JUST 30 days grazing on a 14 hectare paddock of Kittyhawke dual-purpose wheat by 770 second-cross lambs produced an astonishing $2173 per ha gross return for the Mason family, Westwood, Spicers Creek, near Wellington.
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Then there will be the return from the grain when harvested either this week or next, which is expected to return at least another $1000/ha.
It’s all to do with good management, according to Suncorp Bank/Agricultural Societies Council 2018 dryland field wheat competition judge, Paul Parker, Young.
“There’s no luck to success, just good management,” Mr Parker said.
Grazing first-cross (Border Leicester/Merino) ewes complimented by a small amount of cattle trading is the main income stream for Westwood Grazing Company’s Matt and Kellie Mason in partnership with Matt’s parents, Nick and Mary at Spricers Creek.
The 4500 ewe flock, staring from the first-pick of maidens from Matt’s cousins at Spicers Run, nearby, are Tattykeel sired and then joined to Tattykeel Poll Dorset rams in a program running for many decades. Some 6000 lambs are produced.
About one third of the 2430ha holding is sown to winter crop varieties each year.
The programs work well within a 10 year paddock cropping and pasture rotation comprising six years of grazing followed by canola, wheat, canola, wheat, then barley or wheat undersown to lucerne and a variety of clovers,chicory, phalaris, fescue and cocksfoot.
The Masons also follow the Albrecht soil fertility system like several farmers in the district. Matt Mason said the 14ha paddock had been grazed twice.
“First we put the ewes and lambs in to smash-down the paddock, then weaned the lambs in introduced 770 head on June 18 and pulled them out for slaughter on July 16,” Mr Mason said.
“They put on 350 grams per day on average to total 9.8 kilograms. We calculated at a 47 per cent carcase yield at $8.50/kg the mob returned $2173 per hectare without any grain supplement..
“I’m hoping for a 2.6t/ha grain yield when we harvest probably next week.”
The success follows a sound fallow period of 228 millimetres rain from November 2017 to end of March this year with a March 29 sowing of 70kg/ha seed with 130kg/ha Croplift fertiliser in 25 centimetre spacings and in-crop rain of 71mm from April to July.
