Need to feed
About this episode
The episode discusses practical feeding strategies for sheep and cattle during a challenging seasonal shift with guest Sally Balmain.
In this episode, we are joined by North West Local Land Services Livestock officer Sally Balmain to discuss practical feeding strategies for sheep and cattle as producers navigate a tricky seasonal shift. Across parts of the region there has been some useful rain, and paddocks are starting to show a green pick. While that is a welcome change, the key message is that green does not always mean there is enough feed available. Short days, cold conditions and falling soil temperatures mean pasture growth is still slow, and in many cases there is not much bulk sitting behind the green feed. This creates a challenging period for producers. Livestock are often chasing fresh green feed, but the actual dry matter available may still be limited. At the same time, many winter forage crops are not quite ready to graze. Producers are left in a waiting game, trying to balance the feed that is available now with the feed that is coming. The episode focuses on how to use supplements with purpose during this period. Rather than simply putting feed out and hoping for the best, the discussion looks at matching supplements to the class of stock, the available pasture, and the production goal…
People in this episode
Host: Max Newsome
Guest: Sally Balmain
Topics covered
- livestock feeding strategies
- seasonal shifts
- pasture management
- supplement use
- sheep and cattle care
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: North West Local Land Services, Local Land Services
Places: North West
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