Feeding Livestock in Dry Seasons
MAY 24, 2018
As the dry weather continues across much of the eastern states, feeding livestock has become a daily task for most livestock producers. We all know that it will eventually rain however the forecast for widespread rain doesn’t look as positive as we would like and the end of the drought is not quite in sight for many. Despite this outlook, there are important factors that producers need to consider when sourcing livestock feed, The Land reported a story this week with a representative from DPI giving sound advice on the importance of purchasing quality feed for livestock. The article stated “In times of drought when the pressure is on, we can make impulse decisions and spend a lot of money buying in fodder, but it’s really worthwhile having the conversation first around rations and whether the fodder is suitable to your livestock. It’s much easier to manage fodder once your situation has been assessed, rather than trying to fix a problem after the money has been spent and it’s in the shed.”
“The amount and type of feeding required will depend on the quality of the feed, the size, type, condition, stage of pregnancy or lactation of livestock, what facilities or equipment are available, past feeding history of livestock and the degree that livestock have be affected by drought, so there are a lot of factors at play.”
During dry times, it’s also important to have good quality feeders that can protect stock feed from the elements and that are easy to refill. Some producers use their BROOKFIELD OmniBin to blend and feed out directly into the paddock or into an auger to refill their feeders. The BROOKFIELD OmniBin has the rear dump feature to allow it to be versatile enough to be used to feed out while being used to handle seed and fertiliser when sowing and to the silos during harvest.
Source: The Land, Farmers urged to ask questions about fodder quality before they buy, Julia Wythes, 18 May 2018. Link https://www.theland.com.au/story/5400168/ask-before-you-buy-feed/?cs=4951
