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Managing A Dry Season

With a long dry spell on the horizon dairy farmers are aware that the usual farm management strategies don’t appear to be an option this year.

By Department of Primary Industries - 9th November 2006 - Back to News

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Dairy Officer, Dan Armstrong said farmers may feel overwhelmed by the conditions, but sorting out a plan for managing the season can help provide a way forward.

"This is not a normal year and it could be a long haul to the autumn break, so it is important to have different expectations and evaluate options," Mr Armstrong said.

Rationing out feed is an essential strategy for drought survival. This applies to both pasture and supplements.

Rationing out of pasture can be achieved through the grazing rotation. A quick rotation of 15 - 20 days would reduce growth substantially and leave little pasture for summer. A rotation of 45 days plus is highly recommended for the rest of spring.

Rationing out pasture will highlight a substantial need for supplements. However, it’s important to ration out the fodder on hand for the long haul. Two options are to buy more feed or reduce the need for feed.

"If you decide to buy more fodder, early purchase is recommended as it may take some time to secure fodder. You may need some more cash up front to secure feed. It is best to talk to your financial institute/adviser early to organise a strategy.

"Given the high cost of supplementary feeds, adjusting feed demand to reflect the season may be a good option.

"Cows being fully fed on brought in feed are likely to struggle to produce enough milk income to cover costs. Culling cows early will allow the cheaper home grown feed to go further and reduce the reliance on brought in feed. If the option of culling cows is chosen, it should happen as early in the season as possible.

"Plan with both this season and the recovery in mind. Give some consideration to how options to deal with the drought will impact on future plans.

"Cows will be valuable when conditions improve and culling too heavily will make it harder to recover quickly from the drought," Mr Armstrong said.

If you have already sold all the stock you wish to sell this season and don’t have enough feed to get through there are options to reduce feed demand, which include:

• Produce less milk (feed less per cow in a planned way).
• Go on once a day milking.
• Dry some cows off.

There are a number of issues to consider before adopting one of these options. Every farm situation is different and it is important to seek some for specific support for your individual situation.

Circumstances can change, so it’s important to review your plan regularly.

In summary:

• It’s not a normal year – have different expectations.
• Ration out feed – it is likely to be a long haul.
• Adjust feed to reflect the season – act early.
• Plan with both this season and the recovery in mind.
• Even if you are short of feed, you still have options.

For further information contact your local DPI Dairy Extension Officer at DPI Ellinbank on Tel: 5624 2222, DPI Maffra on Tel: 5147 0800 and DPI Leongatha on Tel: 5662 9900.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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