Feeding

Bull Feeding

If the season permits, bulls are grown on grass until early winter when they go onto a silage based ration as preparation for sale.  This ration generally consists of about 75% silage, 20% grain, 2% feedlot concentrate (that we make ourselves) and 3% vegetable protein meal (cottonseed meal or soya bean meal).  Because we don't sell through a sale-ring we do not enter a 'feeding competition' and we aim to produce ethically grown, structurally sound bulls around 850kg at two year old.

Breeder Supplements

When protein levels drop in winter pastures we will often supply our breeders ad-lib access to a dry lick that we make on farm.  This lick is based on copra meal, an outstanding source of bypass protein, and also contains urea and six other ingredients with salt as the intake inhibitor.  With consumption targeted at 2.1kg/hd/week, this lick improves appetite and rumen function and significantly reduces the winter weight loss of breeders until the first feed flush in spring or summer.

Weaner Care

When brought in for yard weaning, our weaners are fed either a dry ration based on our home-grown lucerne hay, or, if the silage bunks are open, a wet ration based on silage and vegetable protein meal.