Not an easy system

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33094, 8 December 1972, Page 9

Not an easy system

Ashley Dene is still being farmed on an all-lucerne system, but Professor J. D. Stewart, professor of farm management at Lincoln College, confessed recently that it was not an easy system—to achieve what agronomists specified, and to get a good rotational stocking system in practice.

"However, we still think that with a high proportion of lucerne is the way to farm it,” he told a large crowd of visitors at the annual farmers’ field day. As a regular practice, Tama is being drilled into some of the stands in the autumn, but Professor Stewart said that unless there were good autumn rains, there was little growth in Tama in August and September. This year, the Tama did not get away, and during the spring the sheep were on top of the feed supply. Considering there was only one good rain in October, Professor Stewart felt that the property had done fairly well. He described the season as being “as tight as we have had." The spring was later and cold. It was obvious the lambs were not going to get away (off the mothers), so they were weaned early.

The 3000 ewes had an effective lambing of 105 per cent—from survival to sale. Hay has not been made on Ashley Dene for four Sears, but 8000 to 9000 ales of straw were carted in last autumn, of which 6000 had been fed out by the winter. The first cross BorderCorriedale ewe is being run, and Professor Stewart said that providing it was given good treatment during January. February and March, a 130 per cent lambing could be expected. No flock replacements are being bred. Professor Stewart is looking into ways of simplifying the management in this respect. Two alternatives are open. Ewe lambs could be bought at a premium over fat lamb price, sent to a raiser on a contract basis, and brought on to Ashley Dene as 1301 b two-tooth ewes. The other alternative would be to buy replace-

ments as 1001 b ewe lambs, and mate them. Dr J. G. H. White, of the plant science department, in discussing the management of lucerne, told farmers rotational grazing was the best system, but the problem was to put it into practice on the farm. Lucerne was best grazed by sizeable mobs in 10 to 12 days, followed by 40 to 45day spells. Basically it was a simple system for best production. He recommended that as much as 30 per cent of lucerne stands could be over-drilled with Tama and grazed during August and September. At Ashley Dene, this practice enabled a later start to lambing—September 1. During spring, as many as 60 ewes to the acre could be run, but as big mobs were not a proposition, it meant fencing into smaller areas. Lucerne was sensitive to mismanagement under high stocking. Questioned about feeding hay on lucerne stands. Dr White said a watch should be kept for barley grass; If eelworm was present in a stand, the spread of hay taken from that stand could spread the disease.