22/11/2021

Week ending 22-11-21 farm notes:

FARM PERFORMANCE

On Monday we cut and baled 8 hectares (39 bales), which dropped cover down to 2188 kg DM/ha with PGR 73 kg DM/ha/day for the week.

Cows are still going into paddocks over 2800 kg DM/ha in an effort to offer them as much as possible but they are consistently eating between 18.5–20 kg DM/ha/day depending what paddock they are in.

The milking herd grazed 5.9 ha/day with last week on a 22-day rotation. 

We had our second herd test on Sunday night and Monday morning, with cows producing an average of 1.7 kg MS/day with SCC at 69,000. Our first-calvers averaged 1.36 kg MS/cow/day.

We had challenges this week with Coliform grades that required a few days of pulling the plant apart, scrubbing the milk line, cleaning blocked jetters and heavy duty alkaline washes.  We are now back to excellence quality milk but our Te Tihi goal took a hit, dropping to 94%.

We are weaning the last of the 92 AB calves with their last supper on Wednesday.  We still have four late beefy calves on farm fattening on milk.

Average weight of the mob was 136 kg (range 109-179 kg).  They have gained 1 kg LW/day (range 0.63-1.53 kg LW/day) since the last weigh on 20^th October. All calves are at or above ideal liveweight. These calves have been given their final drench of Arrest C before they start on chicory this week after its 21-day weed spray withhold period.

The chicory paddocks have portable troughs plumbed in and three wire fences set up in them so that we can run a 25-day rotation topped up with the remaining meal/PK, hay and then silage as needed later on.

The chicory paddocks are now 7.5 weeks old and have reached the 7-leaf stage making them strong enough for grazing.  This year we will plate weekly with a range of covers on Tuesday from 2000-3200 kg DM/ha using the formula: RPM height x 86 +235.

ANIMAL WELL-BEING

We have started to wet the yard prior to the cows entering before milking, allowing time for it to evaporate and remove the heat from the concrete. We are trying not to use the sprinklers on the herd until the end of mating to prevent the tail paint coming off.

We have 12 cows on OAD due to lower BCS.

Water trough treatment includes Magnesium Chloride and Zinc, Copper, Cobalt and Selenium and bloat oil.

BUSINESS HEALTH

Thanks to everyone getting their DairyBase figures in, we now know that the top 20% of farmers in the Waikato based on Operating Profit made $4820/ha compared with Owl Farm at $3482/ha and the Waikato average of $2997/ha.  While FWE were similar at $4.62/kg MS (compared with Owl Farm at $4.60), the top 20% produced an average of 1519 kg MS/ha (Owl Farm 1237 kgMS/ha) with a stocking rate of 3.4 cows/ha (Owl farm 2.8 cows/ha) and $7.71/kg MS in milk sales (compared with Owl Farm at $7.47/kg MS).  Our goal is to achieve top 20% profit WHILE achieving in the other areas of the wagon wheel KPIs.

ENVIRONMENT

Nothing to report this week.

QUALITY WORKPLACE

We have our first off-farm visit to a discussion group planned next week followed by a team lunch. This involves getting our vaccination certificates sorted so that we can continue to access education outside of the farm.

COMMUNITY

Nothing to report

PLANNING FOR THE MONTH AHEAD:

• Side dressing of N for chicory crops
• Early PD for cows due to calve in the first 6 weeks
• Weighing herd 7^th December for effective culling decisions

Cheers from Jo + Tom