Hunter Local Land Services will be holding a series of confinement feeding workshops in early December.
Confinement feeding is a temporary, proactive management strategy that has increasingly been incorporated into on-farm drought management programs.
Confinement feeding is a management strategy to help maintain livestock production during periods of limited feed availability and to help maintain groundcover across other parts of the property.
Confinement feeding is when stock are confined in either small paddocks or pens for full hand feeding and management during drought. Confinement feeding areas can sometimes be referred to as sacrifice paddocks, drought-lots or stock containment areas.
The advantages of confinement feeding are:
Reduce
. grazing pressure
. topsoil, groundcover and nutrient losses
. pasture damage/loss
. pasture re-establishment costs
. livestock daily energy requirements (stock requirements can drop by 10-15%)
. livestock welfare issues
. the spread of introduced weed seeds in purchased grain or fodder
. labour and running costs (for example less time travelling compared to feeding in paddocks).
Maintain
. core breeder base
. genetic base
. cash flow.
Improve
. monitoring of stock
. pasture response rates after rain
. stock liveweight and/or condition
. conception and weaning rates
. weaner/adult growth rates or feed conversion efficiencies (FCEs)
. dam and lamb/calf survival .
wool quality (for example staple strength, position of break, yields)
. management of stock back onto green feed after rain
. overall enterprise recovery after drought.
the Hunter LLS workshops provide practical on-farm sessions for anyone feeding cattle or planning a feed program. They will cover everything from set-up and fine tuning a confinement feeding system on-farm, to nutrition, rations and healthcare.
Whether your drought feeding, early weaning or finishing, come along and hear from Brett Littler, Senior Livestock Officer - Local Land Services, for practical information on getting set up for success, nutritional advice on feed options and budgets, and tips and tricks to get the most out of your system.
Hunter Local Land Services District Veterinarians will discuss the animal health considerations when moving into this style of feeding program.
Network with local farmers and advisors and see first-hand what's working in their operations.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about this drought management strategy and how it may benefit your farm business going forward.
Register for one of these events at a location near you:
5 December: Goorangoola near Singleton Lower Hunter: https://brnw.ch/21wEvNs
6 December: Bunyah Manning Great Lakes: https://brnw.ch/21wEvNx
7 December: Wingen near Scone Upper Hunter: https://brnw.ch/21wEvNu
Louise Nichols
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
