ON FARM NATIONAL SEASONAL MESSAGES Spring intoaction Be on the front foot for spring by taking steps now to prepare pastures and plan livestock activities. Here, advisors from all over the country share their tips to guide on‑farm management decisions through late winter and into spring. Ed Riggall Deb Scammell Director, AgPro Management, southern WA Consultant, Talking Livestock, SA Most producers don’t utilise 60% of spring pastures. Spring feed is often under‑utilised but, if it’s grazed Whether spring is great, good or poor, ‘use it or lose it’ is effectively using appropriate stocking rates, producers can the guiding principle, so look at how you can best use feed. save extra feed for hay, to harvest or to finish extra stock. Plan paddock management: What grazing or chemical Pasture springboard: Depending when you wean, spring options will optimise feed quality and extend the growing feed can be used to get ewes and cows back into condition season? Rotational grazing (basic or intensive) improves before re-joining. This saves the expense of trying to increase pasture utilisation, composition and growth, and can delay condition score on decreased paddock feed over summer. The seed set and prolong the green feed window. Spraying out spring flush can also be used to optimise weaner weight gains. low-value capeweed, barley grass and other ‘space hogs’ will Health check: Worm burdens reduce performance, so monitor promote clover, which will increase growth rates of all livestock.worm egg count, especially if rotationally grazing weaner Take stock: Assessments to make in early spring lambs. Be mindful of common nutritional issues such as: should include: • nitrate poisoning, red gut or bloat on lush lucerne and • Ewe and lamb condition – will you wean late or early? medic pastures • Dry and cull ewes – should they be pulled out of • grass tetany or reduced growth rates on cereals due to paddocks and shorn to get weights up for sale and inadequate magnesium reduce grazing pressure? • pulpy kidney – if stock have had a feed change before • Weaners – do they require early-imprint feeding? being moved onto lush spring feed, ensure they have had a • Water – what is the capacity of farm water through summer? minimum 3-in-1 booster vaccination. Target parasites: Spring conditions promote worms and flies, Balanced diet: If required, provide roughage, grain and so integrated parasite management is vital. Use preventive mineral supplement to balance paddock feed, avoid maintenance, especially in mixed enterprises when response nutritional issues and mortality, and improve growth rates. time can be delayed by other farming activities. If spring Talk to an animal nutritionist, as appropriate supplementation shapes up well, be mindful of body strike in Merinos and plan can improve animal performance, often at a small cost. to get protection for late spring or early summer shearing. Wise weaning: Develop a weaning program for lambs and set paddocks aside to wean into. Monitor weaner growth Ed Riggall rates through spring so you can address any issues if they’re E: ed@agpromanagement.com not hitting targets. MLA Feed Demand Calculator: mla.com.au/feeddemandcalculator Deb Scammell MLA Stocking Rate Calculator: E: deb@talkinglivestock.com.au mla.com.au/stocking‑rate MLA Pasture Ruler: available at mbfp.mla.com.au ParaBoss: paraboss.com.au (More Beef from Pastures, module 3, tool 3.1) Lifetime Ewe Management: lifetimewool.com.au/LTEM.aspx Gra$$ to Dollars: mla.com.au/pgs 12