Collaborators
PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELP DEVELOP FORERUNNER:
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In most of the grain growing regions, farmers employ consultants or agronomists to help maximise their production.
Now a consulting services are available to help maximise forage production and feed quality for animal industries and assist you in consideration for grazing cereal crops.
PIONEER INNOVATORS
Paul Omodie Manjimup
Paul is a pioneer grower of Forerunner Triticale and has grown it for 3 seasons. The 2011 hay crop varied between 9 to 12 tonne to ha after grazing which ranged between 10 and 16days. So he is the most qualified person in Australia to help growers get a maximum return from this crop from both forage production and animal grazing. He is now offering a service to work members of the farming community to increase forage and animal production.
Pauls 2011 Forunner Triticale that had been grazed for 16days during the growing period
B.Sc.Ag (Hon) UWA) Paul has been providing farming systems advice to farmers and industry for the past four years throughout the Great Southern, South Coast and South West regions of WA. He has excellent management, people and planning skills and an extensive agronomic knowledge of soil, cropping, pasture and animal production systems developed through practical experience. Paul employs a systematic approach to sustainable agricultural issues and draws on a wealth of knowledge to impart practical business solutions
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Mike & Rob Introvigne Bridgetown
Mike and Rob Introvigne, who produce the Forerunner Triticale seed, have been growing Forerunner Triticale for 3 years.
They maximise their cropping production to include the conservation of hay and silage for their 800 breeder cattle herd. To do this they design their hay production, to their own formula with the aim of optimising herd productivity.
They are also owners of Bonnydale Simmental Farms, established in 1974, which has invested in Black Simmental genetics from the USA. This has predominantly been through the importation of embryos from specially selected females via an alliance with a Colorado Simmental herd and includes the recent purchase of a Black Simmental cow in the USA.
Their 2012 Annual On-Property Bull Sale saw 26 Black Simmentals, 14 SimAngus and 27 Simmental bulls offered for sale. The innovation that saw Mike and Rob introduce Black Simmental to Western Australia in 2006 to complement the long standing Simmental herd is also applied to other areas of their operation.
Besides the cattle enterprise they crop 650 hectares to hay and grain for on farm hay supplies, grain and hay to dairy farmers and also Canola and Barley. Part of this has been the use of Forerunner Triticale hay. They have found Forerunner is a cheaper hay crop to grow as it has not needed applications of fungicide, particularly for prevention of rust which has meant higher quality hay.
While Forerunner is a little slow getting away while it sets up its root system, early planting has improved its establishment and early production potential. It displays rapid growth as the weather warms up in August and competes impressively with any weeds that may be present.
In 2011 with all of the spring rain the option was taken to delay the hay making. While some ME was sacrificed all of the hay is unspoilt. Delaying cutting until the weather was more conducive to the making of quality hay, was due to the later maturity of Forerunner. The Forerunner hadn’t started flowering when Oats was at the milky stage. They also took the option of making silage from Forerunner which has shown good feed test results and desirable fermentation.
One of the significant benefits has been the preference all classes of cattle have shown for the Forerunner hay over other cereal hay of sheep also showing a preference for Forerunner hay provides further proof that Forerunner has a bright future in the area of consresulting in less wastage. While the hay may appear to be stemmy the stems are soft and probably slightly higher in sugars but the leaf content of the plant is impressive leading to a highly palatable alternative feed source. Reports erved fodder production.
To have a productive and profitable cattle enterprise requires a high level of attention to the animals nutritional requirements and to this end Forerunner will continue to be a major part of the Introvigne’s farming enterprise.
The rainfall in 2012 was 200mm below average most of which was in the growing season. Over the 5 farms where they grow hay the averaged 8 tonne to the Ha with the top paddocks cutting 14 tonne. They have now gone out of producing Swan oats and eclusively grow Forerrunner.
The Introvignes feed lot cattle and much of the hay production is for fibre. So the hay making is delayed to get maximum hay production.
This is an example on how the use of Forerunner allows the producer to make management decisions on the varying uses for hay in the feed regimes for animals.
Any person interested the processes to manage a profitable cattle enterprise or purchasing Black Simmental cattle. Please contact Mike or Rob.
APPLYING RESEARCH
John Milton
Growing any sort of crop is an expensive exercise. While most farmers seek advise from consultants or agronomists to grow that crop and achieve the standards for human consumption.It is not the same in the utilisation of the crop for animal feed. Although in-appropriate feed can be just as expensive.
There is a service available to test the nutritional value of animal feed and advise on how to get the greatest productivity from that feed.
From farming in the early days in Queensland to Associate Professor of Animal Nutrition at WA University. John Milton is the rare combination of practical and academic. The Services offered by his business Independent Lab Services gives the client the benefit of this all round experience.
Part-time Associate Professor, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (FNAS), School of Animal Biology. The University of Western Australia (UWA)
Director Independent Lab Services (ILS) livestock feed analysis and consultancy company in operation since 1992. At ILS feeds are analysed for nutritional attributes and diets formulated for stud stock, beef and dairy cattle, prime lambs and goats. ILS consultancy for clients on the nutrition of sheep and goats, beef and dairy cattle and sheep reproduction have included: Ag Excellence Alliance (SA), Birchip Cropping Group (Vic), Department of Agriculture & Food of WA, EverGraze Project, Farm Management 500, Keenan P/L, Kondinin Group, Landcorp in NZ, Meat & Livestock Australia, Resource Consulting Services, stud and commercial Merino and prime lamb producers throughout Australia, produce agents, feed millers and live export companies.
FEEDS SUPPLY ANIMALS WITH NUTRIENTS
TEST FOR NUTRIENTS BEFORE FEEDING
INDEPENDENT LAB SERVICES (ILS)is a feed analysis and consultancy service run by Dr John Milton with his 40 years experience in feeding livestock. As part of the ILS analysis report Dr Milton provides professional comments to help explain the practical relevance of the results for feeding livestock.
• ILS offers precise assessment of the nutritive value of livestock feeds with
Crude Protein & Metabolisable Energy as 2 of the vital constituents measured
• ILS helps develop profitable feeding systems from the nutritive value of feeds. You can:
• mix rations for optimal nutrition and animal performance for minimum cost
• buy feeds based on nutritive value and decide which to feed to various classes of stock
• achieve the productive potential from animals and avoid metabolic and nutritional disorders
How to go about it
• Grains & Mixed Feeds - Fill plastic bag to bottom of label, expel air and seal bag
• Hays, Silages & Pastures - Fill plastic bag with material chopped into short lengths,expel air and seal bag (See the next page for details on sampling & sending samples)
• Complete details on the plastic bag and back of the reply-paid envelope and post sample
Please Note: When sending 2 or more samples, package the samples together and fix
the reply-paid envelope to the front of the package - ILS pays the postage
Results with Professional Comments
• Either by Fax or E-mail with original report by mail plus replacement kits
For Consultancies or Advice
• Professional fees are based on the time devoted to the consultan
Comprehensive Mineral & Water analyses are available on request at extra cost
Free sample kits are available on request; Telephone 95257085
SAMPLING AND SENDING SAMPLES
• SILAGE:
With a coring device Without a coring device
Take a number of core samples of unspoiled Take about 12 finger-plucked samples of
material from the face or top of the pit or stack unspoiledmaterial from different parts of
or from the curved side of round bales of silage. the stack or pit. Take handfuls from the inside
For square bales, sample from the butt-end. of bales and cut into pieces about 2 cm long.
Write the details of the sample on the labeled plastic bag and push the sample to the bottom of the bag. Expel air from the labeled plastic bag and roll the bag on itself to make a sausage, seal the bag and fit rubber bands along the sausage to keep the sample air-tight. Complete the details on the back of the reply paid envelope, place the sample in the envelope and mail ASAP (preferably early in the week).
• HAY:
With a coring device Without a coring device
Sample from the curved side of at least 5 round Take handfuls from the inside of least 5 round or square bales
bales. For square bales, sample from the butt-end and cut each handful into pieces about 2 cm long.
of about 5 large bales or 10 small bales.
Fill the labeled plastic bag with the cored or cut material (including any fine material that may have separated out). Expel air when finally closing the bag. Complete the details on the labeled plastic bag and the back of the reply paid envelope and mail.
• GRAIN & MIXED FEED:
Use a grain spear or take representative samples of the batch for analysis. Fill the labeled plastic bag to the line "FILL GRAIN TO HERE". Expel air when finally closing the bag.
Complete the details on the labeled plastic bag and the back of the reply paid envelope and mail.
Please note: Advise the composition by weight of all ingredients in a Grain Mix or Total Mixed Ration and if any Oil or Urea has been added. This will assist us to provide a precise measure of the Metabolisable Energy.
• PASTURE:
Walk a selected line in the paddock and stop every 20 paces. Use hand-shears to cut a sample at ground level from an area about 4 inches wide and the length of the shears in front of where you stop. Exclude soil, stones or dung from samples and take at least 10 samples from each paddock. Cut samples into pieces about 2 cm long and fill the labeled plastic bag with the cut material. Expel air when finally closing the bag. Complete the details on the labeled plastic bag and the back of the reply-paid envelope and mail.
REQUEST A TEST TO FEED THE BEST
