On-Farm Options – Livestock Systems
Following are a collection of resources which can assist with making decisions relating to stocking rates, time of lambing, time of calving, enterprise mix and management to increase reproductive performance of sheep and cattle.
EverGraze Exchange
The EverGraze Exchange (Online) – Livestock systems for profitable and sustainable use of perennial pastures provides information on the key factors driving livestock productivity and enterprise profitability. A process is included for evaluating your livestock system to identify opportunities for optimising pasture utilisation and long term profitability, whilst also staying within the boundaries of financial and environmental risk. The EverGraze Exchange – Making on-farm strategic changes, provides the worksheets referred to in this Exchange. EverGraze research outcomes from livestock systems and modelling studies at Albany, Hamilton and Wagga Wagga are referred to throughout the Exchange.
Benchmarking your performance and setting objectives
Tools and procedures
- EverGraze Exchange – Making on-farm strategic changes
- Making More from Sheep – Module 1 – Planning for success
- More Beef from Pastures Procedure 1 – Assess the current position of the business
- More Beef from Pastures – Industry benchmarks
- Cost of production for sheep and wool
- Cost of production for lamb
- Cost of production for beef
Regional benchmarks
In Victoria, the the Livestock Farm Monitor Project managed by Agriculture Victoria, evaluates the physical and financial data from farms in the southwest, northeast and Gippsland. Annual summaries of the data for these regions are available from the Agriculture Victoria website.
Sheep systems
Sheep systems in EverGraze
- EverGraze Exchange – Livestock systems for profitable use of perennial pastures
- Hamilton EverGraze Proof Site key message: Sheep systems for maximising profit from perennials at Hamilton EverGraze Proof Site
- Wagga Wagga EverGraze Proof Site key message: Flexibility in livestock systems is important for risk management in variable climates
- Albany EverGraze Proof Site key message: Adding 25% perennials will give the highest gross margin
- Orange Proof Site key message: The effect of grazing intensity on production and profit from native pastures
- Chiltern EverGraze Proof Site key message: Lamb production from native pastures at Chiltern
- Holbrook Proof Site: Integration of native and improved pasture systems to run a reproductive sheep enterprise
- Lamb Survival presentation
Sheep reproductive performance
- EverGraze Exchange – Improving the survival of lambs
- Lifetimewool
- Making More from Sheep – Module 10: Wean More Lambs
- South West Victoria (Lower) – I want to increase my flock marking percentage
- North East Victoria, Southern Slopes NSW, South West Victoria (Upper) – I want to increase my flock marking percentage
- EverGraze key message – More lambs from flushing on green feed
- EverGraze key message – Shelter improves lamb survival
- EverGraze Action – Perennial grass hedgerows provide shelter at lambing
- EverGraze Phone Seminar – Turning reproductive performance into reality – audio.
- EverGraze Phone Seminar – Turning reproductive performance into reality – powerpoint presentation.
The following video was developed from a national EverGraze phone conference. The topic is ‘What’s the most profitable way to use limited green feed this summer?’ Presenters are Kate Sargeant and Laura Garland, Agriculture Victoria and Michael Friend Charles Sturt University.
Sheep genetics
Beef systems
- More Beef from Pastures – Pasture utilisation
- More Beef from Pastures – Meeting market specifications
- More Beef from Pastures – Weaner throughput
- More Beef from Pastures – Cattle genetics
Modelling studies
EverGraze modelling
- Young (2004) MIDAS insights on profitability utilising perennial plants at Hamilton, Victoria
- Young (2010) MIDAS modelling of the Hamilton EverGraze Proof Site
- Warn L (2012) Hamilton EverGraze Proof Site: Report on the impact of changing management regimes on profitability
- Hamilton EverFarm – Making strategic decisions on farm (a beef case study)
- Young, Bathgate A, Sanford P (2004) MIDAS insights on profitability utilising perennial plants on the south coast of WA.
- Sanford P (2013) EverGraze Tactical Management Regimes: GrassGro Simulations Albany
- Robertson S (2012) EverGraze Tactical Management Regimes Report on Simulation Modelling at Wagga Wagga
Other modelling
- Southern Livestock Adaptation project (modelling livestock systems under a range of climate change scenarios)
- Warn L, Webb Ware J, Salmon L, Donnelly J, Alcock D (2006). Analysis of the profitability of sheep wool and meat enterprises in southern Australia. Final Report for Project 1.2.6. Sheep Co-operative Research Centre.
- Graham J, Quinn H, Davies B, Griffith G (2009) Economics of alternative growth path, time of calving and breed type combinations across southern Australian beef cattle environments: grass finishing at the Victorian experimental site. Australian Farm Business Journal, 6 (1), 17-26.
