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Spring Rotation Planner

Well controlled grazing management in the first 2 months after calving will set your farm up for excellent milk production all the way to Christmas.

The Spring Rotation Planner takes the guesswork out of grazing management over this critical period in the early spring. Follow the steps below to design your own planner. Refer to Farmfacts 1-12 Spring Rotation Planner - Principles, 1-13a Using the Spring Rotation Planner - How to calculate area grazed and 1-13b Using the Spring Rotation Planner - How to Allocate Feed for more information on the spring rotation planner.

Step 1 Enter the size of your farm:
ha

Step 2 Date when you expect your herd to start calving (this is the date when the MA cows are to start calving)

Round length immediately before the planned start of calving

Note: The rotation length at the start of calving is normally 100 days. Lower stocked farms may start at 80 days.

Step 3 Date when you expect pasture supply to equal demand (balance date)

Round length through the bulk of the spring

Note:The rotation length at balance date is usually 20-25 days. Lower stocked farms or farms with using high amounts of supplements may go to an 18 day round. Farms that are subject to very volatile growth rates (one week 80 kg DM/ha the next week 20 kg DM/ha) tend to have a slower rotation (23-25 days) at balance date as do high stocked farms.

Step 4 Opening Target Pasture Cover - kg DM/ha. Note: Refer Farm Fact 1.85 to calculate

Note: The opening cover should be the target cover required at calving not the actual cover at calving. Refer to FarmFacts 1.13 for more information.

Step 5 Cover at Balance date (when feed supply equals demand) Note: Refer Farm Fact 1.84 to calculate

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