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 in a modern beef enterprise. This is the third instalment of the 2018–19 series. SEASONAL CHALLENGES: body condition score is optimal and making We received 57mm of rain in mid-December decisions about unproductive breeding and the ground really retained the moisture, cattle. We’re consulting with a vet who which was a wonderful relief. Without that, specialises in breeding in northern Australia. we were facing the prospect of downsizing Breeding here has its own particular our herd. We’d had some significant challenges, for example, seasonal conditions heatwaves in the lead-up – people hadn’t and a harsher environment put pressure on seen a heatwave like that for around cattle in terms of weight gain. 30 years. We’ve had to be vigilant with water We’re also in the process of installing an SNAPSHOT: maintenance, as the cattle drink so much earth wire into our cell system in thirty 100ha Lynda and in those conditions. We’re still executing paddocks. Our electric fence system wasn’t Darcy O’Brien, our plan for rotating mobs with the feed getting enough current to it, so the earth wire budget we have developed. We’re constantly should fix that issue. ■ Basalt, Queensland trying to manage stocking rates to carrying l capacity and we always know how muchfeed we have ahead of us.ACTIVITIES OVER THE NEXT WHAT’S ON OUR PLATE: TWO MONTHS: We’re preparing more country for leucaena > preparing country for leucaena (see stories on the latest with leucaena > reformulating and tightening our pages 14–15). Last year we planted 400ha, breeding strategy making it one of the largest commercial > installing an earth wire into the electric leucaena sites in Australia. We’re also about fencing system. to trial other legumes including Progardes®, Area: which can go in now that we have a bit more 21,000ha moisture in the soil. Enterprise: PROGRESS AGAINST LONG-TERM GOALS: Breeding, backgrounding Over the next couple of months, we’ll be and agistment reformulating our breeding strategy. The goal is to ensure we’re spending the money Lynda O’Brien in the right area to get the best gross margin E: lyndajobrien@gmail. out of our breeders. This includes calving com in the optimal windows, making sure the 12