Georgie Oakes – Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Pasture Agronomist

The main objectives through these tough seasonal conditions should be your own well-being, the welfare of livestock, the maintenance of the farm business and the productive resources of the farm – soil, capital and the genetic merit of your livestock.

Managing through this season could call for some out-of-the-ordinary stock and farm management options like the use of sacrifice paddocks or confined paddock feeding.

A sacrifice paddock is an area that can be intensively stocked for feeding purposes.

Feeding in sacrifice paddocks has a number of advantages. It will allow you to observe stock more closely as alternative feeds are introduced, it prevents stock from walking off condition, contains the spread of weed seeds from outsourced fodder and saves the farm’s pasture resource for spring growth.

Consider using one or more paddocks or temporarily fencing off parts of paddocks for use as ‘feeding out’ areas. Suitable paddocks are those:

• where the pasture is degraded and due for resowing or cropping;
• with a predominance of annual species and good soil seed reserves;
• that have access for feeding operations even after it rains and are well drained; and
• that are not too steep to cause excessive run-off after rain.

Try to avoid using valuable pasture paddocks as feeding out areas. Paddocks that have significant cover of perennial pasture plants (especially if the cover consists of native perennial grass species) should be avoided.

With high stock numbers plenty of good quality water will need to be provided. Dams may need to be fenced off and the water piped into troughs to avoid stock bogging or fouling this increasingly precious resource.

The other benchmark to keep in mind is ground cover. Too little and soil erosion can be a problem when it rains. The suitable level depends on slope, likely rainfall intensity and soil type, but as a guide for the Tablelands, 85 – 90%, on the Slopes 70 – 80% would be appropriate. By maintaining adequate groundcover, weed invasion after drought will be reduced.

For further information on sacrifice paddocks or other pasture enquiries please contact Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Pastures Agronomist, Georgie Oakes on 0429 310 264.

 

Parthenium Weed

If you are buying in hay from central or southern QLD make sure it is free of Parthenium Weed.

Parthenium Weed is extremely invasive and is poisonous to livestock.  Although it is toxic the potential effects on human health and the environment outweigh the effect on livestock. It is listed in NSW as 'Prohibited Matter' which means that if someone introduces Parthenium Weed into NSW they may be prosecuted.

The NSW Government has invested considerable resources in keeping NSW free of Parthenium Weed by preventing its entry at the QLD border and by eradicating small incursions as soon as they occur.

Be mindful of your on-farm biosecurity practices - check feed from external sources for weeds, request a Commodity Vendor Declaration and separate stock returning home from agistment.

Visit the link for more information about Parthenium Weed
 

Feed of the Week

DDG or Dried Distillers Grain

Here is a bit of info on DDG.

Where does it come from?
It is a by product of wheat or sorghum fermented for the production of ethanol or starch. It comes as either a granular product or further processed into pellets. (depending on the supplier).

Availability.
Supplies have become limited in recent weeks. Granular (cake) is still available out of Queensland but at the time of writing pellets were only available to existing customers. We suggest contacting your local stock feed supplier.

• Crude protein 21%
• Energy 13 MJ/ME per kilogram
• In the pelleted form it flows easily through augers it is available in bulker bags, drums or in bulk.
• As with other protein supplements animals must have access to a roughage source.
• The feed is palatable and stock readily take to it when added to a diet. 
• Add calcium at 1.5% by weight as DDG is calcium deficient.

Care needs to be taken introducing stock to this supplement. If animals get too much DDG too soon they can succumb to grain poisoning. So spread feed out to allow even access for all stock. Ensure 5 in 1 vaccinations are up to date. Moisture will cause stored product to go moldy so care needs to be taken with storage. Commodity Vendor Declarations are available for the product.


In the last Ag Update our Feed of the Week was White Cottonseed. We have had some enquiry regarding the associated residue risks. Please click on these links below for some more information to hopefully provide clarification.
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/104207/Dangers-in-feeding-waste-material-to-livestock.pdf
http://safemeat.com.au/key-issues/chemical-residues.htm

 

'No Need for Gumboots' - Animal Nutrition Sessions Coming Up

Northern Tablelands Local Land Services and Riverina Stockfeeds are running a series of animal nutrition sessions to help landholders manage livestock in dry conditions.
 
Dates and venues:
 
Tenterfield: Wednesday 13 June 2018 from 8:00 – 10:30am at Tenterfield Golf Club
 
Guyra: Wednesday 13 June 2018 from 6:30 – 9:30pm at Guyra Bowling Club
 
Inverell: Thursday 14 June 2018 from 8:00 – 10:30am at Inverell Golf Club
 
Walcha: Thursday 14 June 2018 from 6:30 – 9:30pm at Walcha Golf Club
 
The workshops will focus on animal nutrition requirements and options, animal health and welfare considerations in dry times.
 
Greg Brown, a nutritionist from Riverina Stockfeeds, Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Livestock Officers and District Vets, and Rural Financial Counsellors will be available and farmers are encouraged to come along with questions.
 
“Local Land Services Livestock Officers and Vets are currently getting a lot of enquiries about feeding requirements and animal health needs due to the current season. All staff are trying to provide simple and practical advice and support,” said Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Livestock Officer, Brent McLeod.
 
“We are holding these animal nutrition sessions so we can bring producers together and share information on the best options for managing livestock in these tough seasonal conditions. Producers are strongly encouraged to attend the workshops but if this is not possible, feel free to contact your nearest LLS office.”
 
The workshops are free – but please RSVP to assist with catering on 02 6732 8800 or Jason.siddell@lls.nsw.gov.au

 

Looking after Livestock during dry times - Welfare Considerations

Nigel Brown, Northern Tablelands Local Land Services District Vet - Glen Innes

Most producers work hard to look after their livestock, especially when it’s very dry…… but a few don’t. Livestock below a Body Condition Score of 1 (BCS1) could result in animal welfare prosecutions.

Australian society demands high standards of animal welfare regardless of seasonal conditions or type of animal.

When fodder is in short supply, it makes economic sense to start supplementary feeding before animals deteriorate – it’s more expensive to try and reverse weight loss than maintain condition. Similarly, as feed costs rise, it is better to reduce herd or flock numbers before livestock prices fall too far.

When dams dry out, the mud is a death trap from which even healthy animals cannot escape. Fence off dangerous dams, check others daily. Remove carcases to prevent biosecurity risks.

Below are images of cattle with High Risk 1 and 2 welfare scores as outlined in NSW DPI’s Welfare scoring nutritionally deprived beef cattle, dairy cattle and their crosses, sheep and horses (see weblink below). Cattle at High Risk 1 are in critical need of good supplementary feed. They can be transported to the abattoir or agistment but not to the saleyard. Cattle at welfare score High Risk 2 are not fit to travel.

Sheep with a High Risk welfare score can be transported to the abattoir or agistment but not to the saleyard.


High Risk 1                                                                   High Risk 2
The following table looks at some additional aspects of livestock welfare all producers need to bear in mind, especially during tough seasonal conditions.

OTHER WELFARE ISSUES
	Prevent increased pain or distress during transport	In-growing horn; udder, vulva or ear cancer; advanced mastitis; blindness in both eyes - do not transport
	Do not load animals with signs of severe disease	Exhaustion; panting; animal is not weight-bearing on all 4 legs - do not transport
	Late pregnancy Cattle – last four weeks Sheep – last two weeks	Transport time should be no longer than four hours for healthy animals but not for animals in poor condition Seek veterinary advice
	Drying dams can be a death-trap	Fence-off dangerous dams; check dams daily
	Remove carcases from paddocks	A pit in a fenced-off area with no drainage pollution is best

Please see some useful links below:
DroughtHub 
Australian Animal Welfare standards and guidelines for cattle and sheep
Is your livestock Fit to Load? 
Welfare scoring nutritionally deprived beef cattle, dairy cattle and their crosses, sheep and horses
 

For more information contact your nearest Local Land Services office – Inverell on 02 6720 8300, Glen Innes on 02 6732 8800, Armidale on 02 6770 2000 or Tenterfield on 02 6739 1400.

 

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