Should I start a beef cattle stud?

In the last few weeks I've had a few enquiries from people keen to enter the beef industry.  The want to start their own beef breeding programs.  Among the questions they are asking is the one "Should we start a stud?" 

I'm asked this question more often than many people would think!  Its generally asked by people new to the industry and excited about breeding cattle.  It can also be asked because their is a belief that operating a small stud might be a way to generate higher returns from a small beef program.  

So there are a few ways I try and answer these questions.  One of the first ways is to ask "why do you want to operate a stud?"

I'm generally not surprised when people struggle to answer this question.  I reckon its a question worth considering, particularly if you are entering the beef industry.

Operating a stud herd, or if you prefer, a seed-stock operation is a big undertaking. These operations are responsible for identifying and producing genetics that can have a major impact in individual herds; on breed direction and ultimately the productivity of the national herd.  

Genetics offer a permanent and cumulative effect on a population.  In simple terms, the genetics produced by individual studs can have a long lasting impact on future generations.  

Seed-stock producers therefore have a pretty big task.  They have to identify and record pedigrees and animal performance across their herds.  They need to collect data which can be used to contribute to the Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) used by the breed and industry to select sires for use in breeding herds.  Seed-stock producers also need to be determined to select animals which not only have genetic potential but have the physical characteristics desired by the industry.  

Its a pretty big responsibility.  It takes years of selection & focus to produce these animals consistently. Quite simply, running a stud herd isn't for everyone!

There's no doubt breeding cattle can be exciting and rewarding!  You don't have to be a registered stud to enjoy the satisfaction of breeding outstanding animals.

For new producers starting a beef enterprise, operating on a commercial basis allows much greater flexibility and opportunities. 

The most important point to remember when commencing a new beef enterprise is to purchase structurally sound, fertile cows.  

There's no doubt this type of cow can be found in commercial herds as well as in stud herds.  Its just that sometimes its easier and often more economical to find them in commercial herds.  

Running cows on a commercial basis, avoids having to register a herd and assume a higher level of administration which is essential to record animals and production data.  

Choosing not to start a stud doesn't exclude you from being a member of a breed society.  Most breed societies offer membership to producers as commercial members.  This allows you to share the information from a society and to get to know the stud breeders who have been working at selecting genetic improvement over a number of years.

Stud breeding is a pretty demanding undertaking. If it isn't going to be a full time undertaking for new producers, I'd suggest it shouldn't be the first enterprise choice!

If your desire to be a stud breeder is simply to allow you to compete in a show, remember it is possible to compete in agricultural shows without being a stud breeder.  Most local and regional shows have competitions for commercial cattle and for led steers.  These competitions are just as fiercely contested and as challenging as the breed classes for stud animals.

Ultimately breeding cattle is rewarding, exciting and challenging.  It can be intensely satisfying and fulfilling.  If you are entering the industry I'm positive you will experience this enjoyment regardless of your cows status as stud or commercial!  

Top tips for Junior Judges

Junior judging competitions are one of the most important activities for agriculture.  These competitions are often the entry point for many people into their chosen agricultural industry.  It doesn't matter if that industry is cattle, sheep, poultry or alpaca!  For me, junior judging was the start of my career in agriculture and so its one form of competition I'm always very eager to support.

I reckon its important to recognise junior judging competitions offer more than simply a format to demonstrate your ability to judge and place animals or entries.  

These competitions are a fantastic way to refine your ability to make decisions, to demonstrate your capacity to present arguments or a reason behind a decision and give you a great way to improve your confidence as a public speaker.  These are all skills that are highly valuable in your career, even if you don't go on to do a lot of judging in the future.

When I do have the opportunity to judge the junior judging competitions, I try to spend some time providing competitors with some ideas and suggestions to bear in mind in future competitions.  

Over the next few months there are a huge number of junior judging competitions coming up, and I thought it might be a good time to share a few tips with potential junior judges.

Tip 1:  Practice speaking into a microphone at home!  Holding a microphone seems to distract many people.  Combined with the nervousness that is already associated with public speaking this seems to really derail some peoples presentations.  So practice speaking into a microphone, holding it close to your mouth and get comfortable with the concept of holding and moving while speaking.

Tip 2: Learn to describe the exhibit. As a judge you are being assessed on your ability to describe the exhibit, and the traits you think are important.  Don't make stuff up!  Don't use jargon, particularly if you don't really understand it.  Its much more professional to speak and describe an exhibit with correct terms.

Tip 3: Make a proper comparison.  Judging is not simply placing exhibits in a ranking order.  Judges need to be able to describe what they are looking for and why their choices are placed in the ranking the judge has chosen.  Part of that is to compare exhibits.  You must be able to say why 1st place is the best.  And you have to say why the 2nd place is there.  

Don't skip over the comparison between the entries. I reckon the worst form of comparison is to describe an entry as being "overpowered on the day!"  Ask yourself, what does that mean?  If the entry was underweight, less well grown, less muscled, poorly structured, what ever the reason for it being more lowly raked, it should be said, and not hidden in this meaningless phrase!

Tip 4: Dress Appropriately! Judging is an honour.  Its not everyday that you will be asked to make a comment on peoples hard work in breeding, preparing and exhibiting.  

To respect the effort exhibitors put in, you need to present yourself as a professional.  Your appearance indicates you care, and it illustrates you want to convey opinions which are considered and helpful.  

Dressing correctly conveys your intention to be taken seriously and respectfully.  Its hard to take seriously the opinions of someone who can't be bothered to wear clean clothes, or even to wear their clothes neatly.  If they don't care about their appearance, do they care about their opinions and comments?

So make sure you wear good clean pants (not jeans); a clean ironed shirt and for men a tie.  You should wear a clean jacket. If you're at school there's nothing wrong with the school blazer.  If you are wearing a hat, which is mainly for cattle and horse judging, it should be a wide brim and clean hat!  The black yard hat covered in mud and dung looks terrible!

Tip 5: Make your decisions & use your time to get reasons 

As a member of the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Team we spent several weeks training before the US competitions.  One of the lessons I was taught was to make your decision swiftly.  

Generally as a judge you know pretty quickly which order you will place a class.  So make that preliminary decision and spend your time on why - that is what are the reasons behind that placing order.

If you do this it may help you be certain you've got the order correct.  It will also help you be much more confident in your preparation to answer questions or to present your reasons to the judge of the competition.  

Tip 6: Enjoy yourself! Junior judging is a great opportunity.  Don't put yourself under so much pressure that it becomes a chore or something you don't enjoy.

Judging is a skill.  Like any skill it has to be developed.  The more you practice the more confident you will be.  look for the opportunities, listen to the feedback, think about the things you would like to do better and practice those things.

The Final Tip: Look for opportunities!

If you want to develop as a judge, or you'd like to be more involved in judging in your industry, junior judging competitions can only take you so far.  If you are keen, get involved in your local show society and get to know how shows operate.  

Make contacts with the judges in your industry.  Perhaps there are opportunities to be an associate judge where you can learn and refine your skills.  Don't overlook the opportunities to learn new skills, particularly by attending industry youth activities.  Its always a work in progress, but all judges started somewhere and if you keep at it, you will find your place in the industry of your choice.

What I've learnt from pregnancy testing!

Becoming an accredited pregnancy tester of cattle is one of the best decisions I've made so far in my business.  Pregnancy testing certainly isn't glamorous!  Its dirty, smelly, and when you're testing herds in late summer its hot and tiring. 

Having said all that, its pretty amazing what you can learn when you go about it.  

Obviously pregnancy testing will give you a pretty thorough understanding of the fertility levels within a herd, and after a while a snapshot of the district fertility.  

For a producer, knowing the pregnancy rate is vital if you are going to make decisions for the next few months on stocking rate, feed requirements, new bulls, culling unproductive cows and forecasting a cash flow.

For me, actually being involved in the testing has given me some big insights into how I can help producers manage those decisions.  There is nothing like looking at every cow pretty closely to build up a series of recommendations for the management of the herd, nutritional management and selection of the right bulls for the program.

I reckon the practical application of pregnancy testing coupled with a broader management understanding and industry knowledge makes my involvement in the programs direction much more solid.  

Having said that, I've learnt a few more important things.  Much more practical, and I reckon they are worth sharing.

My first question when I am asked to come and do pregnancy testing (after I ask how many cows are we doing) is: 

• What are your yards like?

How well cattle move through yards basically determines what sort of day I'm going to have!  I charge my pregnancy testing on a per head basis, not on an hourly rate.  So I do like to keep moving which suits me, and it suits the producers I'm working for.

Well designed yards, with a race that allows cattle to move through without turning around and bunching up makes a huge difference!  Having a drafting puns and a forcing pen into the race that encourages cattle to flow smoothly makes so much difference.  

I really notice a difference in the behaviour of the cattle as well.  If they can be moved without hassle, the process seems to be smoother and quicker.  If they have to hunted and pushed, they seem to be much more excitable and this impacts on the time taken to test the animal.

• What's your crush like?

A good crush is the most important part of handling cattle.  Something that is safe to use, restrains cattle safely, and has a vet gate are to my mind the 3 most important features on a crush.  

Often I am controlling the animals entry into the crush, so I want to have a slide gate, that is smooth and quiet.  I like to have a handle which I can operate to open the bail from the rear of the crush.  I don't like the handles which can unlock and swing down loosely when not in operation.  I reckon, well I know, there are times when you can't catch a beast with those handles, because they've slipped off the lock.

A vet gate is vital, because I have to stand in behind the cow, and I don't want to be kicked or crushed by the animal.  I also need to protect the ultra sound equipment!

Ideally I like the gate to have a spring loaded catch so I can kick the gate shut behind the animal and step in.

I've also learnt the importance of WD40!  Spraying some on the catches and slides at the start makes a huge difference to the process.

I generally find now, I look at yards in a completely different way.  I'm looking for jam points in the flow, and for the way the crush works.  I can pretty quickly work out if the day will work well.

The great thing about these practical lessons is they have enhanced my understanding of good yard design and good handling practices.  It has helped a lot recently with two clients rebuilding their yards.

The other thing I've learnt, is the importance of selecting for temperament and for educating your cattle. We know temperament is a highly heritable trait.  So removing the cattle with poor temperament will lead to improvements within the herd.  

But I reckon you can't rely only on genetic selection!  Cattle can be educated to work through yards, to flow through races, and to work through a crush without getting too upset or stirred up.  Quiet cattle, or at least ones which flow through the yards make pregnancy testing a more efficient process.

Its not all about me!  Better temperament has positive effects on general handling and most importantly on eating quality.  These are vital traits every herd should be looking to select for and work on, regardless of your breed choices.

As I said earlier, gaining accreditation to be a pregnancy tester of cattle is one of the best things I've done with RaynerAg. 

I love that I'm providing a practical service with immediate results.  More importantly I value the chance to use this derive to build plans with owners and managers which can lead to improved productivity and profitability. 

And I've learnt a few practical tips about yards and crush that I can apply in quite a few situations!  I reckon that has to be a win win situation!

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! 

How objective are you when looking at your bulls?

If you're a bull breeder, there's no doubt you have one of the more challenging roles in the beef industry. As a breeder you're producing bulls that will contribute to the genetic potential of a breed and more importantly, your bull will have a direct impact on the production of beef across the business of many people. 

Its not an easy task, as you need to manage the variation which naturally occurs in any population. This variation extends across frame size & maturity pattern, growth, muscle, temperament as well as well as other traits.  

To some extent this natural variation is a good thing.  It allows you to present bulls for sale for producers who all have different requirements bulls, based on their own cow herd, environment or target markets.

The ability to measure and record the genetic potential of your bulls, and present them using BreedPlan EBVs is a huge advantage for bull breeders.  As I've discussed in other Rayner reckons, EBVs allow producers to search for bulls which have the genetic potential to take a herd in a new direction or to strengthen the traits most desirable ion a breeding herd.

EBVs offer an objective measure of the genetic value of a bull.  The measurement and evaluation of the traits recorded in BreedPlan does provide a level of objectivity which producers can look to when they are seeking to buy a new bull.

However there are some attributes a bull has, which can't be assessed from EBVs. For instance, what are the bulls feet like? Or what is his muscle score?  How are his legs and shoulders?  What does his sheath look like?

These are important physical traits which can have a big impact on a producers cow herd. A bull with less than ideal feet can possibly make a problem worse in a herd.  

Selecting for muscle score is based on a visual assessment of the overall muscle volume of the bull.  There is a correlation with the EBVs for Retail Beef Yield, but a visual assessment can make a decision on the suitability of a bull to improve muscle score in a breeding herd that much easier.

Many bull breeders have attempted to address this need to assess the physical attributes of their bulls by including photographs of the bulls in their sale catalogues.  These photos can highlight some of the obvious characteristics, but as one producer said to me "you can only tell so much from a photograph".

Objectively describing your bulls to potential clients can also be a challenge.  Your opinions will be part of the overall information a producer absorbs, but some clients want to see more objective descriptions of a bulls physical attributes.

To help bulls breeders provide this objective information many breeders are now supplying information categorised under the Beef Class Structural Assessment Scores. These scores are based on on the structure of feet, legs, sheath & temperament.  

Providing these scores in your catalogue can demonstrate to potential purchasers that each bulls physical attributes have been objectively assessed and scored.  

These combined with the genetic information of the EBVs certainly give a purchaser a level of information which ensures they can make very informed & focussed decisions.

Naturally purchasers should still look at the bulls they are interested in to ensure traits such as frame or the maturity pattern of the bull will complement their herds. 

I reckon providing this information for each bull allows purchasers to narrow their search down to specific bulls in your catalogue.  It also demonstrates to your clients how focussed you are in providing the best information on your bulls, to help them make the right decisions.  Its often your focus on providing the right animals which will see a client buy your bulls year after year.

As a bull breeder don't be afraid to use an independent specialist to assist in the objective assessments. I have been doing a lot of bull assessments and its common to notice things the breeder has overlooked, simply because they see their bulls everyday and miss something out of familiarity.  

If you're interested in providing some more objective information on your bulls this year, don't hesitate to give me a call.  I'd be very happy to make a time to look over your bulls to help you provide the information which can not only attract new clients but can also satisfy the needs of your existing clients.

So how was the show?

Without doubt, the most frequently asked question I have had to answer in the last week is "So how was the show?"  For such a simple question I have had a fair bit of difficulty answering.  

Its not just that some questioners want to hear about the entertainment side of the show - the show bags, the night show, the novelties that make the show appeal to a huge cross section of the community.  For others it is how were the livestock on display.  What breeds and studs did well?  Did local studs exhibit and was their hard work rewarded?  

And other people are interested in the social side of things, the functions, the socialising in the members, who was there and who wasn't.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show, one of the oldest and largest agricultural shows in Australia is many different things to people. In my case the show is actually huge part of my life. 

My earliest show experience was as a small child, visiting the show with my dad and brothers.  

I don't remember much besides huge crowds and watching the night show. 

At school, developing my passion for the beef industry I prepared steers which we exhibited at Sydney.  My involvement with the show was increased when I was awarded with an RAS of NSW Rural Achievers Award.  This gave me the opportunity to become involved in subsequent shows as a steward in the beef & dairy judging rings.  

As one of the NSW DPI carcass judges, I was invited the judge the carcass competition for the show for 13 years.  My role as a carcass judge came to an end when I was appointed as a Councillor of the RAS, and I had to take on roles in organising the competitions rather than judging them.

The show for me is a huge commitment in time and involves a huge amount of work in the lead up to the two weeks of showtime, and even bigger days when the show is on.  So the first thing I think of when I'm asked how was the show, is that it was big and that I love it!

Now that the show is over for another year, I have been thinking about what it is that I love.  Without doubt I love being part of the judging.  I get a chance to be up close to some of the most outstanding animals bred and prepared by passionate breeders from across Australia.

I love listening to the judges, to hear their comments and experiences which reflect on how they select animals to win broad ribbons from Sydney.  

So maybe the answer I should give when asked, "how was the show" could be, that it was amazing.  I saw the Red Angus breed claim a third consecutive Hordern trophy.  

I also saw an outstanding Jersey cow from Tamworth claim the Supreme Dairy Cow award for a third year running.  Now that says a lot about the breeder and their focus on production and performance, and it was a win people will be talking about for a long time.

Lots happened on the cattle lawns throughout two weeks of judging.  However my show commitment isn't just to the cattle programs.  

One of the most rewarding of my roles is to be involved with the newly established Youth Affairs committee.  Youth Affairs supports activities such as the highly respected Rural Achievers Award & Showgirl competition.  

It also overseas the activities of the RAS Youth Group, supports the Young Farmers Challenge and is responsible for co-ordinating the Youth in Agriculture Day on the last Saturday of the Show.

Youth in Agriculture Day is one of my favourite days of the Sydney Royal Easter Show. This day lets us focus on the opportunities for youth to be involved in the show, undertaking official roles such as stewarding, judging, through to major roles including the main ring broadcasting & announcing. 

We are supported by a group of passionate people from all sectors of agriculture who spend their day interacting with the public and with competitors, highlighting their commitment to their agricultural industries and demonstrating agriculture is a vibrant and exciting career direction.

This year with the support of the President and Senior Leaders of the Royal Agricultural Society we introduced a new activity, where several of the key members of the RAS Youth Group spent their day shadowing those leaders in their role during the show.

I reckon these activities are some of the most important of all my show commitments.  I find the passion and enthusiasm of the ambassadors, the Youth Group and of students showing and competing infectious.  

I'm constantly reminded of my early steps into a fulfilling career in agriculture started through junior judging and bringing steers to compete at Sydney.  

Without doubt its exciting and encouraging to see people sharing a passion for agriculture and for supporting each other in developing their careers.  Its very hard not to be rejuvenated and enthused about the opportunities to share ideas and knowledge after a day with the team from Youth in Agriculture.

This year I spent a lot of time as a steward on the cattle lawns and in the Alpaca rings.  

I don't know much about Alpacas or how the judging process works, so I was keen to learn. Watching and listening to the RAS /ASC State Junior Judging finals for Alpacas, I learnt more from the 9 finalists than I had in two days watching the judging.  

There are some amazing young people involved in their agricultural industries who are knowledgable, articulate and passionate. It's exciting to think of these people taking that enthusiasm and knowledge to build a stronger industry into coming years.

"So how was the show?" I reckon I will tell the next person who asked me that, that it was amazing.  There are some fantastic, passionate people who bring the products of their agricultural businesses and put them on display to show the nation just what we do in agriculture.  There are amazing young people developing careers and a network of ideas and goals which will make Australian agriculture an even more exciting career choice.  I'll tell people who ask me, I love the show, and that I'm already looking forward to next year!

Do you love your sheep, crops or pastures more than your cattle?

I love the Sydney Royal Easter Show!  I first went to the show with my family as a little kid.  I don't really remember much of that first experience.  In high school I showed schools steers and eventually I had a chance to participate as a steward, judge and now as a Councillor of the RAS of NSW.  If anything stands out to me when I think of the show, I think of the friendships of people and the sharing of advice and information.

I look forward to seeing old friends and catching up.  This year is no exception, and its been very humbling to have plenty of people genuinely interested in how the business is going, and how I'm finding working for myself.

One of the discussions today did get me thinking,  Several of us were talking about the business and I was asked for my take on why farmers seemed to be happy to seek external advice on most aspects of their businesses, with the exception of their cattle enterprises.  I wasn't too sure what that meant.  But the comparison was against sheep enterprises.

Many sheep enterprises not only use a sheep classer, but they rely and often depend on the views and decisions of the classer. As I was told today a classer can make or break an enterprise.

Similarly most businesses now have an agronomist recommending fertiliser programs, species selection, crop choices and paddock rotations.

Most businesses also use an accountant or a book keeper to help with the smooth running of the enterprise.

So why are beef enterprises different?  I was asked by these producers today why do farmers willingly allow someone to choose their sheep, crops and pastures, but never consider seeking the same external input into their cattle program.  I have to say if I knew the answer, I'd be struggling to keep up with demand!

I think the beef industry, particularly in NSW, had for a long time, access to the services of the Department of Agriculture's Beef Cattle Officers.  Now this service no longer exists, producers now have to find new independent advisers to provide some objective advice to their cattle programs.

All I could say to my friends at the show was the next few years will be a great chance to develop a relationship with a person who can provide input into a beef program in the same way sheep classers or their agronomists offer the other parts of the farm business. 

I definitely don't think people love their cows less than sheep, crops or pastures!  I reckon its just we are all looking to find people who can share advice and ideas to take us to the next level.  For me, I'm already working with some great producers.  Its a bit exciting to think I might get a chance to meet and work plenty more people in coming years!

Pasturefed Cattle, does it suit your operation?

This week Teys and Woolies have announced a greater push to have more cattle accredited as Pasturefed. The PCAS system, or Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System is a great opportunity for producers to gain some recognition for their feeding programs, as well as for their focus on handling and eating quality. 

I reckon its good news to hear of a processor and a retailer offering some financial recognition for producers prepared to seek accreditation.

Having said that, I think its important to carefully consider what PCAS may mean for your individual enterprise.

There are 4 Core Modules for Certified Pasturefed.  The first is identification and lifetime traceability on the NLIS database.

The second is the animals cannot be confined for the purposes of intensive feeding for production.  

The third is cattle can be be pasture fed only.  That is they can never consume separated grain or grain by-products and have access to graze eligible diets.

The forth core component is animals must be produced on farm in away which allows them to be eligible to meet MSA requirements.

There are two optional modules which include HGP free and Antibiotic free.

Producers who seek accreditation will be required to undertake an annual third party audit to ensure compliance with the system.  The audit fee as well as an annual administration fee have to be paid by the producer.

Its important to consider carefully what these requirements may mean to the operation of your enterprise.  Most producers are currently capable of meeting most of the core competencies.  Pastures do underpin the majority of our production systems.  

However, under PCAS producers no longer have the option of using grain or grain by products to assist in finishing cattle off for a market specification system.  This also means during droughts, using grain to full feed cattle would no longer be an option.  There are also some restrictions on grazing crops as well.  Cattle can graze cereal crops but only in the pre-grain stage.  This could be an issue with grazing failed crops for some producers.

If you are considering PCAS as an option in your enterprise, I strongly encourage you to read the PCAS Standards, and particularly note the requirements for feeding, as well as the list of approved feeds and the banned feeds.

As with any system or accreditation process, you really need to consider the actual advantages and disadvantages for your individual enterprise.  Don't just focus on the potential rewards from one particular market.  Consider if the system restricts your flexibility to meet demanding seasons or alternative markets and if the returns justify those restrictions.

Most importantly, take the time to read what accreditation means to you and make an informed decision.  

I'd also encourage you to consider the other options which may be available to you to increase your returns without having to make huge changes to your program.  

In previous blogs I've talked about selection for muscle as well as targeting market specifications. These are practical and easily implemented options which can result in increased profits without having to change too much on farm.

If you are keen to seek accreditation or pursue other industry programs such as EU accreditation, or just obtain a licence to produce cattle for MSA, and you'd like some objective advice as to the advantages and disadvantages for your program, don't hesitate to get in touch with me.

What can you learn from the show ring?

How do you benchmark your livestock against other people?  Seedstock producers are fortunate to have Breedplan which provides breeders with a way of measuring and comparing the genetic potential of their animals through EBVs.  Without doubt EBVs provide a chance to assess genetic potential for the commercial traits essential to improving a beef enterprise.

So where does the show ring fit in todays commercial world?  As someone who has been involved in agricultural shows for over 25 years as an exhibitor, steward, judge and organiser, I think about this question a lot!

I reckon the show ring still provides plenty of learning for producers, either in showing their cattle or just from watching the events.  

Observing animals closely, as they walk around a ring, and as they stand still for judging, lets you get up close and personal to observe the physical characteristics which the animal has.  Questions like the shape and angle of feet and legs, the size of testicles, the placement of teats on the udder.  These physical features are as important as the genetic potential of the animal.  

Comparing animals of the same age and breed against each other gives you a chance to see how the animal has expressed their genetic potential when they receive the nutrition they require.  

Being able to compare your animals in an environment where you will be exposed to an outside opinion does challenge you!  But any challenge is also an opportunity.  It is a chance to see what your breed is doing, and to see if there is much variation in the breed type, as well as what your animals look like at the same age and weight as animals of other breeds.  

Its important not to underestimate the importance of networking with other breeders, and producers at a show.  The show ring remains an important publicity tool for your program and for the type of cattle you are seeking to breed.  Many producers are looking to make contact with breeders and to see how animals compare against each other.  Its part of the information gathering process many people undertake when they are looking for new genetics.

I find producers enjoy supporting their bull breeders at local, regional and state shows.  There is a degree of pride in seeing the breeder who supplies you with genetics, being prepared to display their animals and compete for recognition in a public arena.  

To me it, by exhibiting your livestock you are saying you are proud of your animals and are prepared to showcase them publicly which we all know can be challenging as you are exposed to public praise and public critique.

Generally most people will remember seeing you in the ring and remember the chats they have with you in the cattle sheds more than they will remember where you placed in the class.  This recognition and awareness can underpin your sale in coming months.

Judges at shows should be able to offer you an independent observation on your animals compared to their peers in a class.  True it is a subjective opinion.  But don't forget, people who haven't seen your animals before may notice something which you haven't really noticed, or because you see it so often, you take it for granted.  Most judges will be happy to chat after the event, so take the time to meet the judge and discuss their comments.  Its often the outside view that can help you piece together an idea which really benefits you in the long run.  

For me, the show, be it the local show or the Royal, is a chance to spend some time with people who are enthusiastic about breeding cattle and who have a vision for their business.  I look forward to being around passionate and enthusiastic people and I draw a lot of energy from them.

The show ring does give you a chance to showcase your animals, to benchmark their performance, and most importantly, it lets you mix with people who will share ideas and passions which you can use to boost yourself towards new goals.

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.

Thinking about new bulls this year?

The last few weeks have seen plenty of bulls sold into southern Australian breeding herds.  The general feedback I'm getting from vendors and others appears to reflect a sense of confidence and optimism for the direction of the beef industry into 2014.

I reckon that sense of confidence is great news.  Its very easy to become overwhelmed by the frustration of the drought and the challenges of the industry in northern NSW and northern Australia.  

One story which did catch my eye this week came from Victoria.  You may have seen the story about knee surgery being performed on an angus bull.  Not just any bull, but one which was sold for the record Australian Angus price of $91,000.  

I reckon there are lots of things people could say about this story.  Its an extraordinary operation on any large animal, and its exciting to know this capacity is available in the right circumstances.

No doubt, the bull has been used to collect semen from for use in AI programs as well as being well insured.  

And there is probably plenty of speculation among his owners and managers as to how he injured himself and what will happened in his rehabilitation.

When I read this story I was prompted to think about what lessons I could take from this for myself and my clients, particularly in the current southern bull sale season and as my northern clients go looking for this years sires.

Firstly without a doubt, assessing you bull for his structural soundness is an over riding priority.  If you have chosen him for his genetic potential, based on his EBVs then you need to balance that with carefully checking your intend bulls feet, legs, shoulders and hips.  I reckon I say this to people every week, but I don't think I can ever say it enough.  If your bull has trouble with his feet and legs, he will have trouble walking to cows, mating with them and worse still, putting the genes for bad structure into the herd.

Don't neglect to plan what you will do when you bring your bull home.  How will you introduce him into the herd?  And more importantly how will you manage him as he integrates with the other bulls in your sire battery?  Last year I wrote about bringing your bull home, and there are some useful pointers in that blog.

I reckon the other point this article re-enforced for me was the importance of regularly inspecting your stock for injuries and for general health.  If you can't prevent something happening, quick action can ensure the problem doesn't get worse.  Of equal importance is the fact that if you catch a problem early you can also start planning on what your backup options may be.  

As with most things, if you plan early and think through the implications of an event, you give yourself time to develop good strategies to minimise the impact of a problem on your business and allow you to be proactive rather than constantly reactive.

Managing the green pick

As autumn arrives, the weather patterns seem to be slowly changing. Its great to have more moisture in the atmosphere and to hear of showers, rain and storms.  I know it hasn't been equally spread across the areas most in need, but its a start.

The next few weeks can be a little bit of a challenge for graziers, particularly if you have been feeding livestock for a while.  Any green feed that starts to come away is going to prove a real temptation for your cattle.  They will chase the green pick and this can create some problems.

The first thing to remember is your cattle won't be able to eat enough green pick to meet their daily energy needs. Secondly they will use up a lot of energy chasing the new growth.

If you have been feeding cattle in sacrifice paddocks, you need to keep doing this for a little longer.  This will do a few things for you.

Firstly it stops the cattle chasing all over the paddocks looking for feed and burning up energy.  Secondly you will need to keep feeding cattle until the paddock feed has grown sufficiently to meet livestock needs, and its easier to do that in the systems you've already set up.

Lastly it gives your pastures a real chance to re-establish and grow to a point where they can support grazing.  

When your pastures get to a point where they will support grazing, I reckon its important to give all your animals a booster shot of 5 in 1 vaccine.

The clostridial bacteria which cause the disease Enterotoxemia (Pulpy Kidney) responds to the change in the flow of feed through an animals digestive system. Pulpy Kidney is a fatal condition for livestock so don't forget the booster shot before you go onto the new feed.

The next few weeks may be a good chance to check your paddocks to see if there are any unusual plants and weeds growing.  They seem to be the quickest to respond to rain, and if you can get onto checking for them now, you can most likely control them before grazing or pastures hide them from your view.  If any of those weeds are new or potentially toxic to livestock, its better to get them death with now, especially before you put your cattle back onto the pastures.

Hopefully the change in season will see a return to more favourable rainfall and growing conditions, but until that happens, stick with your drought management program until your paddock feed can support your stock.  I know this can be frustrating, but a few days or a weeks patience can give you the chance to check your pastures, and prepare your cattle while avoiding the energy loss chasing green pick causes.

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.

Working out how much to feed cattle

One of the most common questions I'm being asked is "how much should I be feeding my cows?" The strengthening drought conditions have seen an increase in people commencing feeding programs for their cattle.  Part of a feeding program is working out how much feed you need to meet your livestock requirements.

The other key part of a program is working out your budget and the length of time you are prepared to feed stock.  Ideally you should be thinking about windows to sell stock off, either to processors or to restockers in areas unaffected by drought.  In most cases these destinations can't take stock immediately, and by booking them in for sale now, at least you have a timeline for feeding.

So when should you start feeding your cattle?  And most importantly how much should you be feeding them?

Once your pasture has fallen below 1200kg / Dry Matter (DM) / Ha your cattle need to be fed.  As I've written in these posts before, once pasture is at or below this amount, feeding with protein supplements is both ineffective and wasteful.

At this stage of pasture, you should be concentrating on feeding your cattle to meet their daily energy requirements. This means choosing and providing a feed which is suitable and capable of providing the energy your animals need.

So how do you work out the energy levels of the feeds you might choose?  There are a couple of ways. The most accurate is to take a sample and send it for analysis.  The results will provide you with the energy levels in Mega Joules (MJ) of Metabolisable Energy (ME) as well as Crude Protein (CP%). You can ask for other test results, but these two are the most important.

The other option is to refer to standard ranges for feeds which have already been tested. These will give you a guide and can help identify suitable feeds for a program.  You can find these ranges on the NSW DPI website under Nutritive values of feeds (database).

Establishing the energy levels of the feed is the first step.  The second is to determine the amount you need to feed per head, per day.  The easiest option is to use this chart, which can be downloaded from the NSW DPI website.

To use this chart all you will need is a ruler, and to know both the average weight of your cows and the energy levels of the feed you intend to use.

When you know the weight of your cattle and the energy of the feed, draw a line from the weight through the feed and to the feed amount on the right hand side of the chart.

This will give you the amount of feed your cattle will require per head per day. You will need to allow for the moisture in the feed.  You do this by multiplying the amount you have worked out off the chart by 100.  You then divide that figure by the Dry Matter to give yourself the daily as fed amount for your stock.

Depending on the class of stock you are feeding, you may need to adjust the as fed levels.  For instance a cow which is 6 months pregnant will need her daily ration increased by 20%; at 8 months pregnant its an increase of 40% and a lactating cow its an increase of 60%.

Taking the time to work out the amount of feed you need per head per day to meet your cattle's energy requirements is essential if you are to feed cattle properly.  Depending on the feed you select, you may need to consider options such as how to feed it out, how to store it and if it is the most cost effective feed option available to you.  

Doing some homework first will pay off in the longer term particularly if you can use it to calculate a program based on time and budget.

What identifies a cow as a core breeder?

Reducing cow numbers is a fundamental strategy in many producers drought management plans.  People talk about getting down to their core breeders, but what makes a cow part of the core breeding group?

In an ideal world, I reckon every cow in your herd should be considered a core breeder!  However not all cows in a herd are the same, and not all of the cows you own will have the traits or production qualities you should seek to retain.

So where do you start?  I reckon the first selection process is to identify the cows which are not in calf.  

Preg testing your cows, particularly in drought at least allows you to identify animals which need to go.  

Preg testing shouldn't be just about identifying the non pregnant females. Yes its a good start in identifying the first to go.  But if you are looking to identify a core group of females to keep, you should use your preg test results to inform that selection.

With preg testing you should seek to identify the early, mid and late pregnant females.  Early pregnant females are most likely the more fertile females and this is a trait producers should select for.  

Ultra sound preg testing is a very efficient way of identifying pregnancy and the stage of pregnancy.  The producers I have worked with have been able to start making some plans around the fertility levels in their herds.

While pregnancy status is vital to identifying productive females, its not the only thing to consider in your search for a core breeder!  

In each cows history, how maternal has she actually been?  Has she successfully raised a calf each year?  How heavy have those calves been at weaning?  Fertility is one thing, but its only completed if the cow can raise the calf through to weaning.  

Fertility and maternal traits are key attributes of a core breeding female.  However there are other characteristics which producers should include as they choose which females to retain.

What maturity pattern have you identified as the optimum for your environment? Are there cows which are too early or too late maturing?  If they don't fall into the optimum then they might not be as close to the core group as other cows.

What are the production traits of the females you are assessing?  Which have the better growth traits, the best muscularity, and which are the more structurally sound animals? These are traits which are ideal to retain in a herd and can ad to a profitable enterprise as you rebuild after the drought.

How old are your cows?  If they are towards the end of their productive life, they may not be essential as core breeders?  What traits do they have in regards to health status?  

Finally what are the other important traits to you?  I reckon you can never underestimate traits such as temperament!  

We know temperament is highly heritable, and has a major influence on eating quality as well as your safety in the yards! 

Are there any other traits you need to retain in your herd?  If there are, then ask yourself are these specific only to your herd, or can you replace those traits with other cows later on.  

You have to be honest with yourself!  If you have average maturity cows with average muscle scores, average growth and are just cows, then you can be pretty confident you can replace those with similar or better cows down the track.

If it is coming down to choosing cows to retain as core breeders, then any cows which fail to meet any of these traits shouldn't be considered as core breeders.  

In a drought such as this, the core breeding herd should be the most fertile, productive cows with the best structure, temperament, age, maturity pattern and productive traits which will allow you to plan a rebuilding program around. 

Feeding Grape Marc to Stock

Grape Marc is the focus of many phone calls I've received in the last few days.  People want to know what this product is, if it can be used to feed cattle and if there is any usefulness to this as a feed.

Basically Grape Marc is the remains of wine making. It consists of the stems, seeds and pulps after the grapes have been processed for wine.

Grape Marc can be very variable in its feed value.  The moisture content of this product can vary significantly depending on its processing method.

The energy and protein content of Grape Marc is also variable.  Tests by state Departments of Agriculture highlights the variation in feed values of Grape Marc.

NSW DPI figures indicate Grape Marc has an average value of 50.7% DM; just over 13% CP and around 6MJ of metabolisable energy (ME).  

At best Grape Marc can have a dry matter of 90%; and up to 8 MJ/ ME.  

Effectively this means Grape Marc is a basic feed which can be used as a filler in a ration.  

I reckon a lot of producers need to consider how cost effective this type of feed can be to their circumstances.  If feed is low in Dry Matter, e.g. 50% then you needs to work out how much it is costing to actually get that feed home. 

For example; if a truck load of feed is 55% Dry Matter; 45% is moisture.  So for every 1000kgs on the truck, 450kgs of that load is moisture!

When you feed your stock, your are feeding a ration based on Dry Matter & MJ/ME  So in the case of that 55% DM feed it might have 7MJ/ME, it works like this: 

• if your animal needs 80MJ/ME day (based on its weight) then it needs to eat 11kg/DM a day

• based on the DM of that feed, you would need to feed out 20kgs of feed a day.

I reckon when you start looking at those quantities, and the costs associated with such a feed, you will quickly work out if it actually is the best option for you to purchase.

Grape Marc is also a feed which can pose a residue risk to your stock.  You must ask for a Commodity Vendor Declaration form and make sure you keep a record of the vendor, the stock you feed and how much you feed.

The skins and seeds contained in Grape Marc can be risk for chemical residue.  The Victorian DPI notes some studies indicate oil soluble chemicals can be ingested easily from grape seeds to accumulate in fat tissue. 

Dairy Australia has developed some suggestions for producers using Grape Marc, which is a handy reference.

As with any unusual feed, I reckon you need to way up the costs and the risks pretty carefully before you start using it.

If you can't get a Commodity Vendor Declaration for the products you want to use, then I reckon you should avoid using that feed.

If you do your homework and work out the options, then Grape Marc may be a good choice for you.  But don't rush in until you've made a few enquiries and worked out if it is the best option for you.

If you are unsure about a feed, its usefulness or its suitability for your stock, make sure you get some sound advice before spending money or taking risks with it.  I reckon the drought is tough enough without the risk of feeding the wrong products.

Shade for livestock

Temperatures for 2013 were the hottest on record in Australia.  This January we have seen record heat wave conditions across eastern Australia.  Individual hot days (over 40 degrees) can be a challenge to cope with.  However a heat wave is where we have a run of hot days, and often hot nights.  

Heat can be a challenge for livestock as well.  Animals with the biggest physical stresses, such as fat animals, lactating cows and calves can find hot conditions extremely challenging. 

Cattle lose heat primarily through respiration, as well as transference into the air and through sweating. Animals which have a history of reparatory disease or are suffering from respiratory diseases, often find it more difficult to lose heat and are at risk in hot days.

Providing shade is essential for stock in hot weather.  Shade can reduce the heat load on animals by up to 50%.  Some evidence suggests there can be as much as a 10 degree drop in temperature in the shade.

When you consider shade, take the time to consider what type of shade is provided.  A single tree will never be enough.

Cattle need to have some air flow to allow heat to dissipate into the air around them.  If they are packed in close to each other under a single tree, they can't cool down.

Research suggests that in hot weather cattle will choose shade over water, and will access water or grazing at evening time or during the night time.

If there is no shade available, cattle will camp close to water supplies, or even stand in water supplies to keep cool.  This causes longer term issues such as poor water quality and dam or bank erosion.  

Poor water quality will contribute to lower water intake and reduced production.  

As hot conditions are forecast, I reckon its worth considering drafting the at risk stock into management groups where they can be looked after more carefully.  For instance cows and calves should have preference to shade, then fat stock and then dry stock.  Dark coloured or black animals will find hot conditions more challenging as well, so thought should be given to them.

Its important to try and avoid working with stock during the hot parts of the day, and to plan transport so your stock can travel when its cooler.

With some planning and thought, as well as the practical approach of providing adequate shade and access to good quality water, your stock will manage hot conditions more successfully.

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.