AgInEd | September 21, 2020

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AginED

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FOR E FUTURIA G R R S! U E N E R P

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Volume 25 I September 21, 2020 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz 1 Go to www.farmersweekly.co.nz 2 Find and watch the OnFarm Story of Maurice Judson “Average just isn’t in the picture” and read the accompanying article “Data and science do the work”. 3 Where in NZ is Wistaria (the farm) that Maurice & Renee Judson manage? 4 Why does the farm use so much science and data in its decision making and running?

STRETCH YOURSELF:

1 Go the AgriHQ market snapshot page 2 What was the South Island mutton price last week? 3 How is this tracking compared to year-ago levels?

STRETCH YOURSELF:

1 Wistaria runs 75% sheep, 20% deer and 5% cattle? What are the small percentage of cattle that they produce used/farmed for? 2 What data do they collect from their sheep? How do they use this? 3 What data is collected from the deer they farm? What is this then used for? 4 Maurice talks about farming with the consumer in mind and that their farm works well with the Silver Fern Farms plate to paddock concept. What is this? 5 Can you think of other ways that consumers could learn about where their food comes from? Do you think that the average NZ consumer wants to know this?

How much does a ruminant eat?

Sheep & Water A Massey University study found that in winter sheep spend very little time near creeks and streams. Video surveillance footage showed some sheep will drink from a stream by kneeling beside the water in order to avoid getting their feet wet. This information will help us better understand the impact of sheep on the water quality of our waterways.

1 kilogram of dry matter of various ruminant feeds, moving clockwise from top left: ryegrass pasture, pasture hay, maize silage, brewers’ grain, maize kernel, barley grain, and a pelleted ruminant feed.

• The rumen contains microorganisms that ferment/ digest the carbohydrates in the feed into compounds that the animal can absorb and use as an energy source.

2 It is expected that the NI lamb slaughter prices at the processors may have ‘hit their peak’ for this year. What is meant by this? 3 What do you think will happen to prices once the supply of new season lambs picks up later in the year? Hint: Look at the lines from last year and the five-year average in November-December.

Did you know the names of these farming words in Te Reo Māori?

The amount of water and fibrous carbohydrate a feed contains contributes to the “bulkiness” of a feed. The bulkier the feed, the more space it takes up in the rumen. Fibrous feeds need to be chewed and rechewed (rumination) and are slower to digest. Using our knowledge of ruminant stomach anatomy and physiology and animal nutrient requirements, we can ensure that we offer the best diet to our ruminant livestock.

• Rumen capacity of a cow is typically around 60-120 kg and a sheep, 4-8 kg.

1 Compare last week’s average slaughter price with the same time last year, what is the difference in $/kg?

Ngā kupu a te pāmu

Food is made up of water and dry matter. The dry matter is where all the feed energy and nutrients are contained. Ryegrass pasture is about 85% water and 15% dry matter, while hay is about 85% dry matter and 15% water.

• Ruminants have large 4-compartment stomachs – the largest compartment is called the rumen.

This graph shows the AgriHQ average North Island lamb slaughter price for this year, last year, and the five-year average. Prices this year have been tracking well below year-ago levels for a while now. This has been driven by numerous factors such as low overseas demand due to covid-19.

• Sheep need 4 litres of water per day. • In many areas of New Zealand, in late-autumn, winter and early spring, sheep can get all the water they need from the pasture they eat. • Sheep are not required to be fenced from waterways in the new freshwater regulations.

Want to learn the science behind animal production? Check out the Bachelor of Animal Science (www.massey.ac.nz/bansci), or find us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BAnScMassey

Cow > Kau Sheep > Hipi Dog > Kurī Horse > Hōiho Chicken > Heihei Pig > Poaka Milk > Miraka For answers to last week’s questions and more content head to our website: www.sites.google.com/view/agined/home


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