Wishnowsky farm background information
Wishnowsky Community Group day one - 10th February 2010
Tim Hembrow (Meat and Wool NZ) opened the forum explaining how Monitor Farms are a way to identify key issues and spread information to farmers. He passed his thanks to the Wishnowskys for opening their farm gate to scrutiny. Today set the scene for implementing change to make their (and your) farm better and more profitable.
Trevor Cook (Totally Vets) discussed how this programme is aimed at lifting the performance of sheep and beef farms in this region (rather than just this farm). The Monitor Farm programme provides a platform for discussing and implementing plans on this farm so other farmers can benefit and take ideas home to their own farms. Lifting performance on your farm will improve your profit.
New Zealand agriculture is the best industry and the best country at sharing ideas. The Monitor Farm concept is proof of that and something we can all utilise. This programme utilises farmer levies - make it worthwhile by contributing.
Ginny Dodunski (Totally Vets) explained the historical and lengthy relationship between Manawatu Vets (now Totally Vets) and the Meat and Wool Monitor Farm programme. Previously we have been co-facilitators but are now the primary drivers of the programme. We have listened to feedback from previous programmes and aim to supply you with a programme you are enthusiastic about.
If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to contact Trevor or Ginny or any of the farmer based committee: Emma Cooper (chairperson), Willy Silk, Mark Illston, Stewart Picken, Angus Gilbertson, Mike Will, Jo Amyes, Ken Smith, David Treder, Tim Hembrow, Trevor, Ginny or Greta Baynes (also Totally Vets).
At the request of the community, this programme will be focused on increasing profitability and enticing younger farmers.
The Manawatu Monitor Farm (MMF) is a way to expose this farm and farm practices to the public.
We need to know where we are going in the short, medium and long-term and have a plan to achieve these goals.
Background
Simon Wishnowsky welcomed everybody. He feels the MMF is an opportunity and there is currently room for improvement on the farm. He would like the use the Monitor Farm programme as a forum to get community group input and expertise on his farm.
Simon is currently the General Manager at the Venison Packers in Feilding, working 40 hours a week. He would like to be full-time farming but to do this, the farm needs to be more profitable.
Trevor outlined some of the farm statistics. Of the 407 effective hectares, 120 are easy hills, 290 are steep and 98ha are flats. There are approximately 12su/ha wintered. The gross farm income (GFI) is currently $790/ha. Rather than income generated per hectare, the total income generated is most important measure in this situation.
Farm history
The farm was purchased by Simon's great-grandfather in the 1880s. 90 acres was purchased and cleared - this is when they realised it was not flat! Since then, the farm has milked cows in a walk-through shed and more recently through a rotary shed. Dairying ceased in 1990 due to a ragwort issue and a desire for a different lifestyle. The cowshed is still present and is available for consideration in the future.
Some land was sold in the 60s, this was re-bought with further property in 1996. More land was purchased across the road in 2003 and a lease of the adjoining property was secured in 2005. The lease block was initially used for trading but that did not work particularly well. Due to Simon's time constraints a 70-200 head cow herd has been used to ease management. The lease is currently secure for at least four years.
Dennis, Simon's father, is still active on the farm. He has had Limousin cows and there are still about 70 of them on the property.
Sheep
Generally, older ewes have been bought in, put to a terminal sire and all progeny culled. Sometimes these are purchased in-lamb or with lambs at foot. This system is currently working well but there is an opportunity to get an annual line of two-tooths and to trade winter lambs. Smaller lambs are often bought for finishing and are grown slowly over winter.
Due to the current market, no lambs or ewes with lambs at foot have been purchased.
There is an issue with flystrike on this farm due to the manuka scrub. A suggestion was made that they could be shorn earlier e.g. in winter. Simon has typically dipped, waited the six weeks then shorn in February as shearing is expensive and there is more wool harvested if they wait until then. Trevor mentioned the increased risk of lambs getting pneumonia if they are yarded near weaning.
The ram normally goes in on 1 April, to lamb in the last week of August.
Cattle
Often pregnant or cows with calves at foot are purchased to minimise the number of cattle at winter. In-calf cows from Taihape were bought in this year. These cattle are used for trading rather than carrying full numbers over the wet season. These cows do a good job of cleaning up and improving pasture quality. The Limousin bull is not being used over the commercial cows due to the late maturity of Limousin progeny and the commercial calves are sold at weaning.
The top calves from all cattle are sold at weaning. The Limousin cattle are carried through, the tops bred and the rest sold. Some cattle trading occurs.
The Limousin cows are likely to stay at a maximum of 100 head. There are some purebreds in the system but most are ¾ or â…ž Limousin. Simon has found ¾ cows crossed by a pure bull have the best performance but obviously this cross is hard to maintain. Sires are difficult to source although there is good farm being used in the north. This farm will probably be used again but they will aim to buy a sire from a different gene pool. No AI is currently done.
When asked why Dennis wants to keep them on, he replied, with a slow smile spreading across his face ‘they're all my friends'.
The Limousins have poor production, late maturity, late puberty, poor male fertility and it is difficult to reach good weights at 15mo. Because they are so lean, they must be grown to huge weights before they are killed. However they dress out between 60-65% and that is with Simon keeping only the tail-end weaners.
Some heifer selection occurs as two year-olds, and potential replacements are bled for BVD. Some of the selection is based on temperament so the current mob is easy to work with.
A number of cattle are finished on the property and were quit in November this year for good money. These were kept until R2s as heavier stock are an issue in the wet winters.
Crops
For cropping, historically paddocks have gone from barley to oats to Hunter the back into pasture. This year there are no oats, but several rape crops instead - Spitfire, Goliath and Titan. The Titan was sown at 4kg/ha.
Goliath can produce 10T DM/ha in 6 months with Spitfire capable of 5T DM/ha in the first cut and 7T DM/ha in the second. It has a softer stem than other rapes. It can be grazed quite hard and all leaf removed (normally take half the leaf only) with good regrowth. This is because it grows from the base of the plant. The plant has a good leaf to stem ratio. It is comparable to Agricom Winifred.
The time from sowing to grazing varies between cultivars. It is generally 85-95d which is approximately when the plat stops growing. For Winfred, this is about 75d, Titan 85-95d, Goliath 90-110 days.
5.5 ha of Hunter has been put in. Usually this grows 6T DM/ha, and harvests 4-4.5T. Ideally
this is sown late October, but due to the season, was sown on the 15thDecember. The lambs are currently grazing it and have been set stocked at 45-50 lambs/ha rather than break-fed due to lack of available time. With rotational grazing, the stocking rate could be increased to 75 lambs/ha.
A kale-swede crop has been sown over 3.5ha of the rolling country. . This is the first time this has been done on this property and should help with winter liveweight gains.
Poplars
Topping poplars at one metre above cow height encourages growth. Pruning should begin from year four, to create a tree with a single leader to maintain tree shape. If topping 7-8 year old trees in February-March, this can provide feed for the stock and prevent the trees becoming too big.
Weaknesses of property
Heavy clay makes it hard to winter cattle. There is heavy reliance on supplements in late Winter, although October seems to be the month with the most rain.
Strengths
- Location
- Good subdivision
- Good water
- Little earlier than hill country (but also dries out earlier)
Where to from here?
Anything is possible but the main aim is to enhance profitability.
Thank you to our sponsors:
- Meat and Wool NZ
- Intervet Schering-Plough - This company will be sponsoring all animal health monitoring and testing including a Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test; sheep fertility testing and monitoring cattle fertility
- Ballance Agrinutrients - Involved in the Land Environment Plan (LEP), soil and fertility testing and placing a value on lifting the fertility of the property
- H & T seeds - Pasture persistence project
- Rabobank - Working with the Wishnowsky's on their succession plan and speaking at Community Group days about farm succession
- Farmax - Providing farm management software
- Horizons Regional Council - LEP and farm maps
- Baker and Associates - Rural Cash Manager Course - ‘Better Business, Better Budgets'. Simon and Trevor will be attending this. There is an opportunity for a place on this course, contact Greta on 06 323 6161 if interested.
- Oroua Rugby club
