General
Latest pasture DM results: New grass 15.2%; Italians 13.6% and normal pastures 20%
Final new grass paddock to be grazed this week when soil conditions allow
Herd test completed, including screening of all cows >250000 SCC for staph aureus
N applied and maintenance fertiliser applications have started
2% empties in the heifers and 1 freemartin identified
Heifer liveweight gain has slowed in the last month so reassessing feeding levels with the grazier; average weight 390 kg (323-474 kg range)
Winter feed budgets started
Silage stack to be opened, DM test done and sample sent away for quality
Changing inshed feeding blend with next loads - dropping the DDG as out of contract, blend will be 70%PKE:30% barley and second silo will be straight PKE with the intention to stop feeding PKE in trailers in the paddock
Standard herd
Rotation now out to 29 days with one more new grass paddock to graze
Increase in supplementary feeding required for the next week – targeting 3 kg DM inshed, 2.5 kg PKE in trailers in the paddock and at least 2 kg DM silage per day required to meet target intakes
Swede crop yields will start mid March to provide additional information for feed budgeting
Future herd
Harvested 90 bales off Italian paddocks for winter feed but concerns around quality as were not wilted for long enough given the low DM content
Rotation out to 31 days with all new grass paddocks back in rotation
Inshed feed allocation to remain the same but will offer 2.7 kg DM/cow/day of silage to meet targe intakes
This week we farewelled Ash (Cow 53). A favourite of the team who has featured in many photos over the last couple of years. Unfortunately she badly damaged her teat and there was not suitable treatment
