Grazing Management

Most properties have the potential to increase the productivity and profitability of their grazing enterprises.  Nationwide programs such as “More Beef From Pastures” and “Prograze” have provided producers with tools for achieving this.  But the challenge is to successfully implement these and other important principles on your property.

Alan Blackburn commenced his career in agriculture working in the “Department of Agriculture”.  He spent 3 years as a sheep adviser and helped run several stocking rate experiments.  In 2006 he completed the “Train the Trainer” course More Beef From Pastures.

We assist clients in the following areas:

1.  Review your profitability and your direction

• Review economics of current and proposed system including reviewing gross margins and projected cost of production for grazing enterprises
• Decide mix of grazing enterprises to run
• Identify areas of possible economic gain
  
  

2.  Decide stocking rate

• Estimate feed supply and stock demand
• Compare stocking rate against theoretical potential
• Analyse the impact variation in seasons has on stocking rate choice and profitability
  
  

3.  Calculate cost of production for wool, lamb and beef enterprises

• Comparative cost of production
• Total cost of production
  
  

4.  Review drought strategies

• Historic frequency of droughts
• Calculate size of reserves needed for different droughts
• Decide drought reserve policy
• Decide Farm Management Deposit policy
  
  

5.  Review options for manipulating feed supply

• Estimate whole farm carrying capacity
• Estimate feed supply and demand on a monthly basis
• Predict pasture availability
• Review options for manipulating pasture growth and feed supply
  
  

6.  Adopt key principles affecting profitability and sustainability

• Adopt practices that improve water use efficiency
• Improve pasture utilization
• Identify principles of pasture utilisation
• Identify farm lay out (eg paddocks, water points, laneways) required
  
  

7.  Putting the principles into practice

• Feed budgeting
• Strategic feed budgeting
• Tactical feed budgeting
• Apply grazing principles

 

8.  Risk management strategies

    Higher stocking rates carry risks but strategies can be developed to help manage risks.     These include:

• Identifying and monitoring “critical control points” in your management system
• Putting in place drought risk strategies