The case study, on a Tasmanian cattle producer, shows how better understanding the relationship between plant requirements and leaf emergence rates can assist feed budgeting and planning.

The case study is featured in the May/June 2017 edition of MLA’s Feedback magazine and focuses on the Hughes’ family seedstock business, Cluden Newry Angus, located about 25km south of Launceston in Tasmania.

Producer Jock Hughes combines Angus cattle, prime lamb production and opportunity cropping and before the Hughes began their improvement program, the property was understocked with a lack of grazing pressure leading to lower quality regrowth and infestations of grass weeds like browntop bent grass.

After completing the Australian Wool Innovation Lifetime Ewe Management course and continuing on to the Pasture Principles program, Jock presented his approach to producers at the MLA-sponsored Red Meat Updates conference in 2016.

Jock knew there were obvious benefits to rotational grazing before beginning the Pasture Principles program but had avoided rotations. The need for small cow mobs for single-sire mating and small bull mobs for managing social behaviour made grazing management challenging.

The Pasture Principles program, which uses modules from MLA's More Beef from Pastures and Making More from Sheep programs, helped Jock understand the benefits of locating pasture on a dry matter basis and understanding animal requirements for maintenance, growth, pregnancy and lactation.