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Small Scale Livestock ProductionSmall Scale Livestock Production
What?
Sheep ... Meat, wool
Cattle ... Meat, hides,
Alpacas ... FibreGoats ... Meat, milk, fibre
Deer ... Meat, velvet, hides
Horses ... Amenity/pleasure ... Profit?
Why?y
“To make a bit of money”“W lik i th i l i th dd k”“We like seeing the animals in the paddock”“To keep the grass and weeds down”
Contributing to the Marketg
Products enter the ‘real market’• Require acceptance by consumers• Require acceptance by consumers• Need to meet quality standards (condition,
hygiene, disease, chemical withholding periods)• Traceability
Keep records!Keep records!Essential if you’re planning to sell produce ...
• Product integrity and traceability• Mandatory for some produce
(e.g. Livestock)f d k• Assists in future decision making
Range of record keeping systems
• Paper records• Electronic
• Commercial farm management software
• ‘Excel spreadsheet’• SENRM & SERIC ... nrmFARM
How many can we run?How many can we run?Depends on many factors ...
• Property Size• Soil type• Pasture composition and quality• Physiological status of the animals• Physiological status of the animals• Your production goals for the animals
Grazing Management ...g g
Understanding Pasture Growth
'Post-Break' Pasture Growth Rate Grant DC 2003 to 2011 (smoothed and fitted)
60
70
80
(kg/
ha/d
)
(smoothed and fitted)
30
40
50
60
ture
gro
wth
rate
0
10
20
30
Pas
t
0
1-Jan 1-Mar 30-Apr 29-Jun 28-Aug 27-Oct 26-Dec
Pasture Growth rate
'Post-Break' Pasture Growth Rate Grant DC
70
80
90
a/d)
40
50
60
row
th ra
te (k
g/h
10
20
30
Pas
ture
g
01-Jan 1-Mar 30-Apr 29-Jun 28-Aug 27-Oct 26-Dec
Rainfall to Pasture Growth Tool (MLA)
FacilitiesYards
Shed / shearing equipment (sheep goats alpacas)Shed / shearing equipment (sheep, goats, alpacas)
Cattle restraint (crush or headbail)
Stock‐proof fencesStock‐proof fences
Adequate, year‐round water supply
SheepAccess to shearing equipment essential
Simple yards for <50 sheepSimple yards for <50 sheep
Yards that utilise natural behaviour of sheep work best
Need a race and draft as a minimumNeed a race and draft as a minimum
Fences 0.9m to 1.0m in height
Race no more than 600mm wideRace no more than 600mm wide
Sheep need shearing ... dagging etc.
It doesn’t have to be expensivep
CattleLess than 10 – simple square yard with race and loading ramp will work well = low cost
More than 10 ... consider investing in better yards• Receiving pen/s, V or semi circular forcing pen, race, crush, l dloading ramp
• Fences 1.5m to 1.8m high, posts concreted 1.2m in ground in high pressure areas
• Rails – specialised steel products or 150mm x 50mm timberp p• Race internal width 675 ‐ 700 mm wide
Plan escape route/s for YOU
Combining Cattle & Sheep Yards
Feeding in summer & autumng
Most small producers ... small hay bales
U i l d d i i tUsing large rounds and squares requires equipment
Look for leaf:stem in good hay (few seed heads)
Silage/early hay capable of weight gainSilage/early hay ... capable of weight gain
Late cut hay ... weight maintenance only
Use hay feeders to reduce wastey f
Learn to ‘Condition Score’
Without liveweight scales ... ‘Condition Scoring’ is the most important skill of livestock producersmost important skill of livestock producers
• Keep breeding stock at CS 3 all year round to maximise production
• Sell ‘finished’ animals at condition score 3 to 4 for maximum returnf f
Learn to ‘Condition Score’
Information for ProducersInformation for ProducersMeat and Livestock Australia
www.mla.com.auwww.mla.com.au• More Beef from Pastures• Making More from Sheep www.makingmorefromsheep.com.au
Australian Wool Innovationwww.wool.com.au
• Lifetime wool ... www.lifetimewool.com.au
Livestock Librarywww.livestocklibrary.com.au
Websites
www.sheepconnectsa.com.auwwwwormboss com auwww.wormboss.com.auwww.flyboss.org.auwww.wool.com/Grow_LiceBoss.htmhttp://timerite.wool.comp //www.pasturesfromspace.csiro.auhttp://rainfall.mla.com.auwww.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock
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