Planning for the Dry

By Brian Ashton - Livestock Consultant, and Mary-Anne Young - Project Leader Land Management, Rural Solutions SA.

AT A GLANCE - Maintaining flock numbers

DO - Try to maintain realistic flock numbers
DO - Plan a feeding/management program
DO - Consider culling/selling all surplus stock

DON'T - Overstock drought effected paddocks
DON'T - Hold on to unnecessary stock
DON'T - allow excessive erosion

In times of severe feed shortage, as we have in the Mallee this year, it is very difficult for producers to maintain herd or flock numbers.

However, conditions across Australia indicate that it will be well worthwhile people keeping as many stock as they can.  The decision on how many to keep, and plans on how to do it, should be made as soon as possible. 

Australian sheep numbers are as low as they were in 1950.  There is also a severe drought in much of the Eastern States - which carry most of the Australian sheep flock.  Sheep numbers could even drop below 100m for the first time since the 1920s. 

While sheep numbers will be very low after the drought, the demand for wool and meat remains high.  Our lamb, mutton and live-sheep exports are increasing all the time and indications are that one of our biggest problems over the next ten years will be not having enough breeding ewes.  

With all this pressure to keep sheep it would be easy to fall into the trap of holding onto all sheep.  Unless good planning is done now, this could result in severe erosion risk and huge feed bills.  

It is critical that decisions be made before the sheep drop to fat score 1 condition and before paddocks become bare.  Decide which sheep have to be sold - the first to go being wethers, then old ewes and culls.

The next two months are when paddocks can easily be over grazed.  If there is erosion risk, it is important to get sheep off the paddock as soon as possible. Paddocks bared out in October can drift all summer and autumn.

On the other hand, if sheep are lot fed now the paddocks can be left with good cover over summer.  In April or May ewes can be released from the feedlot to lamb in these paddocks.  If we have summer rains, weed growth will stabilize the paddocks even more. 

Sheep can be put into feedlots and maintained in fat score 2.  People who have lot fed sheep say it is not hard and it's much better on the sheep than to leave them in bare, eroding paddocks.  

If some paddocks on the farm have no risk of erosion, sheep can be spread out, in small mobs, and hand fed in these paddocks.  Full details on how to lot feed sheep, including feedlot design, rations, management, health and economics are in the "Feeding Sheep" book.  This book is being reprinted and should be available soon.  The book "Feeding beef cattle" is available now. 

For more information, contact the nearest Rural Solutions SA Livestock Consultant.

AT A GLANCE - Avoiding erosion

DO - Maintain soil cover
DO - Measure your levels of soil cover
DO - Consider alternative stock feeding options

DON'T - Graze failed crops
DON'T - Ignore potential for wind and water erosion
DON'T - Ignore the potential benefits of summer weed growth

Losing soil surface cover now could result in bad dust storms or water erosion well into next year.

Paddocks with little or no cover now could remain so for 8 - 9 months and this presents a high risk of wind and water erosion.  During this period, there will be windy days and there could well be downpours of rain when it does eventuate.  Some of our worst water erosion events in the State have occurred after prolonged dry or drought conditions, for example, 1941 and 1983.

Sandy soils require a minimum of 50pc surface cover or approximately 1.5t/ha of dry matter such as stubble or pasture to protect them from wind erosion. Loamy soils need around 15pc cover or approximately 0.5t/ha. In parts of the State, there would not be that amount of surface cover now, particularly on failed crops.  A crop that has struggled to grow, sown into stubble-free ground, would have less than 0.5t/ha dry matter.  On soils prone to water erosion, the amount of surface cover required to reduce the risk is even higher, particularly as slope increases.

Gauging the amount of surface cover in terms of tonnes per hectare is not easy but assessing the amount of cover in 1 square metre can give a guide.  For example, 100g of dry matter in one square metre represents 1t/ha.

If current dry conditions continue, any cover that can be kept will be a bonus.  Hopefully it is something better than weeds but weeds are better than nothing.

Using herbicides to kill off growth will save soil moisture while keeping cover.  

Loosening the soil surface with animal hoofs or implements increases the risk of erosion as loose soil blows or washes away more easily.  Keeping stock off and avoiding cultivation will help keep the soil intact and more resistant to erosion.  

There is very little grazing value in 0.5 tonnes per hectare and by the time surface cover dwindles to this amount it is time to be thinking about alternative feeding options such as feed lotting, agistment or culling stock. These will benefit the stock and the land.