Stripping has already kicked off in the north and west, and longer, warmer days are sapping the green from standing feed. For producers looking to give their pasture paddocks a break, grazing stubble is a great way to make use of the new feed on offer.
Grazed effectively, stubbles help grow and maintain livestock through summer when feed is usually short in both quantity and quality. In return, the grazing stock physically breaks down the stubble, which makes future sowing easier. Grazing also returns valuable organic matter and nutrients to the soil.
Spilt grain is another useful by-product of the winter harvest. Sheep digest whole grain very efficiently, so they are well suited to cleaning up what’s left behind in freshly harvested cereal paddocks.
Paired with an effective protein source, spilt grain can be used to finish lambs. However, we don’t recommend it, as there are too many variables and risks involved in making it work efficiently. Instead, we see spilt grain as better suited to getting dry ewes into good condition for shearing and joining or for backgrounding weaner lambs.
Stubbles have plenty to offer dry stock. Worm pressure is low, and wool stays cleaner because there are fewer burrs and less debris. Spilt grain can lift body condition and wool growth. Standing straw combined with a little bit of grain and a urea-based mineral supplement, such as StockMins-Stubble Starter, provides a good maintenance diet for dry stock.
Grazing fresh stubbles safely
Cereal grain in stubble is a great source of feed, but unlimited access to it can cause acidosis. Spread out any piles of spilt grain across the paddock, and offer grazing stock a buffered urea-based mineral supplement, such as StockMins-Stubble Starter, to provide a good nutrient balance.
StockMins-Stubble Starter is a buffered, high-protein (9% urea) mineral supplement. It is designed to be fed to sheep for the first 14 days on new stubbles, when spilt grain may be present. Several effective buffers help balance rumen pH in sheep eating high-grain diets when acidosis is normally a common problem.
The supplement also provides balanced levels of essential minerals, vitamins and trace elements to improve energy utilisation, immunity, fertility and all-round animal health. Its urea content boosts fibre digestion and energy utilisation. It is commonly accepted that protein supplementation with the right level and source of non-protein nitrogen (NPN) can increase dry feed utilisation by up to 30%.
Feels Like Summer promotion
Until the end of January, buy 40 bags of StockMins-HiPro or StockMins-Stubble Starter and get an extra 4 bags free. The offer also applies to mixed pallets. See a copy of the flyer in this publication for more information.
