Wintering – 2022

We have been receiving plenty of questions and/or feedback around our dry land wintering methods. We have included our 3x wintering methods and attributed some financial analysis for each.

We will follow up post-winter with some Diet, Animal Performance, Mineralizable Nitrogen Soil Test results and Pugging details

All crop numbers are based on a 12-month window from 20th September to 19th September.

Fodder Beet

Grown under Catalyst Performance Agronomy Sureyield Package. Has a yield estimate of 26 Tonne per hectare. Costs include any performance bonus paid to Catalyst for exceeding yield targets.

Total 12-month yield: 26,000 kg/DM ha

Growing costs:  10.9 Cents per kg/DM

Down the throat cost:  13.2 Cents per kg/DM

(Includes utilisation)

Leafy Triticale and Kale

Triticale drilled mid-September and harvested 14/12 and yielded 6246 Kg/DM ha. Kale drilled 15/12 and has a yield estimate of 13 Tonne per Hectare.

Total 12-month yield: 19,246 kg/DM ha

Growing costs:  14.3 Cents per k/DM

Down the throat cost: 20.8 Cents per kg/DM

(Includes utilisation, cost to harvest and feed-out)

Cereal Barley Silage and Diverse Species

Barley drilled mid-September and harvested 5/1 and yielded 13,141 Kg/DM ha. Diverse drilled 31/1 and has a yield estimate of 7 Tonne per Hectare (may be grazed 2x for 7 Tonne)

Total 12-month yield: 20,141 kg/DM ha

Growing Costs: 10.1 Cents per kg/DM

Down the throat cost:  18.2 Cents per kg/DM

(Includes utilisation, cost to harvest and feed-out)

In summary, Fodder beet grown well is hard to go past financially. Let’s wait and see how they all perform over winter and with the other metrics.

• R1 Calves to graze the fodder beet
• R2s – MA cows to graze Kale and Triticale – Barley Silage
• MA Cows to graze Diverse Species