Focussed farm business people understand their pasture growth rates and trends because it allows better business decisions. However, this simple and time tested technique that most farmers know about is usually only done by a few.
With pasture as your base resource for conversion into profit, this really needs to change. Knowledge of pasture growth rates mean you have a better chance of using the resource most effectively, regardless of the species or fertility you have. Here are a few reasons and benefits to ponder:
Knowing your growth curve allows you to proactively identify which profit periods are the best for you to capture. Your farm and business is different to those in the next province, the next valley or even next door. Based on your preferences, skills, opportunities and land type, there will be various stock classes as optimum profit opportunities for you. Timing is very important. There is not much point in cooler climate farmers trying to compete with warmer climate farmers for selling early lambs if there is not enough feed available for getting lambs off to a good start. This sounds logical but you would be surprised how many miss this point. Having good covers through winter can reduce this issue but this appears to be the exception in current farming.
You can’t fight nature for ever – learn how to work with it. Get to know how your soil and pasture operate and what its idiosyncrasies are. Learn how to use it well first before you try and manipulate it in any way. You may just find that your business and workload becomes so much easier.
Pasture growth rate knowledge allows solid stocking rate and feeding decisions. It is of little use stocking up when the pasture growth rates are low, you have little pasture cover and market values are increasing, but then throwing the next major profit period into stagnation. Many will do this in the winter and then underfeed their ewes and lambs / cows and calves for the first couple of months from birth. Likewise, not being set up to deal with excessive pasture growth when it is likely to occur is not a good strategy if you can’t then capitalise on the next profit period well.
Understand the variability in pasture growth rates to allow flexibility at those times. Historical figures (if available or measured by you over time) mean that you can identify the months when pasture growth can usually vary a lot and when it usually varies by a just small amount from year to year. Working this information into your profit strategies means you can set up for flexibility of stock classes and stocking rates during those months. Getting caught without flexibility means reactionary measures are taken, almost always resulting in a hit to the business. Work hard to minimise these times.
Well measured pasture growth rates are one of the useful measures of soil health. Keep the records so if there are issues you can use them when brainstorming with those who know a lot about soil health.
The information from pasture cages and cuts can be mixed with other information to provide accurate knowledge of what the pasture is really doing. One pasture cage cut in a paddock is not necessarily an accurate measure of pasture growth. Pasture covers, changes in stock condition, fertility knowledge, biological knowledge and common sense are all crucial alongside growth rates to give confidence in what your 1-3 pasture cages in a paddock are telling you.
Do what you can to understand your pasture growth. Without this knowledge you are hamstringing your opportunities. With it you stand a great chance of adding to your profit and the enjoyment of your business and results.