The “3 knows” of grass production.

greybeard

Herd Master
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
5,940
Reaction score
10,803
Points
553
Location
East Texas
Back to the simpler, less intrusive/destructive/expensive manner of agriculture/farming/animal husbandry I believe would benefit us all and the planet in general.
But, neither economically nor production quantity viable for 90% + of the world. For 'the old ways' to make any substantial return, the 'old days' would also have to return and those are gone forever, as small hobby/backyard/homestead farms cannot produce even a fraction of the food that even the local area requires, much less a regional and certainly not on a planetary scale. Look, at how many here at BYH do not and cannot produce enough to fill even their own family needs. How many times have you gone to the grocery store in the last 90 days?
There is a reason that the 'old ways' died.
 

Baymule

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
33,103
Reaction score
98,692
Points
873
Location
East Texas
Maybe so, but I sure knock a hole in the grocery bill with what I raise.
 

The Old Ram-Australia

Herd Master
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
977
Reaction score
2,059
Points
303
THE NEXT STEP AFTER THE “3 KNOWS”. Collecting data that you can actually “use”.

There are in fact many software programs out there and you can spend a lot of time updating them to produce a whole lot of “stuff” you may never use.

The following will describe what I have developed to assist me in the day to day running of the farm and to meet all the new regulations “imposed” on producers by MLA (Meat and Livestock Australia.)

1. A satellite photo showing the boundaries of the farm and show all the main features including infrastructure, water points (creeks, dams), internal paddocks and woodland areas.If you have a large area like us with 300 acs you may need to have it over a couple of photos.

2. A simple draft spreadsheet which covers 52 weeks and has provision for all the fenced paddocks .The 3 main things we use this spreadsheet for is to track sheep groups, days grazed by paddock and the total sheep grazing days by paddock.( unfortunately I cannot use mine as I do not "own" the spreadsheet).(I think anybody's child/grandchild beyond Middle school can do an Excel one for you).Site would not let me post example. SUCCESS.Took a photo and then tried result below.

2a. each sheet is updated weekly. We know who was where and when.

2b. we know how many days the paddock was grazed and when and the bottom panel shows days grazed against budget and balance remaining.

2c. as important as the previous, we update weekly total grazing pressure against budget.


So how do we set up a budget?

2b. Initially set every paddock at 200 days after a couple of year’s data you can adjust for paddock size and forage capability.

2c. multiply number of stock by days in the year (say 100 hd times 365 =36500 . divide by number of paddocks (say) 10=3650 sheep grazing days per paddock.


In the early days I needed to be able to see how each paddock performed over a 12 month period so I set up a photo point in each paddock and each month took a shot across the paddock and one straight down. Each paddock had a file and each file had two folders and a series was set up on a slide show. In the end we had over 4 years of records paddock by paddock and we could see how each paddock was impacted by a rainfall event.


I also set up another file by paddock with a folder for each month and each month I would show the paddock photo on a year by year basis(say 2018,2019 2020). Again after a few years you can look back at a particular paddock for a particular month and project forward as to the likely outcome of the feed available, if you do not receive rain.Setting up these files may take time at the start ,but lets say you are a farmer in your 40's and you expect to run the farm til my age (76) in the end you will have over 30 years of records, which for whoever takes over after you will be invaluable.


To comply with MLA we must be able to show when we wear shearing the flock/crutching, drenching, applying weed control (where and what with), fencing inspection and repairs, stock inspected. In each case the same draft format was used.


With regard to lambing, in the early days it was more important to select the top 50% of the ewe drop for future breeders and as long as we were achieving 100% turnoff or retain that was sufficient for me. We found over time that the sheep seemed to be able to know in advance what the season would be like and the ewes would adjust the outcome themselves. Our current paddock numbers 16.


If any of my explanations confuse remember “the only silly question ,is the one never asked”.Hope you all enjoy...T.O.R.

jan 2019 002.JPG
 

Latestarter

Novice; "Practicing" Animal Husbandry
Golden Herd Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2014
Messages
11,384
Reaction score
17,481
Points
623
Location
NE Texas
Wow, that really is some extensive and comprehensive record keeping. You say this is mandated? The govt or some govt agency requires this? :ep Seems a little intrusive on personal freedom... Not to say that as you allow, the records over time will prove invaluable.
 

The Old Ram-Australia

Herd Master
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
977
Reaction score
2,059
Points
303
G'day folks,what I have described thus far is only the surface of the regulations.For decades we as producers have always had to use PIC's (property identification codes) these are ear tags with the property code stamped on them and are supposed to stay on for the life of the animal.Last year one state introduced RF-ID's for sheep and goats (these have been mandatory for cattle for ages) and if you are a producer from outside that state you must also use them th sell into that market.

About 18 months ago MLA which used to be responsible for the registration of the PIC's,split this area off into a new one called "Safe Meat Authority" and the idea was to be able to guarantee the meat products we export.So the first thing was an online test regarding the new regs and you had to get every answer "right" or do the whole test again including a raft of animal welfare questions.So after 12 months anyone with a PIC who had not done the test and passed was subjected to a psychical on site audit and this was the case for two of our adjoining neighbors which lasted about 5 hours of psychical and record examination.At some point we will be audited once they have got through the first offenders,who by the way will be audited again within two years.

The days of the old farmers are numbered in my opinion as coping with the regs is a task for some I know cannot understand or cope with ,another neighbour had to get her "agent" to come out and help her through the process (which most likely incurred a charge)as she had no knowledge of how to use a computer,BTW she is in her 80's and in recent times had lost her husband.

For farmers all this work and recording has not translated into better prices for their stock as the increase in prices recently is driven by the "shortage of animals" and nothing else.

BTW,to get that picture of the record sheet took me about 1 hour of thinking and trying before I got it posted.......T.O.R.
 

Rammy

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 7, 2018
Messages
2,449
Reaction score
7,013
Points
443
Location
Tennessee
Doncha just love how the government is taking control of our food? Pretty soon they ate going to make you fill out paperwork just to take a crap.
 

greybeard

Herd Master
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
5,940
Reaction score
10,803
Points
553
Location
East Texas
For farmers all this work and recording has not translated into better prices for their stock as the increase in prices recently is driven by the "shortage of animals" and nothing else.

As it should be, in a free market economy. I'm not much on price supports or subsidies.
I hate that such detailed records are mandated, but what you are doing in regards to paddock use and individual forage production is something everyone should be doing anyway. I see ppl all the time apply fertilize and/or lime in areas that don't need it and neglect areas that do need it simply because they haven't kept note of which area is doing what. There are at least 4 different soil types here on the 124 acres I run cows on.
 
Top