Waterlogged pastures

Although July is not the wettest month in Gippsland, it can be the worst for puggingdamaged pastures.

Even small amounts of pugging can lead to a reduction of 20 to 30 per cent in pasture production, with severe pugging approaching 50 to 60 per cent.

With moderate pugging over large areas of the farm comes reduced milk production and higher costs.

These costs include: increased use of supplementary feeding, re-sowing, thinner cows, mastitis, lameness, etc.

The aim is to avoid, or at least minimise pugging damage.

Plan grazing of wet verses dry areas with the weather in mind.

If heavy prolonged rains are forecast, consider grazing those areas prone to pugging before it arrives, even if the pasture is not at the ideal stage for grazing.

After the rain event, grazing should be confined to the drier paddocks while the wetter paddocks dry out.

These paddocks should be added back into the rotation as soon as possible to maintain the pasture wedge.

Allow the cows to graze larger areas to reduce the stocking intensity.

This should only be a short term option as it speeds up the rotation.

It is crucial that rotation is maintained where possible to allow the grass regrow to near its potential (two and a half to 3 leaves) before regrazing to avoid further pasture damage. On-off grazing is extra work but worthwhile when the off area is well planned.

Cows graze paddocks for two to four hours and then removed, earlier if pugging starts to occur.

Once off the paddock, the cows need to go elsewhere to be topped up with a high quality supplement.

This could be a hard stand-off or loafing area, cow yards or a well-designed feedpad.

The latter is not cheap but many farmers swear by them in terms of saved feed, less wear and tear on tracks and machinery and reduced lameness.

Short term stand-off areas can be found or created on farm, however; this site will probably become a bog hole unless time, thought and money is put into making it workable for a longer term.

Suitable sites can include old concreted yards, unused roads, tree lots and dead ends or very wide areas in laneways.

Standing cows on a sacrifice paddock or even back in the cow yard are successful alternatives.

Long term planning should allow for easy access, control of effluent run-off, preparation for and laying of a hard surface, and topping up with sawdust/wood chops/bark.

Market report for 19th and 20th July 2017 Wednesday Fat Sale 204 head. Thursday Bull and Cow Sale, 17 bulls, 172 cows

204 head penned on Wednesday sold to mixed demand, as prices across the state balance on the edge, with lack of numbers and varying quality amongst yardings.

8 bullocks this week and this category reached a top of 303.2 cents, an average of 274.8, with the yard 4 cents easier at 284.5.

21 heifers made to 300, up 23 and averaged 229.1, back 19.

20 steers made to 319.2, up 37 and averaged 274.7, back 4. 155 veal made to 348, back and averaged 300.2, up 7. Thursday fared a bit better with 192 head penned and prices rallied a little, with this market stronger. 17 bulls topped at 317.2, up 5, to average 9 cents up at 281.4. Bullock numbers were back with 3 yarded and sold to a top of 300. The top price for the 172 cows was 22 cents up at 280 and the cow average was firm at 216.6. This week’s yard average improved 4 cents at 225.3.

1 LimX M&B Harding, Hill End 1 B/Blue P Schroen, Bunyip 1 LimX T&W Renshaw, Lillico

1 LimX B&S Garratt, Moe Heifers 3 LimX B&S Garratt, Moe Export Cows and Heifers 2 M/G S McCarthy, Toongabbie 1 Ang Nave Pastoral, Tanjil Sth 1 R/A Armstrong Invest, L/touche 1 Ang H Fisher, Nyora 1 Sim G&V Templeton, NNG 1 CharX J Vicary, Drouin Dairy Cows 1 FrnX A Moyes, Boolarra 1 Frn J&J O’Connor, Mt View 1 Frn P McCauley, Cora Lynn 1 Frn R&S Summerfield, B/Vista Bulls 1 Lim 1 Ang 1 Sim 1 Char 1 R/A J Vicary, Drouin B&E Towt, Garfield Nth G&V Templeton, NNG Parton & Wright, Hill End E&C Lambourne, Tyers

3. Landmark, 4. SEJ, 5. Scotts.

325 445 390

505 506

597 630 625 755 795 665

670 633 605 625

348.0 1131 342.0 1521 333.2 1299

319.2 1611 299.2 1513

280.0 1673 275.0 1732 263.2 1645 258.0 1932 256.0 2035 252.0 1675

223.2 1495 221.6 1403 219.6 1401 218.6 1366

910 317.2 2886 1115 315.0 3512 885 308.6 2731 800 295.6 2364 650 277.2 1801 1. Gibbon, 2. Elders,