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Proactive steps to managing livestock in dry times
You can take action today to adapt your livestock management strategies for increased profitability and to improve the condition of natural resources on your farm. These four steps will help move you from worrying about below average rainfall to purposeful and planned actions, which in turn help to mitigate risk and increase your business resilience.
4 steps to developing a Livestock Management Plan
1. Stocktake the available water and feed
Survey your farm to see how much feed (pasture, grain, hay) and water you have on hand to determine how long you can sustain your current livestock numbers.
2. Review your financial position
It’s wise to review your financial position with your bank manager in order to determine what strategies will suit your circumstances.
3. Identify management strategies
Once you have an accurate picture of your current circumstances, list the relevant strategies you can use to manage livestock during dry times.
4. Implement, review and adapt
Sort management strategies into action lists. Add a timeline to the actions. Undertake these specific actions. Inform your family and/or staff members so they are aware of what you are doing and why, this helps to alleviate the fear of the unknown.
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5 FREE decision making tools for dry-time livestock managers
Five highly recommended online support tools for land and livestock managers navigating dry times.
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Confinement feeding by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).Tips on site selection, mob size, stocking density, yard design, nutrition and more - link.
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Feed Demand Calculator, by MLA and CSIRO. An Excel based tool for producers to focus of feed supply and demand patterns and identify feed gaps over twelve-months. Includes four video ‘how to’ tutorials via this - link.
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Suite of seven tools and calculators, by MLA and CSIRO. Cost of production, animal health and nutrition, feed, pasture, climatic impacts, predictive tools and MSA Index calculators - link.
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Feedbase Planning and Budgeting Tool, by EverGraze. User-friendly examples to calculation your own simple paddock budgets, seasonal feed budgets and manage grazing rotations - link.
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NSW DPI Drought Feeding Calculator App, by Department of Primary Industries, NSW. A free App for producers to easily and quickly determine minimum feed requirement for a range of animals, to make informed decisions and save money. Relevant to Eyre Peninsula, designed in NSW. Available for Apple devices - link.
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Give your stock the best water possible
As we head into another dry summer, it is important to think about your stock water and ensure that they have access to the best quality water available. A common mistake is shifting sheep into paddocks where water supplies are not regularly used and water quality is unknown.
Water quality in wells, spring soaks and dams change through the season. With low rainfalls this year increased salinity is likely to become an issue, particularly for young and pregnant stock. This can cause sheep to loose condition and in some cases die. It is good farm practice to test water salinity levels annually and keep good records. Some dams and soaks that become highly saline can be improved by cleaning them out over summer.
FREE salinity and pH water testing available: It is recommended that all farm water supplies be checked now, before the height of summer and feed sources get low. Bring water samples to a Natural Resources EP office and have it tested, it is a free service for you.
IMPORTANT Read the factsheet ‘Water testing: salnity and pH, in four simple steps’ in this link, for how to take an actuate water sample, before you go out collecting. www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/eyrepeninsula/land-and-water/managing-water-resources/water-testing
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Webinars
Informative webinars you can watch online anytime:
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Taking stock - making sound livestock management decisions during drought - link.
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Managing your dam water supply in dry seasonal conditions - link.
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Growing summer forage crops - should I, or shouldn't I?- video on YouTube - agronomist Craig Altman, producers Ben Ranford (Cleve) and Bruce Morgan (Wangary) - link.
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‘Tackling Tough Times Together’ program
The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) recognises that there are many areas and communities significantly impacted by immediate and longer-term effects of drought across Australia.
The Tackling Tough Times Together (TTTT) rolling grants program supports these communities to sustain and strengthen their connectedness, skills, resources, leadership and to facilitate strong and adaptable communities.
FREE TTTT community catch-ups - Wednesday 12 December - all welcome
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Cowell – 9AM – 11AM, Cowell Institute Main Street
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Wudinna – 1:30PM – 3.30PM, Gawler Ranges Visitor Information Centre, 44 Eyre Highway
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Ceduna – 6PM – 7:30PM, Ceduna Sailing Club, 1 O’Loughin Terrace
Please RSVP to Karen Hollamby, Regional Coordinator, Eyre & Western at Karen.Hollamby@sa.gov.au or ph 0459 897 020.
Small grants are available to not-for-profit community groups to deliver projects in drought-affected regions focusing on reducing social isolation, leadership development, skills training, social and educational participation, addressing disadvantage caused by the drought, reducing volunteer fatigue, building capacity and supporting local economic recovery or renewal. This funding supports community-based activities to relieve current stressors and symptoms while also building capacity and resilience for the future.
Further information visit www.frrr.org.au/grants/tackling_tough_times_together
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National Landcare Program - Smart Farm Small Grants open!
Smart Farms is a key part of the National Landcare Program, administered by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. Smart Farms consists of three elements:
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Smart Farms Small Grants — a $55 million competitive small grants program, over several rounds, to support the adoption of best practices that improves the management and quality of our natural resources and increases on-farm productivity. Applications for the Smart Farm Small Grants Round 2 opened on 13 November 2018 and close on 11 January 2019.
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Smart Farming Partnerships — an investment of $55 million through two rounds of competitive grants, into medium to large scale projects to encourage the development, trial and rollout of innovative tools and farm practices.
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Building Landcare Community and Capacity— a $24 million funding investment to support the sharing of knowledge and achievements, and promote community leadership.
Full details visit www.communitygrants.gov.au/grants/national-landcare-program-smart-farms-small-grants-0
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The Very Fast Break - SA seasonal climate updates
Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) produces monthly seasonal climate outlook videos for South Australia. These videos takes a closer look at the BOM forecast from an SA farming perspective. Link to and newsletter version here GRDC website.
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Helpful links for hard times
Natural Resources EP - helpful starting points to prepare and deal with current hard times on the farm - link.
PIRSA - crop and pasture reports – two-page summary’s published bi-monthly – link.
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