Using fat scores on farm

Fat scoring is one of the most valuable skills you can learn as a producer.  The fatness of your cattle determines not just their suitability to market specifications.  Within a breed herd, fatness is a key indicator on the herds ability to meet key production goals such as joining, calving and weaning.

There are six fat scores used to describe the level of fat on an animal.  These scores are based on the depth of fat between the animals hide and the muscle or bone beneath the skin.  Fatness is assessed at both the 12th rib of the animal and at the P8 site.

The P8 site is quite a specific point, and many producers often ask me where it actually is on an animal.  If you draw a line from the high bone of the animal – the third sacral vertebrae down until it intersects with a line drawn at right angles from the pin bone, that is where you find the P8 site.

When most people think of using fat scores, its often in terms of deciding if cattle have sufficient fat for market requirements. 

However in a breeding herd, fat scores are also a really useful tool.  In the first instance, fat score at calving time will influence how long it will take a cow to recommence cycling after calving.  The higher the fat score, the more likely it will be that the cow will return to oestrus within the minimum time frame to achieve a calf every year. 

We know that it normally takes a Fat Score 3 cow about 50 days to return to oestrus.  Where as a cow that is Fat Score 2 will take another 20 days.  So when you do the maths of pregnancy at 282 days, plus a period to return to oestrus, you’ll work out you don’t have a big window of opportunity to have fat Score 2 cows successfully delivering a calf every 12 months.

In practical terms, fat scoring is a useful way to draft your cattle into management groups.  I actually think your cow management groups need to be constantly reviewed.  If you can draft your cows into groups based on size, weight and fat score, you will be better positioned to efficiently meet their feed requirements.

Drafting cows into groups based on these factors, means you will have the opportunity to adjust nutrition to lower fat score animals if you need to with the use of supplements.  Or if you are planning on selling a group of cattle, these can often be the easiest and most readily identified group of cattle to sell.

I reckon its also important to recognize that as Fat Scores drop, you have to be prepared to action some immediate strategies to prevent significant weight loss and to avoid compromising animal welfare.  Once your animals approach a Fat Score 2 level, they are starting to metabolise body reserves of muscle and are losing weight. 

If you can recognize this in your cows you can move to correct their nutrition, or make decisions about decreasing stock numbers before weight loss becomes significant.

Once a beef animal falls into the category of Fat Score 1, they are considered to be AT RISK from a welfare perspective.  This means you have to commence a program of management to address their condition through feeding programs.  You would be looking at ensuring calves are weaned off – to allow the cow to use all the energy she consumes for herself and not have to produce milk. 

Calves should be weaned onto a ration that allows them to grow correctly and without setbacks that are lily if there was no intervention.

Cows that are AT RISK (Fat Score 1) should be drafted into a separate group and managed so that all animals are able to achieve their daily intake requirements. This also means it will be easier to monitor these animals as a group and provide other treatments if required such as parasite controls.

Over the last few weeks as drought conditions extend further across NSW, I’ve been visiting a number of farms to help draft cows into groups ad develop specific management strategies for these groups. 

One of the key things I’ve learnt is that producers have been looking at their cows for so long, they don’t notice the variation in the herd, until we’ve drafted them up.  Once they are drafted and plans set in place, its rewarding to see the pressure ease on producers and a clear plan of action taking place. 

So if you are unsure about how you can use fat scores properly, or you’ve been looking at your cows for too long, perhaps its time to as for some help.  I’m more than happy to come out and work a plan out with you and draft the cows into groups with you.  Don’t forget I’m only a phone call away!

How do you prioritise risk?

Its vey common to hear how much risk there is in agriculture.  I know I hear the phrase “farming is a risky business” fairly frequently.  To some degree that’s true.  There are risks with the weather and the markets.  There are risks associated with production from diseases and pests.  There are the risks working with machinery, animals and working in isolation. 

However choosing to focus on the negative side of risk is also a risk.  Choosing not to do something, simply as a reaction to a perceived level of risk might actually be the wrong thing to do for your business or for yourself.

Lets face it; risk is part of life! There are risks with everything we do.  The way we manage those risks depends on our experiences, our knowledge of similar or past events.  It includes an appreciation of the situation and a decision to way up the possible outcomes of that response.  So risk management is something we all do!

In day-to-day life making risk management decisions needs to happen in our head, and often quite quickly!  However for a business, making risk management decisions on the fly, often leads to missed opportunities or costly mistakes that time and money to correct.

So how do you look at risk?  How can you plan for risks and develop a business structure that is robust enough to respond to risk and capitalize on opportunities that often come along?

One of the tools I find most useful comes from the work health and safety industry.  Called a risk score calculator, its basically a way to plot the level of risk to an activity or an event.

The tool plots the Likelihood of something occurring.  

There are five levels, from Almost Certain to Rare.  

The way I use these levels is to look at the data I’ve collected on the business.  Has it happened before, is it happening often, does it happen all the time?  In my mind, that’s the whole point of collecting data!

The second step is to decide what are the consequences of an event happening?  Is it Catastrophic – which if you prefer is an easy way to say if this occurs will someone die, or will huge losses occur?  And then through Moderate to insignificant consequences. 

When you determine that level it’s fairly straightforward to decide if the risk you are considering is extreme, high, medium or low. 

Effectively using this tool helps you prioritize your actions and future plans.  Extreme risks are the ones you need to fix straight away.  

Quite simply you need to consider what can you change to lower that risk?  Is it a change to the way you operate?  Is it a physical change to infrastructure?  Does it require you to invest in skills and training?

Setting priorities is a huge part of risk management.  You can’t do everything at once!  And while there are always jobs to do, some of them are probably less important and can wait a while. 

I reckon the real value of using this tool comes from actually sitting down and having a rational and objective assessment of the situation.  As I said previously, your data will help you decide if the situation is likely to occur or not.  The consequences of the event help set its place on your list of priorities.

I’ve recently been working with a producer using this tool to evaluate the impact of weather extremes.  Their farm data shows clearly rainfall is coming in more intense events and the periods between rainfall is growing.  

The pasture data shows changes in growing days as well.  That data shows that it is likely they can no longer rely on certain species of temperate pastures to finish cattle for their traditional market. 

The consequence of that is major impact on the business.  The risk to that business is rated as High.  So we have been working to develop pastures that suit the changes recorded, with more sub tropical species introduced into the mix.  We have also started focusing on alternative markets so that cattle hit the specifications.

These are all big business changes.  But we are making them to respond to a clearly determined level of risk.  More importantly with my clients, we have a set of priorities to focus on.  In sitting down to discuss the ways to respond, we were able to look at opportunities and new directions before choosing the best option for this business.

It also highlights the importance of collecting good data.  I like using data to drive innovation on farm.  Responding to and lowering risk needs some innovative ideas!  If your data can’t help with those decisions, then you really do need to rethink how you are operating.

Over the next month I’m visiting several new clients to look at their programs and offer some advice.  One of my first questions will be how do you manage risk?  You can be sure we will go through this exercise and work up a few priorities! 

Don’t forget if you want a hand to help set your priority list in order or to look over the data you need, I’m always happy to come and ask the questions and get you going!

Efficient Beef Production

Do you consider yourself an efficient beef producer?  I guess that is a challenging question for a lot of producers.  Having worked with hundreds of producers for almost 25 years, I have to say there is a huge range between producers’ levels of efficiency and profitability. 

I’m also certain that there some people thinking about that question, and wondering what do I mean by efficient?  One of the best definitions of efficiency I’ve come across is “a system achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense”. 

In beef production terms I guess the word efficiency relates to the levels of production achieved compared to how much input goes into the system.  This could be measured against production per cow, kilograms of beef per hectare and the cost to produce one kilogram of beef. 

In early January 2017, Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) released the Global Benchmarking Results for Beef producers.  Its an excellent report, and has given me lots to think about.  I’ve also seen it reported on in several of the rural media outlets.  Now depending which site you read, this report is both full of good news for Australian beef producers, and at the same time has plenty of bad news.

The good news is that Australian beef production is considered to be an efficient beef producing nation with a low cost of production.  The downside?  Well Australia is seen as having a moderate to low level of calf weaning weight and lower cow herd productivity.  We are also seen as achieving moderate to high weight gains in southern systems and low gains in the northern extensive systems.

I reckon that it’s easy to just take these reports and look only at the good news.  Yes we are an efficient producer of beef.  However take some time to read through the report.  There is a big variation in key indicators of efficiency.  A good example is weaning rates (calves per 100 cows).  In general southern systems record weaning rates of around 90% and northern systems much lower at 50 -80%.

Having said that, not all southern systems are running herds with their weaning rates.  The key measure is calves weaned per 100 cows. I know plenty of herds with much lower rates.  There are herds with weaning rates that range from 78% to 88%.  So somewhere along the line 12 to 22 cows in every hundred are not rearing a calf to weaning.

If that is the case what happened to the calf?  Did the cow conceive?  Did she lose the calf before calving, at calving or somewhere between calving and weaning? Increasing calves born per cow makes a dramatic difference to the overall profitability of any breeding business, so its worth looking at your records to see how well you are doing. 

I was also interested to look at the measure of total live weight produced per cow.  According to the report, the global range is between 100 - 480kgs produced per cow per year.  The Australian systems fall in the middle, with ranges from 210 – 340kg.  How many kilograms produced per cow per year is the result of may factors, from the genetics you use, the maturity pattern of your cows, the nutritional system you provide and the fertility of your herd.

I reckon these reports are incredibly valuable if you are prepared to look beyond the good news headlines!  I’ve just picked two areas that producers can look at in their own systems and decide if they are really as efficient as they could be.

Don’t just accept the blanket statement that Australian beef producers are some of the most efficient in the world.  Spend the time to think about your own system.  If you can push yourself to get maximum return for the efforts you are putting in, you might be surprised how much more productive and profitable your business can be. 

If you don’t know where to start looking, then why not give me a call? I’m happy to have a look at what you’re doing.  I reckon we could come up with a few easy ways for you to become a more efficient beef producer.

Keeping out of the cold

How do you cope with cold weather?  Some people seem to cope better with cold weather.  After working in the New England region of NSW for many years, I don't mind the cold too much.  I find that I can always put on some extra clothes, find a pair of gloves and even resort to a fleece lined hat for those cold bleak days!  And on the days when it is too cold, wet or miserable to be outside, there are always things to do inside to stay out of the cold.

However, for your livestock, the cold is an entirely different matter.  Livestock are impacted by cold weather, and if cold conditions are accompanied by some rain and wind, the impacts can be fatal.

Many people think sheep are the animals that are the most susceptible to the impact of cold.  However cattle can be just as susceptible.  

Several years ago I was told by a producer about an experience where some cattle were imported from a station in north Queensland to the New England.  These cattle were brahmans just older than weaner age.  The day after they arrived a snow event occurred and sadly some animals couldn't cope and died.  

So cold conditions, wet weather, wind can all combine to have devastating impacts on your animals.  And unlike the northern hemisphere, bringing animals inside is not really possible in Australia.

Can livestock cope with cold weather?  The answer is they certainly can.  The process of rumination does help them cope, as the rumination process releases plenty of heat that helps the animal stay a bit warmer.  The other things that help animals cope are the condition that the animals are in.  Livestock in average or better fat scores will cope more easily than lean or low fat scored animals.  

Animals that are at risk are those that are in low condition. Young animals and older wake animals are also at risk, as are lactating animals or sheep fresh off shears.

So how can you help your animals cope with the cold?  There are a few things you can do.  These include:

• Provide hay for your livestock. Hay is slower to digest, which means the rumen will produce more heat as digestion occurs. This is especially important when the paddock feed is limited.

• Put animals in sheltered paddocks. If you have ever been in a paddock sheltered by some trees you will know the difference in temperature, particularly getting out of the wind. Grazing your stock in sheltered paddocks, with timber or protections that can reduce the wind chill will make a big difference to your animals.

• Avoid importing livestock from environments that not as cold! Livestock need some time to adjust to a new environment. They may not eat the new pastures, may be unhappy after transport and may have had time to explore their new home in time to find the sheltered paddocks or places in the paddock. Being hungry, cold and stressed places these animals at risk, and if they are young, weak or light in condition, the cold is a real threat.

• Draft your herd into fat scores. Its always good management to draft your herd so that you have them in similar weights and fat scores. The low conditioned animals, and the lighter ones need to be given particular care at the best of times, but during cold, this care is particularly important. These are the animals that should have first option for shelter and definitely need your attention.

Fortunately the cold weather in Australia doesn't last for too long.  Snow is an occasion and doesn't bury pastures for months on end.  The big risks are the cold windy days as cold fronts sweep up from the Antarctic.  I reckon we are also fortunate in knowing when these events are on the way, so there is time to plan ahead.  I reckon if cold is an issue for your stock, you need to think if you can help them cope more easily with hay and shelter.  And if you are thinking of purchasing or moving a few animals onto your place, I reckon if you can consider the traditional impact on cold and determine if it is the best time for your region and for your animals to do that movement.

If you're happy with all that, and you've helped your animals cope as well as they can, I reckon you've earned some time inside by the fire!

When did you last have an objective look at your business?

How often have you stopped and taken the time to consider your farming business?  If you can answer that question, then I reckon you're a member of a pretty small group of farmers nationally!  When most people stop to think about their farm as a business, its around tax time, completing a BAS statement or as part of financial discussions. 

Assessing your financial performance is not just important, its vital for your business.  But its not the only thing you need to be assessing.  Every farm is made up of systems that contribute to the level of production and the financial returns your system producers.  

These systems are the obvious ones such as the livestock your carry, the pastures and soils that you rely on, the infrastructure that supports your programs.  Less obvious are the systems that bring it all together, your management skills, as well as the specialist skills that you need to manage your livestock, your pastures and soils as well as the specialist marketing skills you need when you look to make a return from your production.

So how do you assess if your enterprise is running to its full potential?  

When you are making your assessment, how objective are you?

The four steers in this 

photograph are all the same age, and were all from the same property when this photograph was taken.  The variation between the four of these steers is obvious in the picture.  

However variation like this is common across the herd.  The flow on effect of that variation impacted on sale times, sale weights and income on the steer and surplus heifer sales.  It also impacted on joining weights and the conception rates recorded in the fixed time joining that was being followed.

One of the problems in rectifying this situation was the owner was so used to seeing the herd, the variation was no longer obvious.  The flow on effects were being ignored or not addressed correctly, instead the owner focussed on other areas to manage.

I reckon the problem is that most people are so used to seeing their operation every day, they lose their ability to see the variations, or to be objective about the strengths and weaknesses that exist in their systems, and in their farm as a whole.  When you can't identify your strengths or your weaknesses, it makes it very hard to capitalise on the opportunities that exist for you, or to prepare for the threats that may be coming.

One of the key roles of the RaynerAg business is to provide producers with an objective view of their program.  Helping reduce the variation in a program is one practical approach.  But its not just about working through the cow herd and taking out the extremes!

More importantly, I reckon its my role to help identify the strengths and weaknesses that impact on the whole business.  And then to work with the producer to come up with a plan to use the opportunities available to be more productive and profitable, and to be prepared for the threats that could be coming.

If I can help my clients take a more objective look at their business, and to do that on a regular basis, I reckon I've done a good days work!

So if you're part of the large group of Australian farmers that haven't had an objective look at your business in a while, why don't you get in touch?  I'll be happy to help you see the variation and work out ways to fix it.

I love a successful outcome!

In a number of these blogs for Rayner Reckons, I've written about the importance of working to achieve outcomes.   I have a deeply held belief that every business should know what goals they are working towards.  Those goals or outcomes don't have to mean that your business is to move into the top ten beef producers in the country, or to own more cattle in the region than anyone else.  

Your goals could be as personal as making sure you and your family can have a holiday away from the farm every year.  Or it could be a decision to structure your operations to respond to seasonal changes without significantly altering your enterprise.   

Whatever your outcomes are, its important to work towards those by structuring your daily, weekly, and monthly activities around the best tactics to help you achieve your outcomes on time and as efficiently as you can.

One of the key outcomes for RaynerAg is to help my clients find ways to more efficiently meet their goals.  

This year I've been working to help the team at Classimate services offer producers who want to market their livestock on line a credible, independent assessment of the structure, temperament, fertility & muscling of their cattle. 

This system would complement other data breeders want to provide their clients, such as EBVs or pedigrees on their animals.  I've written in previous Rayner Reckons about the way we have developed this concept.

For me there are some outcomes I wanted to achieve.  The first was to develop a system that ticked the boxes for industry credibility, repeatability, relevance and most importantly usefulness to producers, both from a selling and from a buying position.  

To achieve this goal I worked closely with a team of people who I respect for their industry knowledge and experience.  Together we developed a cattle assessment system that ticks those boxes.

The next goal was to actually undertake assessments for a producer who wanted to market their cattle on line.  As a new concept I wondered how producers would respond to the new opportunity.

It turns out there has been plenty of interest from producers in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. The first cattle to be assessed for the system are based in Gin Gin, Queensland.  

I was really pleased to have over 100 cows come through the yards to be assessed under the system I had developed with my colleagues. I reckon that in itself was a successful outcome to the project I'd been working on.

I reckon the next goal is to use the assessment data in two ways.  The first will be to provide the owners with the ability to market their cattle with the independent assessment scores we allocate each animal.  And secondly I want to provide the owner with a benchmark of their animals structure, the trends and observations I've seen, as well as some suggestions on how to manage those trends.  

That way I reckon there is real value in having your cattle assessed.  One, you can market them to a wider audience, and two, you can have something objective to work towards in your herd improvement process.

I'm really pleased this project is achieving the outcomes I wanted, its also reminded me of a few lessons that can be applied to any project you're working on to achieve your goals.

1. Break your goal down into a series of smaller goals so that you can manage them more easily

2. Look to your networks and seek the skills to help you get to your goal

3. Be prepared to invest in those skills or people.  It might mean paying for advice or assistance, but that is investment that pays a bigger return when you achieve your goals.

4.  Think about the other positive outcomes your achievements might bring.  It could be new options to manage your business, to market your livestock or in my case provide additional tailored support to producers.

I really love the outcomes from this project.  For me, I've been able to see some great cattle, meet some fantastic new producers, work more closely with a great group of colleagues as well as implementing a great cattle assessment program.  Its been a great few months, and I'm looking forward to setting some new goals to work towards.

Why I love my job!

One of the features of my job is spending a lot of time traveling to visit clients. I don't mind travel so much.  It gives me a chance to think about my clients and what is happening with them in regards to the season, their programs and the new strategies we could look at to lift their businesses to a new level of production & profitability. 

I reckon its important to take the time to gather some thoughts and reflect on what they mean and could mean to the advice and services I provide.  

Every now and then I also get to thinking about how fortunate I am in my job!  In the last week Ive been part of a few events that have reminded me of the reasons why I love my job.  The events have all been a little different.  One was some pregnancy testing on commercial and stud cows.  

The other was participating in a seminar focussed on latest pasture research, and the last was working with some of my longest clients who hosted a visit of the International Red Poll World Congress.  All very different, but all very rewarding.

This week I wanted to write a Rayner Reckons that highlights why I love my job.

1. My clients: My business is built around providing producers with information that is technically sound, practically based and appropriate for their situation. And while that is the service I aim to provide, without clients wanting these services, the business wouldn't work. The clients who I have been fortunate to work with are great people for many reasons. Firstly they are passionate about their businesses, and are looking to make their businesses operate that little bit better in all areas. I love working with people who are enthusiastic, passionate and committed. I'm also humbled by their trust and confidence on the services and information I offer to them. I have to say I look forward to working with my clients on all of their projects!

2. Sharing Information: I love sharing information with others. There are so many fantastic research outcomes; practical solutions and good ideas that can be used to make any agricultural business perform even more effectively. I find it rewarding to share these outcomes and use them to help my clients or have an positive impact on agriculture generally.

3. Being challenged in my role: So much of my job satisfaction comes from the responding to the challenges associated with agricultural production. I want to help my clients better respond to the challenges for their enterprises. These can be dealing with the drought; improving herd fertility, increasing their market returns. These challenges are ones that require me to keep looking for new ideas, new information and new solutions. its really rewarding to step up and help address them.

4. Working with livestock: Not everyone gets to work outside and to work with animals! I like cattle! I enjoy working with them and improving my handling skills so that animals move and flow without unnecessary stress or excitement. I enjoy the chance to help my clients select animals that are best suited to their environment and to their markets and to out plans in place to breed that style of animal in the future. There's no doubt this is one of the best parts of my job.

5. Travelling to new places: In the past 18 months I have worked with clients from South Australia, NSW, QLD, Victoria and even in Malaysia. Its been really exciting to visit new places and see new ways of going about agriculture. Having said that, I reckon I get just as much excitement visiting a new farm within an hour of home to do some preg testing or look at bulls.

There are lots of reasons to love my job, and these are only a few of the reasons.  I reckon agriculture offers so many rewarding and pleasurable outcomes.  

Having said that, I still reckon one of the nicest parts of my job is having the chance to meet and work with a great group of people from all parts of Australia.  

And that is definitely why I love my job!

Nice to know, or need to know?

This morning I was listening to a radio interview on the opportunities for careers in agriculture.  The person being interviewed talked about the wide varieties of roles there were in agriculture and in particular the roles for people to give farmers new information from the research and science being done in agriculture.   

I've been thinking about that interview for a few hours now!  I admit I was troubled by some of the points this person made in the interview.  I agree there are exciting and amazing opportunities in agriculture to build a rewarding and fulfilling career and life. 

I'm struggling with the assumptions made by this person that helping farmers is just about giving them information or the results of scientific studies.  This person was obviously talking about the role for people to build a career in agricultural extension.  To simply describe extension as taking research and giving it to farmers is pretty outdated and doesn't reflect what agricultural extension should be.  I also think its pretty insulting to farmers. 

Over 50 years ago, extension used to be described in this way.  Farmers were seen to be devoid of knowledge of best production practices and desperate for new research.  The extension process was seen as a way of filling farmers full of new knowledge and better practices.  

This then lead to people describing farmers as being innovative, or early adopters, or laggards when they didn't take on the new ideas.

The worst thing about these labels, I reckon, is the unfairness of them.  In their lives people make decisions about how to go about things, based on a range of reasons.  These include the information or knowledge you have.  But it is also the practical application of knowledge, the time it takes to do something, how much it might cost or what has to be given up to do something new.  

Its no different for someone deciding on a new TV or a new way to do business.  These motivations underpin why people do what they do and when they do it.

In agricultural extension terms, there are two things we can do.  We can make people aware of new information.  Or we can work with producers and others to put new information into practice.  

I get worried by people who think all that needs to be done is to tell farmers about new information and thats all that they need to do.  I call that the nice to know approach!  Field days, seminars and newsletters are handy ways to share the nice to know things.  

There's a huge difference between nice to know and need to know!

The stuff that is need to know are the practical things to make information work properly, safely and efficiently!

Things like:  

• How do I feed this product - not just how much?

• Will this feed effect my market strategy?

• What do I put on the Vendor Declaration?

• Can I do it this way instead because I don't want to buy new equipment..

The list of need to know questions can be quite long with new research, or it can be really straightforward.  The thing is, the need to know part of extension is pretty important.  It takes trust in the person helping you.  It also means trusting the farmer you are working with to share their thoughts and actions, so you know you are getting it right!  

You have to understand the practicalities of someones business and the realities of the industry which can be very different to an academic or theoretical understanding.

So what does this mean really?  I guess it means that if you want to build a career in agriculture based on sharing knowledge and information, you will have to be able to do more than just run a field day and promote the nice to know information.  It takes time to build knowledge and experience so you can work to share the need to know with farmers and industry.  

For farmers, I think the bigger challenge will be finding people you can trust to work with you on the need to know subjects. I'm continuing to work with many producers on these subjects.  Each time we do a job, I know a little bit more of the need to know things, which in turn grows to help everyone I work with in the future.

I think listening to that interview today reenforced my desire to be the person farmers turn to when they are looking for someone to help make changes in their businesses.  I want to keep being the "need to know" advisor.  As long as I keep doing that, I reckon the people paying me to work in their businesses will continue to get the service they want and need, and I can keep my rewarding and fulfilling career in agriculture.

Are you coming to our bull sale?

There are some questions which seem to be, in current terms, the trending questions.  I've shared a few in recent Rayner Reckons.  The latest trend is associated with the upcoming round of northern NSW bull sales.  I'm pretty sure most people have been asked "are you coming to our bull sale?"

In my previous career with the NSW DPI, as the District Beef Cattle Officer, getting out to bull sales was an important part of the job.  There were a few reasons for this.  Being at sales gave me a chance to catch up with producers, see what was happening in the seed stock sector, and get a feel for the optimism people had for the year ahead.  

Being at a sale was also a great opportunity to talk to producers about how to understand EBVs; what to look for in structure or muscle and even to create some discussion about target markets.  

In many ways being at a sale also helped the vendors.  

There's no doubt the lead up to and the morning of a bull sale are some of the most demanding times bull breeders will face.  They need to speak with existing clients; meet and get to know new clients; make sure the agents are fully briefed on the day and arrange countless other things to make sure the sale goes to plan!  

So having the local beef cattle officer at the sale was a good thing.  The vendor & agents would often encourage producers to chat to me about those things such as EBVs or the merits of bulls, confident their clients were getting good reliable advice which may help producers buying bulls at the sale.

In developing RaynerAg, attending bull sales is still one of the key services I like to undertake.  However, I've had to make some decisions about how and why I go to sales.  The simple matter is my business is to provide advice to clients to help them run their business more effectively. When I attend sales now I have to do so to provide that service, and I now have to make that a business decision.

Quite a few bull breeders have asked me if I will be coming to their sale this year.  

Several have offered me an opportunity to receive a rebate if I bring clients along who purchase bulls a the sale, similar to that offered to agents introducing new clients.

I've actually chosen to decline this offer.  

I'm determined to offer my clients advice which is independent, and not driven by the need to earn  commission on sales, be it bulls or animal health products etc.

Instead I've offered the vendors an alternative suggestion.  For a fixed fee I will attend their sale day and be on hand to provide purchasers with advice on the bulls.  This includes understanding EBVs, comparing bulls in the catalogue, caring for the bull when it is delivered, as well as other questions the purchaser might have.  Because I'm not working on a commission purchasers can feel confident in asking me to compare bulls and also to present advice which is truly independent.  

The vendors can also feel comfortable knowing that they can steer clients towards me to address their questions and concerns about bulls.  This just gives the vendors a chance to work through their sale day with some more support and be confident their new and existing clients are not being neglected!

I reckon this service may not be for every bull seller this year.  However for the breeders I am working with, they have told me their clients were happy they had the option (if they wanted it) to seek some help or to bounce some ideas off when looking at the bulls in the catalogue.

I'm looking forward to the sales I'm going to this season.  I definitely looking forward to continuing to help producers and bull breeders achieve their goals in buying and selling bulls which will make a positive difference in beef enterprises in the next few years.

So hows RaynerAg going?

A few weeks ago I wrote in Rayner Reckons the most common question I'd been asked was "so how was the show?"  That question has definitely been overtaken by another genuine question, "so hows RaynerAg going?"

The short answer to that question is simply, its going well!  

I know I have shared some of the highlights for the past 12 months, so in many ways I've had a chance to reflect on how RaynerAg has been developing.  

Taking time to review progress is important for any business.  Its one of the things I do with the RaynerAg clients.  However, the review is only part of a business plan.  I think knowing your goals and working towards them are also important.   

Having business goals is essential.  I also think you should review your goals occasionally and see if they are still relevant, or appropriate for you, your business and for your clients.  

How we measure things is also important.  Just recently I read an article discussing issues surrounding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).  It seems like every organisations has KPIs these days.  As a tool they can be pretty useful to help keep things on track.  But like any tool they can also be misued used and the source of problems!

I occasionally see people who are very caught up in achieving their KPIs, for example meeting their pasture growth targets.  The problem occasionally is, they are so focussed on the KPI, they forget the whole point of growing that pasture was to produce more kilograms of beef per hectare!  

Setting goals, and using KPIs to monitor how you are going is good business practice.  Equally important is taking time to review if it is actually working and still suited to your own personal goals.

So whats ahead for RaynerAg?  I haven't actually set any KPIs!  However, I do have some plans which I'd like to achieve in the next 7 months.  

• I'm delivering two 1 day courses for show stewards. These will focus on the skills needed to run judging rings. Skills such as arranging a schedule, marshalling cattle, scoring classes, presenting ribbons, ring craft & public speaking.

• I'd love to have all 40 places in these courses taken up, and requests for three more before the end of the year!

• This August I will be arranging a Field Day designed to update producers on the best techniques to manage their cows through calving and provide latest industry research. Its been a while since I've held a large field day and I'm looking forward to planning and holding this one

• I also want to establish a beef producers group, focussed on livestock assessment and monitoring compliance with target markets.

And most importantly, I want to keep working closely with producers to find the most effective ways to improve their business operations and help them make a little but more money!

Next time I'm asked how's RaynerAg going, I'm going to say not just that its going well, but the next few months look pretty exciting! 

Celebrating the 1st Year of RaynerAg

In the last few weeks, I've been really busy on a number of RaynerAg tasks.  I have had a chance to visit a number of producers on farm to discuss feeding programs to best manage the drought; delivered at several drought workshops; pregnancy tested over 1,040 cows and even delivered some social media training as part of seniors week!

With all thats has been happening, its exciting to also realise that RaynerAg has now been operating for 12 months.  I reckon I am incredibly fortunate.  I have been so supported by producers who have been prepared to pay me to provide them with ideas, advice and opinions which can have a significant impact on their businesses.  I've also been supported by many organisations ranging from Government Departments through to Agri-buisnesses who have asked me to develop and deliver staff training and development.  

When I left the NSW DPI after a 17 year career as a District Livestock Officer (Beef Products) there was no way I could have guessed what the year ahead would bring me.  I knew I wanted to build a business which would allow me to do what I am passionate about, which is to help other people operate their agricultural businesses more effectively and more profitably.

Establishing a new business providing advice and training has been a challenge. Paying for advice to aid livestock production is a new concept in the NSW beef industry.  However I have found many producers are willing to pay for advice and ideas which can be tailored and focussed to their specific needs.  

I have been fortunate in developing strong relationships with clients from across NSW, Queensland and South Australia.  The people I am working with are enthusiastic about their businesses and determined to achieve the goals they are setting for themselves and for their businesses.

Looking back I didn't expect I would have included overseas work in my first year.  Last year I was able to travel to Malaysia to work with MLA with the developing goat market and to assist in training farmers in livestock handling under the ESCAS program.  

The chance to work in another country was incredibly valuable in helping me appreciate our traceability systems as well as the seeing our markets from the international clients view.  I reckon I am better placed to discuss the impact on markets or why traceability systems are so vital having seen whats happening in the market place.

The past year has also been a great year for learning new skills.  I've enjoyed writing a weekly blog for the web site.  I wasn't too sure about writing a blog when I first started, but I do enjoy sharing my observations and I appreciate the regular feedback many people send me on things I've written.  

Learning to become a pregnancy tester was a new skill. Undertaking the course and learning the skill to be an accurate tester was something I wanted to do, so I could offer a better level of advice and service for producers.  Now with over 1,000 cows tested and more booked in, I'm better positioned to help the producers I work with, manage issues such as fertility and stocking rate during this drought.

I reckon the second year for RaynerAg is going to be just as exciting and rewarding.  I am talking with producers in Tasmania and South Australia about delivering workshops on better bull buying and live animal assessment.  I'm also developing a one day course for people wishing to improve their skills to undertake the role of stewards at their local agricultural show.

I'm looking forward to working with a number of bull breeders in NSW and Queensland to assess the structure of their bulls and to use that information to provide their clients with enhanced information on each bull.

While these are exciting plans, I'm just as excited about the continuing work I am doing with individual producers.  I really do enjoy being on a farm discussing the best way to achieve outcomes and to see the results as plans come together.

I do reckon I'm incredibly fortunate.  I love my job and I enjoy working with so many people passionate about their industry and about agriculture.  I am looking forward to continuing to provide a professional, independent and technically based advisory service to agriculture.  Thank you for your support over the past 12 months, and I hope I can offer you the service you and your business are looking for into the future.

A new direction for agricultural extension

Over the past two weeks I've had a chance to undertake several farm visits to discuss feeding, cow selection, early weaning calves as well as preg testing a number of breeding groups.  I've also been able to work with Landcare to present drought management advice at workshops which all up attracted around 200 people. Its been busy and very rewarding.

In the time I've spent travelling to and from these events, I've been thinking about the way extension services are changing, particularly in Australian agriculture.  My background in in extension, which inspired me to undertake a Masters of Philosophy to research how extension methods impact on the decisions by farmers to adopt new technologies.

I reckon a lot of people don't really understand extension.  It surprised me a lot when doing my research and when working for NSW DPI, just how varied peoples understanding of extension was!

In broad terms extension is the term used to describe the way which agricultural science is shared, used, and refined by both farmers and scientists.  Extension can describe the basic one to one sharing of ideas between farmers and scientists, through to field days demonstrating a technology or an outcome, or to the process of working with a group of people to test and adapt ideas to suit the real world.

I reckon what many people overlook is extension is not just about knowing about science or agricultural technologies. 

And its not just about the ability to bring farmers together to join a discussion group or to arrange and hold a field day. 

The people who work in agricultural extension are able to blend a range of skills together.  They have to be practical people who understand and can empathise with both scientists and researchers as well as the farmers who actually use technologies every day.  They need to be able to listen and learn from others and be willing to share advice.  I reckon they need to be able to work in a range of ways to best share ideas and information.

In the past agricultural extension has been seen to be a service or a role which is freely available to farmers.  I don't know that that is really a practical option for agriculture in todays environment.  

Having worked as a government extension officer for 17 years and as an independent provider of extension serves for a year, I reckon the change to extension as a paid service will become much more accepted and utilised in Australian agriculture. 

I reckon this is the case for a few reasons.  Firstly todays farmers and graziers are working to achieve much more specific outcomes for their enterprises. Sourcing reelable farm labour is more challenging, which means farmers are more discerning about how they invest their time in obtaining new information and advice.

I also reckon farmers want to find the advice, support or input they want to address their specific needs. In recent years as a government extension officer, it was much harder to provide a tailored level of advice for individual farmers, which was as frustrating for me as it was for farmers looking for that support.

So what does that really mean for agriculture in Australia?  Well I reckon it doesn't mean the end of activities like field days or discussion groups or any of the other activities which we have used to share ideas and develop new and exciting directions for our industries.

What I do reckon will happen is we will become more used to looking for and paying for a service which provides the tailored or specific information sharing needed for todays agricultural businesses.

It may be  more producers joining research and extension groups which co-share in research and extension with support funding from industry R & D bodies.  It probably also means producers will be more comfortable using provide providers of knowledge and advice.  As someone building a business in this area, I have to say I hope so!  

However it develops,  I reckon as an agricultural sector we have to acknowledge that good extension doesn't just happen and shouldn't be expected to be freely provided.  A small investment by individuals to obtain specialised information, advice and support can often return significant results in the way a business operates. 

I reckon valuing extension is the new direction and I'm pretty confident the people who see the value and invest in those skills will be the ones who will achieve the greatest returns.

Good recording makes good decisions

In the last 10 days I reckon the number of farmers who have called me for advice has almost doubled. The drought is testing everyone, so its good that farmers are seeking advice and input into their drought plans.

I have written about the importance of drought plans having dates where decisions must be taken.  What is also as important is to make decisions based on your farm records and objective data.

It seems that most famers are considering a number of options to implement in the next few weeks. These include:

• Herd reductions

• Increased feeding

• Early Weaning

Reducing your herd can be a difficult decisions of some producers.  There is an understandable hesitation when the market is flooded with cattle.  

But it is important to consider the costs associated with keeping cattle on.  

This isn't just feed costs, but also labour with feeding those cattle.  

Last week I was talking with a farmer who said to me times like these can be an opportunity.  He uses the dry period to go through his cow herd, taking out the older cows, the late calving cows and those with other less desirable traits.

Rather than just selling those cows through the local yards, he has looked for opportunities to sell direct to processors and has managed to find a good rate for those cull cows.  

I know not everyone can take this opportunity of sending cattle direct, particularly with processors booked up with cattle.  But I reckon it is important to recognise their are opportunities if you are prepared to look for them.

The other part of reducing your herd is to identify the least productive animals.  

Having good records, including calving percentages and weaning percentages will help identify those animals. Pregnancy testing the cow herd is another option to identify herd productivity. 

I reckon pregnancy testing helps identify not only the cows which are non pregnant and can be sold straight away, it also lets you determine the late calvers and gives you some good data to work on if you need to sell off more animals as part of your plan.

If you are planning on increasing your feeding, I encourage you to work on the costs of not only purchasing the feed, but the time and effort to feed out as well.  

If you go into full hand feeding, most programs will require daily feeding.  The time and effort associated with this needs to be recognised.  

When you do start to feed, I reckon its essential to put cattle into mobs of similar fat scores and weights.  This helps avoid lighter and leaner cattle being bullied.  

If you do start feeding, its vital to keep records of the feeds you use, the amounts you feed and the details of where the feed came from.  These records need to be included when you sell cattle or for future reference.

I reckon good decisions in this period are not just timely ones.  The best decisions are timely and based on good records which can fine tune the decisions or even help you find opportunities which may not have been so obvious at the start.  

Don't forget if you need some input or want a second opinion to get in touch with me. I'm always happy to provide some ideas or support.

Doing nothing is never an option!

Making decisions and sticking to them is essential in drought management.  This summer looks like it will continue to test the resilience of producers across eastern Australia.  No rain and record heat have pushed most areas into another challenging drought.  

In recent Rayner Reckons, I've written a lot about the importance of making plans with trigger points for action and the importance of sticking to that plan.  In the last few days plenty of people have spoken to me about the plans and options ahead.

Unfortunately drought management is not easy, and hard decisions have to be made.  

The worst thing is to do nothing.  

Last week I was incredibly distressed to hear some producers talking about the drought, saying they had no options left but to let their animals die, as well as asking to be exempt from prosecution under animal cruelty charges if they let their stock perish. 

I can never accept this argument.  This drought has been developing over several months, and the producers I know and work with have been working and following their plans.  

Part of the plan is to de-stock.  Yes they have had to accept low prices, and often they have lost money.  But that was an option which had to be taken.  Some other producers have kept some stock, choosing to feed them to a certain point and then deciding on selling as the drought continues.  Again they have had to take a loss.  Unfortunately that was what happened, and while not wanting to accept a loss for their livestock, it was planned and was the best option for those individuals.

For the producers who haven't been been decisive and made timely decisions, time has run out.  I appreciate they may have no money to feed stock.  I appreciate they may have stock which cannot be transported for sale or slaughter.  

For these people it is not a case of having no options.  There is only one option left.  Their animals cannot be left to die.  The producers must humanely destroy their animals.

I reckon we have a moral obligation (as well as a legal one) to ensure the welfare of our animals.  There are plenty of people wanting to question our treatment of animals exported overseas.  We can't ever afford to neglect welfare and ensure our standards never fall.

Droughts are never easy.  They require hard decisions and sometimes those decisions are distressing.  But as managers of livestock, we can never do nothing.  

Don't fall for the "what if"

In the past three weeks I've actually been working in Malaysia.  The work was a great opportunity to see tropical agriculture.  After three weeks working in tropical conditions, in and around palm and rubber plantations, coming home to the dry of northern NSW was a big visual shock.

This shock got me thinking.  Drought conditions can quickly become a feature of what we see, particularly this current season.  We become so used to see the brown colours and the dry feed, we don't always move as quickly on drought planning as we should.

There is no doubt, Northern NSW is now under drought conditions. However I reckon many people have become so used to seeing the dry conditions over the last few months, they haven't adjusted their plans from a dry season to drought management.

Successful drought management is based on good planning.  Plans need to be based on a realistic assessment of:

How much feed do you now have in your paddocks?

How many head of livestock do you have?

What is the production status of those livestock?

How much water is in your dams, or reserves?

What is the quality of that water?

The next questions need to be asked and answered honestly. 

What will change if there is no rain in 4 weeks?  What about in 6 weeks?  What about in 12 weeks?

Finally, if it rains within the next 3 - 4 weeks will you actually get useful feed or water supplies?  

These questions are the basis of all successful drought management plans.  They provide the information that can help make effective and realistic short, medium and long term plans for your enterprise.  

I reckon when you ask these questions, you can start to then identify some options.  If you don't have enough paddock feed, what animals should you be selling first?  Which are the high value animals and which are the ones which you shouldn't keep in the enterprise.

How good is your water? Water is a huge limitation to grazing programs.  Cattle need up to 150lts of water a day, depending on their size, their production status and the temperature around them.  Its almost impossible to truck enough water every day.  Its better to realise this early and plan accordingly, rather than leave it too late.  

Are your cattle wading into dames, fouling the water and wasting this resource?  Can you put a temporary fence and trough system in place?  These are all questions which you need to answer earlier rather than later.

Some other useful tips for droughts:

• De-stock early to manage feed and to prevent long term destruction of your paddocks. When it does rain you want the pasture to come back quickly

• Identify which cows to sell first. Older and non pregnant animals should be the first to go

• Consider options to value add steers or cows to get them to weight and fatness to sell quickly. Weigh up this option as it sometimes works well for producers early in a drought

• Review your finances and talk to your bank and accountant

• Consider early weaning

• Temporary electric fencing to divide paddocks helps manage grazing pressure and allow plants some recovery which is important

I reckon the two most important things producers need to remember is:

1) Make a plan and stick to it!  Don't wait of become victim of the "what if" scenario.  When you work on the "what if" it becomes an excuse not to be proactive. People who work to the "what if it rains next week" keep putting off decisions and never recover from a drought.

2) Seek advice and second opinions.  When you look at your paddocks and cattle every day you get so used to what you see.  Get someone you trust to look at your plan and help you stick to the plan.  

By doing this, I reckon you can manage a drought with more confidence than by waiting on a "what if.."

Loving a chance for more farm visits

I think the best part of being the Principal of RaynerAg is the chance to visit and spend time with people on their farms.  I take a lot of pride in providing advice which is tailored towards individual enterprises and environments.  I reckon the best way to share that advice comes from seeing the farm and looking at your cattle.

Yesterday afternoon was a great chance to visit Nick & Prue Lee who run the Omega3 Red Poll stud at Pine Ridge on the Liverpool Plains in NSW.  I had a great afternoon talking to them about their goals for their cattle enterprise and sharing a few ideas about how to achieve those goals more efficiently.

I love sharing ideas and discussing opportunities for producers to increase their profit and to achieve their goals.  

At this time of the years there's always plenty to talk about.  Looking back on my years in the North West of NSW, I reckon the winter months are always the busiest.  People are looking for bulls, preparing to calve down cows, manage weaners or utilise a winter crop.   

With all these events happening it does help to bounce a few ideas around with someone with an impartial view.  If you do need a fresh perspective, feel free to get in touch and I'll be only too happy to visit you on your farm and help put some ideas into practice.