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Dairy Reminders For August

By Department of Primary Industries - 25th August 2004 - Back to News

Pastures

Long term average pasture growth rates for August are 15-20 kg DM/ha/day on irrigated and dryland farms across Gippsland, provided pastures are not waterlogged.

Ryegrass leaf appearance rates for mid-August are estimated to be around 15 days, depending on soil temperature and growth conditions. Soil temperatures vary from paddock to paddock due to aspect, shelter and soil moisture. Therefore, your rotation should be out to 45 days in order to allow ryegrass pastures to develop 3 leaves prior to grazing. Southerly facing slopes and waterlogged areas will be performing below average and may need a longer rotation.

Poor drainage in some areas has slowed pasture growth. Maintenance on the drains may have been overlooked due to past dry winters. Make a note of any areas that have caused problems this year and mark them on the farm plan for proposed drainage works when conditions are suitable.

For information on managing wet soils log on to www.target10.com.au then click onto the "wetsoils weblet" and click on "technical notes" in the left hand menu column.

Cows

Muddy tracks and sharp pebbles may be causing foot problems in the dairy herd, particularly the young cows with softer hoofs. Walking the cows through a footbath or over a mat as they leave the dairy, or using feed additives may help. Check with your vet for advice.

Track maintenance, improved drainage, minimising muddy areas and using a soft crumbling rock on tracks will reduce hoof problems in the long term. Avoiding steep grades on tracks or sharp turns on the exit race, and limiting the number of small stones being carried onto the concrete yard area will also reduce hoof damage. This can be achieved by using sand, sawdust, mulch or old carpet on the approaching laneway but be aware that some sands can also be abrasive. Construction of a footbath at the yard entry to wash stones off the hooves may work, but it will need to be cleaned out after each milking.

Other causes of hoof damage are pushing cows along laneways too fast (let them move at their own pace).

Calves

Calves being reared need milk or milk replacer once per day plus free access to pellets, water and good quality straw. The fibre in the straw helps in the early development of the calves' rumen thus allowing for early weaning. Jersey calves should be at least 75 kg liveweight and Friesian calves 100 kg at weaning. Calves should be eating at least 1 kg of pellets plus straw prior to weaning off milk.

In the event of an outbreak of scours, isolate the affected animals to prevent the problem spreading through the rest of the group and treat the affected animals with electrolytes as directed by your vet.

Heifers

Yearling heifers will require good quality hay plus quality pasture to maintain 0.6 kg daily live weight gain during August, and to have them cycling ready for mating at 15 months of age.

It is important to have a vet check on the bulls that you intend to run with your heifers. Some bulls may be infertile while others have hoof and structural problems that prevent successful mating. You can't afford late calving or empty heifers next season.

Irrigation water management

Drainage is important to get pastures growing early in the spring. Begin planning on how you might wisely use your water right. Ensure all channels are clean to allow free movement of water. Keep a close watch on soil moisture and irrigate if required (especially spray systems), as early irrigations can improve pasture production for the next 3 months.

Check that your irrigation water re-use system is empty at the ‘beginning’ and at the ‘end’ of irrigation, to ensure storage capacity to capture water and nutrient run-off when spring rainfall events occur.

SCREENING THE FACTS ABOUT COMPOST

With a variety of compost products and applications now available, a new set of fact sheets has been produced to assist vegetable and wine-grape growers in their decisions about the use of composts.

The fact sheets cover such topics as how compost is produced, how it can improve cropping performance, choosing the right product and supplier for the purpose and how to best use the product. They have been published by the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and EcoRecycle Victoria, with funding support from Horticulture Australia Limited.

Compost is the partially decomposed organic matter produced by naturally occurring micro-organisms. Dr Kevin Wilkinson, of DPI’s Primary Industries Research Victoria (Knoxfield Centre), said that while compost is not a fertiliser in itself, the soil conditioning which it provides may permit reduced applications of fertiliser in the future.

"Composts can be produced from a wide range of organic materials and can be customised to meet particular specifications," said Dr Wilkinson. "This has led to an Australian Standard being established for the composting industry."

"However, although most suppliers can comply with the Standard, they do not have to be certified to that level, and a range of products is available. The fact sheets aim to clearly outline the benefits of composting and overcome any potential confusion with respect to the various products."

Dr Wilkinson added that purchasers should ensure that the supplier can meet their quality assurance requirements and provide evidence that the product meets the Australian Standard.

Electronic versions of the fact sheets are available, free of charge, from Knoxfield on (03) 9210 9222.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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