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Capital Stock - Upper North Island

Capital Stock - Upper 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.

Note: When sowing grass in the Upper North Island, it is essential that a cultivar with AR37 endophyte is selected and insecticide treated seed is used, as insect pest pressure in this region is extensive.

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, it is particularly important when facial eczema is a risk
     
  • 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 AR37 such as Legion*, Reason and Samson and create ideal general pastures 
  • Where conditions are drier and fertility is lower, Savvy cocksfoot is an ideal grass to mix with perennial ryegrass

Cocksfoot and lucerne 

  • Savvy cocksfoot and Titan 5 lucerne pastures have a good fit for free draining hot summer and cold winter environments. The flexibility of year-round grazing from Savvy is complemented by the spring and summer performance of Titan 5 lucerne

 

 

Herbs and legumes

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

Fescues 

  • Hummer MaxP® tall fescue 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

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 almost unusable to sheep due to increased stem height
  • Turnips such as New York are ideally suited to early sown turnip and grass mixes
  • January and early February (rainfall dependent) sown Spitfire and Mainstar rapes make excellent ewe feed through winter

Italian ryegrass or cereals 

  • From February/ March 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 rapes 

  • Mainstar and Spitfire provide excellent animal performance potential before mating

* Legion has been bred, selected and successfully tested as a perennial and will function as a perennial ryegrass. Due to a small number of tip awns Legion is certified as Lolium Boucheanum.

 

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The Al & Juddy Show Management Advice Guide Downloads
Go Farm Grown
  1. Upper North Island
    • Dairy Platform
    • Dairy Support
    • Capital Stock
    • Ewe Lactation & Lamb Finishing
    • Beef Finishing
    • Deer Production
  2. Lower North Island
    • Dairy Platform
    • Dairy Support
    • Capital Stock
    • Ewe Lactation & Lamb Finishing
    • Beef Finishing
    • Deer Production
  3. South Island
    • Dairy Platform
    • Dairy Support
    • Capital Stock
    • Ewe Lactation & Lamb Finishing
    • Beef Finishing
    • Deer Production
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