Different farms mean different feed needs

Waitotara is around 240,000 kg milksolids. Limiting factors in terms of production are that the property is dry in the summer. Last year was an exceptionally dry summer, starting in November. Normally we could expect it to get dry from January right through until April. That’s when we would start using our maize.’’

The Prices are driven by cow condition and like their animals to be at least 4.5-5 in terms of condition score. Cows falling below this are fed additional supplementary feed regardless of the time of the year.

The Oeo Road farm is very flat, and the herd is predominantly Friesian.

‘‘At the moment we are grass only, just because we have plenty of it,’’ says Ben.

While plans are to use about a tonne annually of locally-sourced maize to supplement the herd’s diet, the Prices are also trialling a new product - a blend comprising 30% molasses and 70% palm kernel, which is supplied by BHL Feeds based in New Plymouth.

Belinda backgrounds events which led to this decision.

‘‘When we bought the Oeo Road farm this year, the previous owner was feeding the cows 400,000 litres of ‘‘Proliq’’ a liquid stock food supplied by Fonterra. However, when we took the farm over we lost that allocation, and we dropped from an A allocation to a B allocation.

‘‘We had to make the difference up somehow, so this year we have trialled the BHL molasses/palm kernel product. We will use about 200 tonne.

‘‘Our targeted production for the Oeo Road farm for this year is 120,000 kg milksolids.’’