High sugar grass boosts milk production at Maffra
Maffra dairy farmers Tom and Helen Paton
predict high sugar grass will enable them to lift their Friesian
herd's milk production by close to 30 percent over the next few
years.
With just 30 hectares resown into AberDart, a perennial high
sugar ryegrass, milk yield had already increased to 9,500 litres
per cow for the season.
A further 30 hectares is being sown and Tom expects the herd's
average to go up again, to 10,000 litres per cow, and to average
12,000 litres per cow per year when all 150 hectares are sown into
AberDart.
With a strong belief in pasture improvement as a key to more
profit, Tom has twice regrassed the Maffra Sale Road dairy farm in
central Gippsland since taking it over four years ago and now plans
to have all 50 paddocks converted to high sugar grass.
New pasture overall and a grain ration have lifted production
from an initial average of 7,000 litres per cow, however the cows
grazing AberDart no longer eat as much grain or cereal
supplement.
The usual 3kg ration in the bail feeders is cut to 1kg per cow -
saving about $560 a day in grain and cereal supplement - when the
cows come in from an AberDart paddock.
"Costs keep going up so the best way to make money out of dairy
cows is to grow a grass that feeds them properly and then you're
not having to buy so much of the extras," said Tom, a former dairy
factory manager for Murray Goulburn Co-operative.
A veterinarian recently commented on the Patons' cows sitting
down after a morning grazing to chew cud - a sign of contentment
that's not uncommon, according to Tom.
"When you see their udders dripping milk on the way to the
dairy, that's a good sign too."
It's not all been about the grass. Other changes include
re-contouring the gradual slopes for more efficient water recycling
and a more efficient pivot irrigation system that operates at night
for maximum soakage.
Running their fourth farm, the Patons take pride in the
improvements, the farm's tidy appearance and the interest shown by
visitors.
Recently they were encouraged by a Murray Goulburn 'Milkcare'
ranking that places the farm 37th among the co-operative's 2,500
supplier-shareholders for milk quality.
It's an endorsement of the changes made so far, including the
decision to act on the advice of a visiting New Zealand
agri-finance specialist who recommended AberDart high sugar
grass.
With an autumn and spring calving herd of 380 cows, no young
stock carried beyond six months and replacements bought in, Tom and
Helen now see high sugar grass as a key element in increasing milk
production, reducing feed costs and increasing the herd to 400
cows.
"From the house we can see the whole picture and I did spot
someone a few months ago scratching around in the AberDart. I told
him he might get into trouble when it's not his to take away," said
Tom, who recognized his 'visitor' as a competing seed company
representative.
Like most farmers, Tom measures the merit of any change in terms
of extra milk in the vat and their dairy factory figures show
milksolids production being up 10 percent on the previous year.
The impact of high sugar grass in that measure is evident in
tanker dockets showing milk volume increases of three litres per
cow per day, or an extra 1.5 litres per cow each milking, when the
herd has grazed AberDart.
Helen milks the cows twice a day with a part-time milker and
they see first-hand the effect of high sugar grass on the cows.
As well as leaving grain behind, the cows are more content in
the yard, less pushy and cleaner.
AberDart was first sown into 15ha last November followed by a
similar area sown late February that grew into a thick sward in six
weeks under irrigation.
Tom said the AberDart paddocks were grazed every 15 days when
the rest of the farm was on a 16 to 20 day rotation, and during the
spring flush it was grazed every 10 to 12 days.
"The sooner you graze it the better because it grows quick
here," said Tom, finding that a mob of dry cows will vigorously
clean out any AberDart paddock when it's been too dense for the
milking herd to finish in one break.
"When you see cows taking it down to the floor then you know you
have a tasty grass," said Tom, who doesn't need to strip graze or
mow AberDart paddocks to keep them fresh.
They have been pleased at how the AberDart stood up to 45 degree
days in February, then four weeks of 38 degree days followed by
sub-zero night temperatures in May; demonstrating a persistence
that Tom attributes to AberDart's tiller and root density.
"In this country the irrigation softens the ground and the cows
can pull out grasses with shallow roots, but not the AberDart," he
said.
Caption:
- Tom and Helen Paton walk through AberDart high sugar grass
among well-fed Friesian cows averaging 650kg liveweight.
- Tom and Helen Paton with their daughter Taylor in high sugar
pasture that is helping to boost milk yield and reduce grain
costs.
Contacts:
Tom Paton : 154 A Maffra-Sale Rd, Maffra VIC 3860
Phone: +61 3 5147 2224
Mob: +61 4 276 28291
Email: patonscarinya@bigpond.com
Laurie Meyer : Specialty Seeds Australia Ltd
Phone: +61 352 645 108
Mob: +61 419 335 225
Email: specseed@bigpond.com
Web: www.specseed.com.au
Steve Searle : Searle Communications
Phone: +64 7 871 6805
Mobile: +64 21 03333 04
Email: steve@searlecomms.co.nz
