Capital Stock

Capital Stock - Lower North Island

Capital stock feeding is the maintenance of breeding stock between weaning and the following lambing or calving. To improve conception rates during mating, strategic periods of improved nutritional planning are required. These are regularly supported by general pastures but are often supported by high-quality supplementary options through autumn. These supplementary forages are often focussed on ewes, as breeding cows regularly get used as a management tool and spend less time on improved pastures.

GENERAL PASTURES

General pastures on capital stock farms are defined by some key requirements.

The general pasture must:

Have quality in late summer and autumn during mating
Tolerate a winter grazing round and accumulate winter growth for hitting target lambing covers
Be resilient and enable the farm to hold its capital stock numbers through a range of environmental conditions

Perennial ryegrass

Perennial ryegrass with either AR1 or AR37 such as Legion*, Reason or Samson create ideal general pastures
Where conditions are drier and fertility is lower, Savvy cocksfoot is an ideal grass to mix with perennial ryegrass

Fescues

Hummer MaxP^® and Haven MaxP^® tall fescue have a lot of resilience in more fertile conditions including free draining soils, grass grub environments and winter wet/summer dry claybased
environments
Oakdon meadow fescue with MaxR^® endophyte is often mixed in 50:50 with Hummer or Haven tall fescue to maintain all the advantages of a tall fescue pasture but greatly improves grazing management

Tetraploid hybrid

Grasses such as Mohaka AR1 & AR37 tetraploid hybrid ryegrass have a role in short regenerative rotations that may last 2-4 years and are ideally mixed with Relish red clover, Brace white clover and Ecotain^® environmental plantain

Herbs and legumes

Legumes such as Relish red clover, Attribute and Emblem white clover and herbs such as Choice chicory, AgriTonic plantain and Ecotain^® environmental plantain in higher rainfall climates, add sustainability and performance to grass-based mixes

WINTERING OPTIONS

When wintering in colder environments it is important to consider crops that strategically help build whole farm pasture cover for lambing in early spring.

The winter crop must:

Create reliable yield
Be able to be well utilised in often difficult winter conditions
Be able to maintain or put on body condition through winter

Brassica

Triumph and Massie swedes are a common feed for capital stock in environments that have cooler summers and cold winters

Later sown SovGold kale can provide useful winter feed crops, however early sown crops can be grazed early with sheep to manage stem height and maximise utilisation

January and early February sown Spitfire and Mainstar forage rapes make excellent ewe feed through winter

Italian ryegrass or cereals

From late February Manta Italian ryegrass is a flexible winter feed option. If sown in later autumn then Milton and Coronet oats are suitable

AUTUMN BODY CONDITIONING

Autumn body condition for mating ewes and hinds is a major event in a capital stock calendar. The following forage options can help achieve desired body conditions.

Newer pastures

High legume and herb content in newer pastures are excellent companion species for an autumn mating

Regrowth brassicas

Hunter forage brassica, Mainstar and Spitfire forage rapes provide excellent animal performance potential before mating.

* Prospect and Legion have been bred, selected and successfully tested as perennials and will function as perennial ryegrasses. Due to a small number of tip awns Prospect and Legion are certified Lolium boucheanum.