ON FARM NATIONAL Over the fence In this series, Feedback follows a group of producers from across Australia as they manage their operations over the course of a year and respond to the challenges that arise. This is the final instalment in the 2018–19 series. SEASONAL CHALLENGES: PROGRESS AGAINST Autumn was pretty good at home. The LONG‑TERM GOALS: new block that we’d purchased was dry,We’ve started using a lot more nitrogen but we’ve now had rain everywhere. in autumn and we used even more this WHAT’S ON MY PLATE: year to grow as much feed as we could. Pregnant ewes are out on native grassPreviously we used it as required for runs and we’ll supplement them with the mouths we had, but now I’m more grain in the four weeks prior to lambinginclined to grow as much feed as we to avoid pregnancy toxaemia. The cowscan and stock it accordingly. ■ SNAPSHOT: have been rotating around the dryland Jock Hughes, perennial pastures that had residual ACTIVITIES OVER THE Longford, Tasmania Sl cover in the spring. There was a springNEXT TWO MONTHS: flush that we didn’t manage to fully > weighing and tagging calves utilise, so we’ve been getting it cleaned up to allow the grass to grow with the> calving and lambing autumn break. The heifers start calving> preparing spring cropping in July and cows in August, so we’ll be paddocks. weighing and tagging calves at birth. We began rotating the calves around Jock Hughes the irrigated ryegrass pastures in April,E: info@cludennewry.com.au Area: using electric fencing to subdivide 800ha the paddocks and extend the grazing Enterprise: rotation, and we’ll continue doing that Breeding seedstock Angus and over winter. Coopworth ewes, finishing lambs, cropping poppies, peas and grass seed 11