Issue 6 2024 - Farm Manager
Farm Manager
Kevin Marshall
As usual, there are a lot of things happening on farm. Generally speaking this is a great time of year, but it is not without challenges. Currently we have calving at the dairy, shearing and wool handling training, and silage production underway.
Silage season has been a busy time, and while at times the task seems unreachable, we persevere cutting, baling, and carting, one paddock at a time. The process certainly takes some co-ordination and the experience of farm staff involved has covered a lot of ground. The crop is cut, tedded (sometimes twice), windrowed, baled, and then wrapped. Currently 1200 bales have been produced and roughly weigh about 800kg. This equates to 960,000kg of feed. Quality of the rye and oats mix has been excellent, with good broad leaf weed control earlier in the season providing minimal competition to the grasses. The farm will continue cutting the later crops and produce some hay when the weather is warmer.
Recently, the dairy has been running quite smoothly with an excellent calving period and lots of little mouths to feed. We had no calving issues and minimal problems feeding. The milking herd is at capacity at the moment and with the quality winter grass, milk production is sitting on 34 litres a day on average per cow. One cow in particular, number 1869, is producing an extraordinary daily milk quantity of 71 litres. This is the highest individual milk quantity staff have ever seen.
Congratulations to the dairy team recently receiving the Silver Medal Award from Dairy Australia for milk quality. This award, chosen from every milk producer in Australia and is a huge achievement. Denmark was measured within the lowest 5 percent of bulk milk cell count (low mastitis cell count). Well done to our team on an exceptional achievement!
AWI shearing and wool handling trainers were here recently with our Year 11 students who got hands on tutoring with the skills on the shearing board. The expert training works well in preparation for the Certificate III Advanced Wool Handling later this month. Well done to staff and students for completing the ewe shearing and wool handling during the week.
Beef herds are being weighed and calves selected for the upcoming weaner sales in December. The Angus cross steers are currently weighing about 300kg, and with a target average weight of 330kg, we should be able to achieve this weight in the next 30 days. Feed available is still quite strong with some silage paddock regrowth now becoming available for grazing. The heaviest and most developed heifers will be selected and kept for future breeding cows. Selection is based on growth for age, muscling and thickness, and critically, temperament. At the same time as the weaning and calf sales, a selection of older cull cows will be sold off, making way for the younger animals to come through. Cows will be selected for age, structural soundness, and whether they were in calf or not.
Up on the hill at Horticulture and Viticulture growth is booming. The vineyard is growing very well with de-suckering and excess leaf plucking underway at the present.
At Horticulture summer crops such as pumpkins are being planted and the avocado picking season is very close. Avocado yields look very good and produce quality is excellent. The avocado trees are flowering at present in preparation for next years crop, while still bearing the current seasons fruit.
Kevin Marshall
Farm Manager
WACOA - Denmark