ON FARM NATIONAL is feed available and the to the end of April. At cows have adequate body that point we’ll make the condition. The cows will be decision about what the cleaning up the pastures best return will be: finishing before autumn. stock or maintaining breeding stock. If it rains WHAT’S ON MY PLATE: consistently, the quality We began marketing the of feed won’t be there to lambs in late December to finish lambs or wean calves SNAPSHOT: early January. Pregnancy SNAPSHOT: – summer rain denudes the testing the heifers began Jock Hughes, Will, Simone and feed quality – so we’ll give in mid-January and we’ll them the high quality feed. Longford, Tasmania start the cows in February. Mandy Onus, If it hasn’t rained, we may Sl In January–February, we’llharvest peas, poppiesAdjungbilly, NSWSl need to quit the lambs andfocus on the breeders, or and grass seed and, once we might quit the breeders. the crops come off, sow We’ll make that decision ryegrass. This time of year, in February. We can’t we go through the herd, just assume it’s the right structurally assessing all economic decision to feed the cows and their calves stock. We need to look at to decide what stays and the possibility of selling Area: what goes. We’re currently down and buying back in – 800ha checking the condition of Area: we’ll just do the numbers. our ewes to prepare for 2,630ha plus 4,850ha of PROGRESS AGAINST Enterprise: joining in March, and the Breeding seedstock state forest lease LONG-TERM GOALS: lambs are trickling out as Our strategy is to have Angus and Coopworth they get to market weight. Enterprise: ewes, finishing lambs, Steers and wool production summer-active pasture cropping poppies, peas PROGRESS AGAINST species, whether they’re and grass seed LONG-TERM GOALS: Will Onus natives or perennials. There We bought another farm E: will.onus@gmail.com seems to be a reward for Jock Hughes late last year which we’ve that in the marketplace E: info@cludennewry. stocked with a commercial SEASONAL CHALLENGES: towards the back of com.au cow herd. It’s a wetter area February; that’s been a We’ve had some rain so market trend for quite a with a later growing season conditions are improving, SEASONAL CHALLENGES: than our home block, so while. The rainfall here for which is a huge relief. We’ve January–February in the Early spring was dry but we the bulls went out there in sown summer crops but received substantial rains in late November. One of our past few years has been strategies is to increase our they’re not looking too flash, reasonable and, if you get November, so it turned into despite the rain – I think we a good season. Because of operations – we now have a all your ducks in a row, you this, we delayed weaning full-time and a casual worker may have missed the window. can take advantage of the lambs. We normally which frees up some time WHAT’S ON MY PLATE: that. It’s a marginal hedge wean them onto feed grown for me. ■ Calf marking, and we’ve just because those rainfall under irrigation but we finished weaning lambs and events are unseasonal, but if wanted to keep grazing ACTIVITIES are now working on weight you happen to jag it, you’re pressure on the dryland gain with the hope of getting rewarded well. ■ pastures. The high quality OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS: summer rain. This will extend irrigated feed will go to the period they can stay in lambs we buy in. > pregnancy testing the paddock, as opposed to Around February we’ll wean heifers and cows locking them up and feeding calves, with feed availability > preparing ewes for them. The margins are still and cow condition joining there, but it is risky to do that determining the exact timing. > annual bull sale in without some agreement on We’ll delay weaning as long March. feed costs. as possible provided there We’ve been working on getting grain and hay on hand from end of February 13