Basil Doonan

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• Basil Doonan
• Farm Management Group

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Objective

• Developing and demonstrating large scale dairy
  farm practices that are robust, profitable and
  environmentally and socially sustainable

3
History

• TDDF agreement signed with VDL June 07
• Sharefarmers appointed 26th June
• By this time 100 cows had calved
• Calving started 1st July
• Very difficult to alter the outcome
• Our bed was made

4
Two clear objectives Year 1

• Make money
• These systems have historically been profitable
• We didnt want to under perform
• Cost owners or sharefarmers money
• Prioritise profit for future performance
• Tying for a quantum leap
• Basics might be obvious

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The Farm
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Identified issues

• Main areas for improvement
• Unhealthy herd
• Below optimum cow condition (calving)
• Below optimum APC
• Under-grown heifers and cows
• Below ideal soil fertility
• Laneways
• Ryegrass staggers

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Always start at the bottom

• The most fundamental improvements give the
  biggest returns
• Heifers
• Soil fertility
• Laneways

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Financial Benchmarks
Year 1 performance
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Financial
Year 1 performance

• ROC not too bad
• But largely due to milk price (13 higher than
  budget)
• Major achievement was reducing costs by 100k
• Labour
• Purchased feed
• Nitrogen
• Other bits and pieces

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Production Benchmarks
Year 1 performance
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Production
Year 1 performance

• Small heifers and cows resulted in
• 100 cows herd recorded zero production in
  February
• 100 cows producing less than 6 litres
• Despite 15 kgDM/cow
• Significant lameness in early lactation
• Cows separated and milked OAD
• January all cows affected by ryegrass staggers
• Missed autumn break by 2 weeks (40-60 lactation
  days)
• 150,000 to this season?
• 2 and 3 yo animals
• increased weight by 70 kg
• Increased condition by 15 kg
• 130,000

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Animal Benchmarks
Year 1 performance
13
Environmental Benchmarks
Year 1 performance
14
HRM Benchmarks
Year 1 performance
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Training

• Pasture management and coaching
• TIAR
• Lameness workshop
• SVS
• Calf rearing
• TIAR

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Prioritised spending

• Young stock
• 95 of terminal weight (Now 465kg Lwt)
• Cow herd
• Culled all unhealthy and unsuitable animals
• Laneways
• 60,000 spent
• 40,000 capital
• Soil fertility
• Olsen P 14 to 20
• K from 150 to 200
• 20,000 capital
• Calf paddocks
• 3 new paddocks
• 3,000 capital

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The year ahead

• We have a healthy herd
• Adequate genetics
• We have fewer undersized heifers
• Bigger proportion of pasture to production
• Theyre in good condition (0.3 CS)
• Bigger proportion of pasture to production
• Most laneways are repaired
• Calf paddocks are in place
• Our Sharefarmers are settled

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The year ahead

• Stocking rate still low
• Inability to feed much concentrate
• Cost control still focus
• Herd fertile and short calving spread
• Lactation days still concern
• Due primarily to pasture growth and staggers

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Year 2 to date
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Year 2 to date
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Summary

• Last years performance ok
• Much of the performance fixed
• Milk price provided a boost
• Didnt bid up cost structure
• We have laid the foundation for this year
• Fewer small heifers
• No unhealthy animals
• Better lanes
• Better soil fertility
• Better trained labour
• Lots of good information out to industry
• Looking to gain increased relevance