Stocktake Balancing supply and demand A monitoring package that ‘takes stock’ of your grazing resources and points to improved management decisions Presenters: A joint initiative of:
Stocktake software The Stocktake computer software has been replaced by the Stocktake Plus app, released April 2013. If you don't have a smart phone or tablet you may install and use the Stocktake software. However, please note this software will not be supported with updates, unlike the Stocktake Plus app. For best results and improved functionality we recommend you upgrade to the Stocktake Plus app when you have a suitable device. 2
Outline of Stocktake Training Package Workshop: 1. Background information, concepts and the Stocktake Plus app 2. Forage budgeting – the basics 3. Forage Budget Practical Skills 4. Use of Stocktake Plus app 5. Land condition – the basics 6. Land condition monitoring Practical Skills 7. Use of Stocktake Plus app 8. Implementing Stocktake on a property (Follow up webinar and/or On-property visit – additional option) 3
Grazing Animal Production Model 4
GLM and Nutrition Stocktake Grazing animal production model with the focus areas for Grazing land management EDGE (green) and Nutrition EDGE (pink) workshops highlighted. 5
Where does Stocktake fit in? 6
Energy capture and flow 7
Nutrient cycling 8
Water cycling 9
Property planning The more knowledge you have of the aspects within your business, the greater the control you have over your business Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Green Forage Land Date Mustering Sell steers Calving Budget condition Bulls in 10
Combining long-term carrying capacity estimates and forage budgeting Carrying capacity 1 10 Years Long-term carrying capacity Short term carrying capacity 11
Long-term carrying capacity v stocking rates Cattle Numbers in May and November, LTCC and Annual Rainfall at Goldsborough 10000 1400 9000 1200 8000 1000 7000 Number of Head Rainfall (mm) 6000 800 5000 600 4000 3000 400 2000 200 1000 0 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Rainfall (mm) Numbers LTCC 12
Grazing land condition The capacity of grazing land to respond to rain and produce useful forage … …a measure of how well the grazing ecosystem is functioning. 13
Linking it together! Forage Condition Land Condition Pasture Condition Type of change • Presence of 3P grasses • Pasture quantity • Pasture condition • Crown cover and health • Pasture quality (proportion • Soil condition of 3P grasses of green, stage of maturity) • Woodland condition • Species diversity • Weed infestation Influences: Long-term paddock Weather, seasonal Long-term paddock management conditions, paddock management management, pasture condition Slow Quick (seasons) Rate of change: Slow Part of land condition, Forage budgeting for stock, Overall health of the land, Significance: potential growth response animal performance (LWG) ecosystem function, of pasture after rain, long- and short-term carrying biodiversity and long-term term carrying capacity capacity carrying capacity
Mapping paddock and land type areas 15
3P * Grasses Perennial Longevity and resilience to grazing and climatic pressures Palatable Livestock readily eat the plant Productive Quantity of quality feed 16
Adult Equivalent (AE) A standard way of referring to different classes of animals and the amount they eat is by comparing their intake needs relative to a 450kg steer. 450kg steer = 1 AE 450kg lactating cow = 1.3 AE 250kg weaner = 0.6 AE 50kg lactating ewe = 0.14AE 50kg dry ewe = 0.1AE *The Stocktake software has calculators for converting number to AE 17
Feed Utilisation Safe utilisation rate is the maximum rate of average annual use consistent with maintaining or encouraging good land condition. 18
It’s not about height! Queensland bluegrass 75% utilisation Ungrazed 25% utilisation 50% utilisation 19
Operating the Stocktake + App 20
Forage Budgeting Concepts 21
Forage budgeting Regular forage budgeting is a tool that managers can use to refine stock numbers based on seasonal forage availability (short-term carrying capacity) Demand Supply It can also importantly help you plan to meet the ground cover targets at the end of the dry season while maintaining or improving land condition. 22
Forage condition Quantity and quality of feed available (supply) to grazing stock at any point in time.
How much pasture for grazing? Detachment (%) That which will be trampled, leaf drop, insect consumption etc… Avg. 15% Unpalatable feed (%) Unpalatable species and dead material Total pasture yield Available for grazing (Kg DM/Ha) Residual (Kg DM /ha) How much you want left in the paddock at the end of the budgeting period 24
How would you tackle this paddock? 25
How do we cope with all this? Average accessible yield calculator!
Accessible Yield: Use a weighted average across samples: For example … High yield 15% area 3200 kg/ha Moderate yield 35% area 2000 kg/ha Low yield 40% area 1300 kg/ha Bare ground 10% area 0 kg/ha Weighted avg. yield (3200 x 0.15 etc) 1700 kg/ha Without weighting (3200 + 2000 + 1300 + 0) / 4 1625 kg/ha Not including bare (3200 + 2000 + 1300) / 3 2167 kg/ha Animal Science 27
How much will an animal eat? Effected By: • Quality of the feed • Weight and class of animal • Intake - 1.5% to 2.5% of body weight (average range) BUT good estimates require some nutritional knowledge 28
Feed eaten as % of palatable pasture • Eating more than 30% of palatable pasture reduces diet selection • Important from an animal performance point of view 29
Stocktake Plus App Forage Budgeting
Calculate a forage budget 31
Review – Forage Budgeting Teach a neighbour about 2 aspects of forage budgeting that you learnt today. 32
Land Condition Monitoring 33
Poor land condition costs profit! 9,923ha property in good and poor condition Assumptions: The two properties combined total 9,923ha and are breeding and fattening enterprises ‘A’ condition ‘C’ condition Carrying capacity (AE) 2,084 937 3YO bullock turn-off weight 580kg 580kg Weaning % 70 70 Gross Margin $355,100 $159,659 34
Carrying capacity (long-term) How many animals a paddock can carry over a planning horizon (>10 years) without impacting on land condition . It is used for strategic planning. 35
What is considered when working out long-term carrying capacity… • Land type • Average climatic conditions • Land condition • Tree density 36
www.futurebeef.com.au Land types of QLD 37
Keeping records for management Aspect Assessment Pasture condition 2 Soil condition 1 Tree basal area 3m / ha Landscape photo Ground cover 60% Dry matter yield 2000kg/ha Trayback photo Photograph + supporting notes = Quality monitoring record 38
Grazing land condition The capacity of grazing land to respond to rain and produce useful forage … …a measure of how well the grazing ecosystem is functioning. 39
Condition and runoff 40
Cover, sediment and the reef 41
Assessing land condition Two components: • Soil condition • Pasture condition That affect your ability to grow grass 42
Assessing TBA • Tree basal area (TBA) The number of trees impacts the amount of pasture that can be grown and if there is woodland thickening this can be an indication of declining land condition 43
‘ABCD’ land condition scoring Grazing land condition can be split into 4 broad categories: A B C D Good Fair Poor Stuffed 44
A ? B C D 45
‘A’ condition Looking across the pasture Looking into the pasture
A
A Optimal land condition and productive capacity
A
A
A
‘B’ condition Looking across the pasture Looking into the pasture
B
B Not as good as it could be, but wouldn’t take too much effort to get it back into optimal condition
‘C’ condition Looking across the pasture Looking into the pasture
C Some significant management intervention is required get this country back into a more productive state
C
C
C
‘D’ condition Looking across the pasture Looking into the pasture
D Stuffed, requires mechanical intervention, reseeding of grasses and lots of resources to get it back to a productive state
D
D
D
Practical Application What do we record in the paddock? • Pasture condition (scale of 1 – 4) + • Soil condition (scale of 1 – 5 ) + • Ground cover % • Tree basal area 100 100
Pasture condition Healthy pasture: • Dominated by 3P Grasses • Good density • Plants healthy • Growing points preserved • Few weeds and undesirable species 101
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