Northern Irrigation and Southern Riverina
July 2010
Never be afraid to try something new; remember amateurs built the ark and professionals built the Titanic
GRAZING CEREALS
Melissa Spain, DPI Echuca
There have been many changes to farming systems over the past few years. One major
change is the increased popularity of cereals. The need for farm managers to understand
how to manage cereals to get the most out of them has also increased. A key area to
understand is the grazing management of cereals. All cereals can be grazed as well as
conserved for fodder, although some varieties are more suitable than others.
When to start grazing
Knowing the correct stage to graze is vital to prevent the cereal plant from uprooting,
inhibiting growth and impacting on future yields. Cereals can be grazed once plants
have anchored themselves and have grown secondary roots. The secondary root arises
at the crown (where the plant meets the ground) and attaches to the tillers. This process
usually occurs when the plant has three to four true leaves.
All cereals can be grazed at any time from early to late tillering, referred to as growth
stage (GS) 22 – GS28 (See Figure 1 for growth stage chart), providing they pass the
‘pluck and twist’ test.
A simple ‘pluck and twist’ test will indicate if the crop is advanced enough for grazing.
To complete the ‘pluck and twist’ test simply grab a plant at the anticipated grazing
height, pull and twist, if it breaks off it should be right for grazing. If you grab at the
grazing height and the plant pulls out of the ground then the plant is not ready to graze
yet. Make sure that you complete a number of ‘pluck and twist’ tests across the whole
paddock to give you a representation of the whole grazing area.
How hard to graze
Just like ryegrass, cereal plants need a residual amount of dry matter left in the plant to
recover from grazing. It is very important not to graze the crop into the ground. The
variety of cereal sown determines the grazing residual that should be left. Some
varieties of cereals will start off growing across the ground in a more prostrate manner
(e.g. Gairdner Barley), and these can be grazed down to leave about 5 cm of residual.
The majority of cereals grow in a more erect manner, and these should only be grazed
to a residual of 10 cm. If grazing occurs below 10 cm, the plant will regrow with
reduced vigour, resulting in lower yields. Bare patches may result from over grazing
which exposes the soil to sunlight and encourages weed growth. Cereals are best stripgrazed to allow the plants to re-energise, minimise wastage and promote maximum
regrowth.
Continued next page…
Inside this issue
-
Improving feed conversion efficiency through genetic markers
Lame bulls limit fertility
Getting the best mastitis control at calving
When to finish grazing
If the crop is to be used for fodder production and dry matter
production is to be maximised, then it is important to stop
grazing before the seed head starts pushing up above the
ground. This process is known as jointing or stem elongation
and occurs when the plant on the main stem (not counting
any of the tillers) and is also referred to as GS30.
The first visible indication of this is at the first node stage,
which is recognisable by a bump or swelling 1 cm to 2 cm
from the base of the plant (Figure 2). To identify the first
node stage, look on the main stem and not the tillers. The
main stem will be the fattest of the tillers in a grazed crop. In
an un-grazed crop the main stem is the longest stem and has
leaves stretching out from it. In the really early stages of the
developing node, it is often easier to see the node by slicing a
stem in half with a knife, exposing the node. By grazing this
developing node the amount of fodder available in spring
Figure 2: Shows the first detectable node on the
will be reduced. If your aim is to remove the crop from the
main stem of a cereal plant.
grazing system then this is the perfect time to graze as it
will normally not allow the plant to go to seed and will kill the plant off.
Unfortunately there is no set date as to when the cereal plant will start stem elongation. Time of
sowing, temperature and variety will all have large affects on when this happens.
Effect of grazing on total yields
There are a number of factors that will determine what effect grazing a cereal crop has on the total
yield. The main factors effecting yield are:
Variety sown and time of sowing:
The variety sown and the timing of the sowing impacts the length of time the plant will be growing
for. The longer the plant has to grow the more grazing that can be done without reducing the total
yield. An early maturing variety (sown in late autumn/early winter) will in most cases yield less
total dry matter if grazed. A late maturing variety with a winter habit, sown and irrigated in March
is more likely to produce an increased amount of total dry matter grown if grazed.
Number of grazings:
A rough rule of thumb (used in the Northern Irrigation Region) for the number of grazings that may
occur depending on sowing date are:
March sowing – three grazings
April sowing – two grazings
May sowing – one grazing
June sowing – no grazing
This rule is based around the compromise between total yield and being able to graze feed during
the autumn/winter period. In some case, it is better to compromise on total yield due to the fact that
there are often losses and expenses in conserving and feeding out fodder.
Timing of grazing:
The timing of grazing is determined by what growth stage the cereal plant is at. If grazing occurs
too early and the plant isn’t anchored properly, the potential yield from the crop will be greatly
reduced. Grazing after GS30 when the plant is moving into the reproductive phase and the growing
point of the plant has begun to move up the stem, may result in a severe decrease in yield if the
growing tip is removed during grazing.
Grazing between the too early stage (GS22) and the too late stage (GS30) will have a minimal
impact on the total yield. There can still be subtle differences in total yield by grazing at different
times between these two stages. For example if cattle are exposed to a large bulk of crop then their
may be large amount of wastage due to trampling. If the crop is to be grazed only once then graze it
when the cereal plant has around four tillers (GS24), as this has been found to be close to ideal time
for grazing.
Benefits of grazing versus total yields:
In many cases grazing cereals will reduce the total yield achievable, however the value to the farm
of having high quality feed in autumn/winter and being able to graze it, far outweighs having a big
bulk of lower quality feed in the spring that needs to be conserved. Conserving feeds has a fairly
large cost associated to it compared to grazing feeds. When conserving feeds such as cereal crops,
there are always losses in the harvesting and storing process as well as potential losses when it is
fed back out again. It is estimated that 20 to 40 per cent of the crop cut may be lost by the time the
cow has eaten it; this will vary from farm to farm. It costs money to conserve crops and feed it back
out regardless of whether you own the equipment or rely on contractors.
Nutritive Value
The nutritive value of cereal crops when grazed before they begin the reproductive phase (GS30) is
much the same as ryegrass at the same stage. There aren’t any major differences of quality between
cereal varieties. The average nutritive values for cereals at grazing stages are >11 Mega Joules
Metablolisable Energy/kilogram Dry Matter, >20 per cent Crude Protein, 35 to 40 per cent Neutral
Detergent Fibre.
Grazing in adverse conditions
Dry conditions in autumn while the crop is establishing will slow plant growth and root
development. Slow development of the secondary roots will delay the time when the young plants
are sufficiently anchored in the soil to resist being pulled out by grazing animals. Dry conditions
can also trigger the plants to shed root mass which can make them easier to pull out by grazing
animals.
Pugging by cattle under wet conditions can also cause a lot of damage to the crop and it is advised
not to graze cereals while the soil is too wet.
Nitrate Poisoning
Young cereal crops growing in paddocks with high soil nitrogen (N) will be very green and very
vigorous, however the plants may accumulate N in concentrations that can cause nitrate poisoning.
Any factor that slows the growth of the cereal crop, such as moisture stress, frost and short, cloudy
days will increase the concentration of N in the plant and also increase the risk of nitrate poisoning.
To limit the risk of nitrate poisoning while grazing cereals:
 Monitor the crop
 Limit the time cows spend grazing the
cereal
 Do not graze with hungry stock
 Use run-off paddocks
 Provide some alternative feed before
grazing
 Closely monitor grazing stock
Conclusion
It is essential to understand how the cereal plant grows and what stage of development it is at before grazing.
Ensure grazing doesn’t start until you are confident that the plant will not be pulled out of the soil and that the
secondary root system is established (three – four leaf stage)
The take home messages for grazing cereals are:
 Get the grazing residual right for the variety of the crop (5 – 10 cm)
 Stop grazing once the node enters the plant stem if you plan on conserving the crop
 The nutritive value of cereals at the grazing stage are similar to ryegrass
 When the crop was sown will determine how many grazings can occur without impact on the total yield of
the crop
Figure 1: shows the different growth stages of a cereal plant
For more information about grazing cereals please visit the DEC website at www.dairyextension.com.au or
contact Tom Farran, DPI Tatura on 5833 5297
TARGET 10 TICKLERS
A couple of young boys were fishing at their special pond off the beaten track. All of a sudden, the Game
Warden jumped out of the bushes. Immediately, one of the boys threw his rod down and started running
through the woods like a bat out of hell. The Game Warden was hot on his heels. After about a half mile,
the young man stopped and stooped over with his hands on his thighs to catch his breath, so the Game
Warden finally caught up to him. "Let's see yer fishin' license, Boy!" the Warden gasped. With that, the
boy pulled out his wallet and gave the Game Warden a valid fishing license. "Well, son," said the Game
Warden, "you must be about as dumb as a box of rocks! You don't have to run from me if you have a valid
license!" "Yes, sir," replied the young guy, "but my friend back there, well, he don't have one."
-----------------------Farmer Brown put up a pig-shaped weather vane, but he is not happy with it.
Instead of pointing with the wind, the pig vane keeps pointing toward the feed trough.
-----------------------Q: Why did the jelly baby go to school?
A: Because he wanted to be a smarty
Q: What do you call a pig that does karate?
A: A pork chop
IMPROVING FEED CONVERSION EFFICIENCY THROUGH GENETIC MARKERS
The Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) Future Farming Systems Research Division with support from the
Gardiner Foundation has been working on a research project to improve the feed conversion efficiency of dairy
cows. The Feed Conversion Efficiency Project aims to develop a set of genetic and biological tests that can be
used to identify highly feed efficient cows.
The project involves screening approximately 1000 calves to determine their feed efficiencies so this could be
related to markers in their DNA. The project began in March 2009 at the feeding facility at DPI Rutherglen.
Holstein-Friesian calves aged between six and eight months were tested in three batches over a period of 18
months. The calves were provided by farmers across Victoria and were penned in groups of 18 for around 90
days.
The calves had unlimited access to lucerne forage allowing the animals to self-regulate their own feed intake
according to their biological needs. The daily feed intake of individual calves was recorded by an electronic
feed recording system. The calves were also weighed twice a week to record their live weight gain.
Feed Conversion Efficiency (FCE) is usually thought of as the production output per unit of feed eaten, ie milk
yield per kilogram feed intake. However, this research project is looking at a different aspect of feed efficiency
which is metabolic efficiency. Metabolic efficiency relates to how the cow uses energy to maintain itself and
also produce milk. Some cows are able to use less energy than others to maintain their bodies whilst producing
the same amount of milk.
To determine the metabolic efficiency of the calves a measure called Residual Feed Intake (RFI) was
calculated. RFI is the difference between what a calf is expected to eat based on its body size and production
level and how much the calf actually does eat.
RFI = Expected Intake – Actual Intake
A cow that eats less than expected is metabolically more efficient as she can consume a lesser amount of feed to
maintain herself.
DNA samples were taken from the calves to perform an analysis for genetic markers. The DNA markers and
the feed efficiency information will be used to develop a set of genetic and biological tests to predict feed
efficiency. Ultimately farmers will be able to use the test to select animals based on their feed conversion
efficiency, enabling them to make better breeding decisions. The hope is that with the use of genetic and
biological markers, Australian dairy farmers will be able to improve the feed conversion efficiency and
profitability of their herd.
The 30 most efficient and 30 least efficient calves from the first and third batches were purchased to create a
herd of 120 cows to use for further research into feed efficiency. This research will test whether the efficient
calves end up as efficient milking cows. It will also investigate how other management factors affect the
efficiency rankings of the cows, ie will the rankings change when cows have a restricted feed intake versus an
unrestricted intake.
Look out for the project results involving the calves at the feeding facility in a future communicator.
LAME BULLS LIMIT FERTILITY
Bulls will soon be out in the paddocks on many dairy farms. Make sure your bulls are up to the task by
preventing lameness. InCalf’s Barry Zimmermann has some tips.
“Lame bulls during mating can mean a lot less cows in calf. Obviously severely lame bulls are unable to serve
but a lot of people don’t realise that lameness can also have long lasting effects on fertility. The semen quality
of lame bulls is dramatically reduced and may take up to two months to recover,”
To reduce the likelihood of lame bulls:

Use bulls between 18 months and four years of age.

Get bull power right – having enough bulls in the bull team reduces the workload on individual bulls and
provides back up if a bull becomes lame.

Always run a minimum of two healthy bulls with a small mob. This gives you a back up if one bull
becomes lame.

Rotate the groups of bulls every few days to a week, depending on their work load. Resting the bulls will
maintain their health, libido and foot condition.

Keep working groups of bulls in different areas of the farm and move the cows in day/night grazing
rotations.

If using synchronisation, run all the bulls the week you expect returns. Then go back to rotating and
resting.

Keep bulls out of concrete yards and avoid making them walk on stony tracks. Bulls can be trained to stay
out of yards or drafted to a side paddock for feeding.

Monitor bulls daily for lameness and replace them immediately with healthy bulls unless you have
sufficient back up already running with the herd.

Keep bulls out of the dairy and avoid feeding more than 2-3 kg concentrates per day.

Carry out any preventative hoof care at least eight weeks before mating – tranquilizers can lower semen
quality.
For more information on managing bulls visit the InCalf website at www.incalf.com.au
New Target 10 Communicator Editors
Melissa Spain, a new dairy extension officer based in Echuca and Leah de Vries, a dairy extension officer
based in Tatura, will be taking over the editorial role for the Target 10 Communicator. If you have any
questions, suggestions for articles or comments please don’t hesitate to contact Melissa at Echuca DPI on
(03) 5482 0431, email: melissa.spain@dpi.vic.gov.au or Leah at Tatura DPI on (03) 5833 5223, email:
leah.devries@dpi.vic.gov.au
The Target 10 Communicator is also available electronically. If you would like to receive the newsletter via
email please contact Melissa to be added to the distribution list.
GETTING THE BEST MASTITIS CONTROL AT CALVING
The period around calving (from two weeks before calving until two weeks after calving) is often the highest
risk period for mastitis infections to occur. Therefore this period can be critical in determining the infection
status of both the individual cow and the herd for the rest of the lactation. Milk quality for the whole lactation
may depend on the success of mastitis control at calving.
Preventing new infections in the calving period has significant benefits for the farmer. Many of these infections
can be prevented by implementing some relatively simple management changes. These management changes
have proven to be very effective on many farms – and the real positive is that many of the changes cost very
little to implement.
How can I get a dry and clean calving area?
If you have to look where you’re putting your feet to avoid walking on cow pat, then it’s too dirty for calving.
Given that environmental bacteria (e.g. Streptococcus uberis & E Coli) are usually the most common cause of
mastitis infections around calving, the ideal place for cows to calve is a clean, sheltered, and dry area with very
little faecal contamination. However this can often be difficult to achieve.
Choosing the best area is further complicated by the need to choose a calving paddock or calving pad where the
cows can be easily supervised. The best option for mastitis control is a clean grassed area with no surface water,
but it is often the most difficult to achieve and has the added risk of potentially increasing the incidence of
metabolic diseases such as milk fever. It is important to have other milk fever prevention strategies in place for
cows that are calving in paddocks on grass.
The ideal calving paddock should have a good cover of grass, and not have been irrigated with or contaminated
by milking shed or feed pad effluent. A clean environment can be maintained if the paddock is large enough so
that grass cover is retained and faecal contamination is minimal.
The only practical solution is to fence off any bare or bogged areas where manure has accumulated so the area
can dry out and regenerate. If temporary electric fences are shifted across a paddock at regular intervals then
clean areas can be provided for new batches of calving cows. It is important to avoid ‘back-grazing’ where
cows have access to recently contaminated areas in addition to the new area. Some planning is needed to create
access lanes and allow for access to drinking water in each strip-grazing area.
Calving pads can be a useful alternative for wet conditions. Good drainage is probably the most important
factor and can be supplied by providing sufficient fall on the pad, or by installing underground slotted PVC
pipe drainage. However many calving pads, especially those with poor drainage, quickly build up high levels of
manure contamination and mastitis becomes a problem.
If this is likely to be an issue, then options include either limiting the number of cows on the pad, or limiting
their time on the pad by only using the pad strategically during very wet periods. A practical guide for assessing
how clean and dry an area for calving needs to be is that no more than two pats of manure are present per
square metre and no water is visible in foot prints. Faecal contamination from cow manure is the most common
source of Strep. uberis infection, so avoiding a build up of manure can be critical in preventing infection.
For more information on managing mastitis visit the Countdown Downunder website at
www.countdown.org.au
MONTHLY REMINDERS
Pastures
 Rotation length should be quite long by now
(approximately 70 days) to allow the pasture to
grow back to the optimal pre-grazing stage.
 Do not back graze pasture which has been grazed
within the last three days, if strip grazing large
multiple feed paddocks use an electric fence tape
to prevent cows re-grazing over previously grazed
areas of the paddock.
 Why not boost your early spring growth with an
application of between 30 to 60 kg of nitrogen per
hectare in mid to late July. Most ryegrass based
pastures will give a response of about
10kgDM/kgN at this time of year. Your best
pastures will give you the best response.
Stock
 Check withholding periods on any drugs used on
stock, and record the treatment date. This is
especially handy if a cow calves early or aborts –
records can be checked to ensure that there will
be no residue contamination.
 Monitor condition of cows in the dry paddock
and be aware of milk fever prior and post calving
this season.
 Are the calving pad and calf rearing facilities
ready to go? Once calving starts, things will be
too busy to worry about it - get organised early.
Fodder
 Cost out fodder purchases based on a cents per
mega joule of energy basis so you know which
feed is the best value for money.
 Stick with feeds you know or understand and
have a feed test certificate and fodder declaration.
Business
 Why not get an experienced advisor to do a
Taking Stock Taking Action analysis for your
business? A clear picture of how your business is
travelling will help you consider your options for
the upcoming season. Register now as places are
limited. Contact Jason Leeman DPI Echuca,
phone 54 821 922.
WHAT’S COMING UP
VICC/GRDC IRRIGATION UPDATE FOR
FARMERS
The Victorian Irrigated Cropping Council and the
Grains Research and Development Corporation
are holding an Irrigated Cropping update for
farmers in August.
There will be presentations on:
 Crop Agronomy
 Water policy & allocation outlook
 Irrigation layout & design
 The seasonal forecast
 Fodder
 And locusts, amongst other things.
The day will be held on the 11 August at the
Barham & District Memorial Services Club (club
Barham) from 8:30am to 3:30pm.
Pre-paid tickets cost $35 and can be purchased
from Rob Fisher. Phone 0428 545 263 or email:
vicc@dragnet.com.au
Tickets are available at the door at a cost of $45.
NCDEA SHORT COURSE
The PeopleGPS short course on managing your
staff will be run at the GOTAFE William Orr
campus from 10 am to 3 pm on Wednesday 4, 11,
18 and 25 of August.
For more information contact the Customer
Service Centre on 1800 062 332
You can also enquire about a range farm skills
courses on offer such as the Farm Chemical Users
Course and Refresher course, Fence construction
and Chainsaw operation.
Any feedback or comments are welcomed by the editors, Melissa Spain (03) 54820431 and Leah de Vries (03) 5833 5223
This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is
without any flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error,
loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.
For previous issues of the Target 10 Communicator go to DEC Website: www.dairyextension.com.au