Increasing Farm Profit and Growing the Farming Business
Grazing Musketeers Gary Nolan
• Results to date indicate substantial lifts in output of KGMS/ha and profitability on the 14 farms. • Protein lift of 0.06 average. (max 0.15) • Fat lift of 0.2 average. (max- 0.25) • This average lift of on 700,000 litres equates to 6,300 euro of gain in milk price alone. • The max lift would equate to 10,500 euro.
Grazing Musketeers All for grass and grass for all • Spring calving. • 14 farmers.
• All over the country. • Cow no. from 90- 440.(av 227) • Area measured- 1220ha (av 90ha)
5 Objectives • Lift farm profits/ha.
• Employ excellent pasture management, with an emphasis on attention to detail. • Adopt best management practice from Lincoln University and from Moorepark. • To capture and analyse the data that would be collected over the 2.5 year project. • That an effective decision making process would be the driver for our grass based business.
Methodology. “I
belief that it is the methodology of the Grazing Musketeer system that sets it apart.”
• Measurement (30%) • I would rate the walking and measuring of the farm and calculating Farm Cover as only reaping 30% of the potential information that you have gathered. (This will take approx 1-2 hours)
Create Wedge Input Opening Covers
Wedge Graph Date 27-Oct-07
Farm Block
Gary Nolan Dairy Consultancy
Grazing Musketeers
Farm
28-Feb-07
Date
7-Mar-07
Date
7
Days
7
Days
2232
Average Cover
2224
Average Cover
Average Growth
9.1
Average Growth
12.7
Average Growth
No. Grazed Paddocks
8
Paddocks Grazed
14
Paddocks Grazed
No. Paddocks
45
Total Paddocks
45
Total Paddocks
Cover change/day
0.4
Cover change / Day
-0.6
Cover change / Day
Cover
Gzd
Grow th
Cover
Gzd
Total area
132.0 ha
Average Cover
Growth
Area (ha)
Name/No:
Type
1.60
1
Normal
2300
21
2350
4
1.60
2
Normal
1750
4
1900
11
1.60
3
Uncutable
1900
2
2076
13
2.03
4
Normal
2400
Gzd
1700
Gzd
Gzd
2.03
5
Normal
3300
14
1620
Gzd
Gzd
1.50
6
reseed
2500
18
1625
Gzd
Gzd
1.50
6
reseed
2500
18
2300
Gzd
Gzd
1.50
7
Normal
3250
9
3300
Gzd
4
Budgeting, analysis and hitting targets (30%) • The next 30% is gained by the use of a general Budget dealing with growth and demand. (This will take approx 15 minutes)
3. Decision making and analysis of them. (40%) • This Kingpin of the Grazing Musketeer system will add 40%. This is the effective analysis of the key farm data collected leading onto a structured and recorded decision making process.
• (This last process is the most important and will take 10 minutes)
Week ending
23/08/07
31/08/07
4/09/07
Total ha
86.21
86.21
86.21
Cows calved
196
196
196
Dm/cow
17.0
17.0
17.0
Meal/cow
0
0
0
Demand
3332
3332
3332
Yearlings
66
66
66
Dm
8.5
8.5
8.5
Demand
561
561
561
Calves
78
78
78
DM/calf
5
5
5
Demand
390
390
390
Demand/ha
49.7
49.7
49.7
Pred. Growth
73
58
88
659.0
763.0
866.0
Actual Pred. Cover Actual
Protein per Month Protein/month 4.00
• Protein graph
3.90
3.80
Protein
3.70
2007
3.60
2006 2005 3.50
2004
3.40
3.30
3.20
3.10 Jan.
Feb.
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul Month
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Protein per month 2004-2007
Fat per Month
4.90
4.70
• Fat graph 4.50
4.30 Value
2007 2006 2005 2004
4.10
3.90
3.70
3.50 Jan.
Feb.
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul Month
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
LUDF Pasture M.E. 02/03
11.1
03/04
12.0
04/05
12.2
06/07
12.5
• • • •
Dm production/ha Av 14.6t/ha Av 84% of TDM as grazed pasture. Utilization between 76-79.5% 13.6 ton 15.O ton
@78% @82%
10.6 12.3
• 1.5 ton extra utilised @ €120 per ton + €180 per ha profit • Management, fertility, species.
Profit • Gain of 50kgms/ha • There has been a significant drop in cost expressed as cents/KGMS from an average of 2004-2006 versus 2007. • My suggestion is that it is worth between 15 and 20K to all farmers.
Meal
Fertiliser
Contractor
Down 23%
Down 18%
Down22% to 68% up.
Conclusion • Every farmer can benefit. • Re-think what your achieving from measuring your farm and how you could make more money from your time spent. • Control your grazing as it controls your bottom line.