CANOWINDRA sheep producer Robert Watt says it is in his best interests to have good quality pastures, not only for animal nutrition and lambing percentages, but for general farm productivity.
Mr Watt said with 600 head of ewes and 900 lambs on his 210 hectare property, each year he joins his Merino/Border Leicester ewes on paddocks containing salt bush.
“I have 16ha of salt bush I’ve been joining the ewes on for past 12 years,” Mr Watt said.
“It's good for joining, as it's high in protein, I get a higher lambing percentage and it can be used for feed.”
Mr Watt said last year his lambing percentage was 150 per cent.
“The salt bush is good when it's dry, as you’re able to store up feed like lucerne in a dry time and the salt bush is always there to join the ewes on,” he said.
“I shut up the lambs in a feedlot when it’s dry.”
Mr Watt said each year he seeks the advice of Bob Fazzari, Soilutions, Cowra, for soil testing on his property.
“Bob did a soil test for me last year and made up a mix of lime and some trace elements for me to put on a paddock or two,” he said.
“I have a bit of oats which I’ll be sowing in another month or so.”
He said he’s also involved with some carbon trials being conducted around Canowindra and Cudal.
“I’ll put some compost on a few paddocks, which might put a bit back into the soil... but the dry weather here for the past couple of years doesn’t help,” he said.
“I’ll also spray some paddocks before I direct drill oats.”
