifers • Ensure your young stock received a second 7-in-1 vaccine. This builds immunity against clostridial diseases and leptospirosis. • Talk to your vet about vaccinating your young stock for pink eye. • Calves require a high protein and high energy diet to keep growing. A feed budget can be done to ensure calves and other young stock have enough pasture, silage, grain and hay to gain weight and grow to planned joining and calving weights.

Business and budgets • Review your last quarter of GST to get an indication of cash flow if you have not done it. • If you need additional fodder or irrigation water now is a good time to source it as it is traditionally at its cheapest. • Plan expenditure and identify any possible cash surpluses; if or when the cash becomes available use it in a planned way to ensure it’s effective.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2017

14 // GIPPSLAND REGION

The South Gippsland Dairy Expo The South Gippsland Dairy Expo at Korumburra was blessed with good weather this year. The Strzelecki Lions Club hosted the 17th annual event with the core objective to deliver a “one-stop shop” to local farmers, so that if they were busy, they could visit, do their business and leave having spent a valuable couple of hours researching issues. The South Gippsland Dairy Expo also provides an opportunity for members of the dairying fraternity to showcase the latest in dairy innovation and technology to local farmers.

Riley and Andrew Warner, Athlone.

Jeff McCauley, Cora Lynn, won The Big Gippsland Jersey Milk Off, sponsored by Gippsland Jersey.

Andrew and Sue Lamers, with daughter Audrey, Leongatha South. The Lamers were part of the panel discussion.

Herb Treacy, Korumburra, with Chris Kelly, Meeniyan.

Tony Barlow, Korumburra, with (from left, middle row) Gemma Cook, Kerang, Gracie Barlow, Korumburra, Tayte Wilkins, Korumburra, (front row) Charlie Barlow and Warren Barlow.

Donald Trump (aka Matt Harms, ONFARM Consulting) and Dean Turner, Yannathan, following the panel session ‘Our prediction for the coming season is unpredictable.

Trish and Tony Ludgate, with Oliver Woodleigh.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 2017

GIPPSLAND REGION // 15

Improvement is the focus

Co-facilitators John Mulvany and Karen Romano (left and right) with Shaun, Sharna, baby Jett, Graeme and Jenny Cope at the Focus Farm Open Day.

FOCUS FARMS are all about making better

farmers and spreading knowledge out into the wider dairy community. The recent open days at Won Wron, Jindivick and Fish Creek saw strong attendances and plenty of discussion of how to make the most of the respective dairy businesses. Focus Farms are jointly supported by GippsDairy and Dairy Australia. The program gives

farmers and agribusiness professionals the opportunity to participate in the decision-making processes of a dairy farm business, which is assisted by a facilitator and support group. The current round of Focus Farms are being held at Paul and Lisa Mumford’s Won Wron farm, at Jindivick where Brenton Ziero sharefarms on Steve Ronalds’ property and at Graeme, Jenny and Shaun Cope’s Fish Creek farm.

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Paul and Lisa Mumford with Aaron Thomas at the Won Wron Focus Farm open day.

HAY GROWING Hay growers are prepared for a good selling season, with expected strong demand allaying fears of a repeat of last year’s oversupply. Feed Central has released its annual season booklet to aid growers in making the right choices this season and it has been especially designed to assist growers considering making hay from cereal crops due to damage from drought or frost conditions. Managing director Tim Ford said he was confident there would be a good market for quality hay with no long term oversupply problems, describing last year’s events as a one-in-10 year event. “Historically, Feed Central always seems to run out of good quality hay to sell and this year we predict growers with quality hay will continue to be rewarded,” he said.

Mr Ford said 2016–17 yields were exceptional due to the very good season but this resulted in low feed testing, thick stem hay with poor colour. “This year being drier, the product will be much higher quality. It won’t have the bulk but it will have higher energy, protein and digestibility because it is a lower rainfall season,” he said. “Once the new season is feed tested, we strongly believe there will be a significant price difference between new season product and old season product.” Most of the old stock will eventually clear, Mr Ford said, with the best continuing to trade and some being used by farmers for their own stock. “We’re selling about 2000 tonnes a week of old season stock at the moment and expect that to continue as long as the quality remains reasonable,” Mr Ford said. “However, we expect new season product to be higher quality and to attract a higher price.”

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2017-08-15 13:07