GRAZING crops can be a major part of a successful farming operation.
And as Condingup farmer Simon Fowler has found, it has benefits for livestock and won't impact on your cropping yields.
Many farmers believe grazing crops has a negative effect on crop yields but as Mr Fowler explained at the WA Lot Feeders Association (WALFA) Better Beef Conference last week, if done properly it can be a major income earner.
Mr Fowler, who farms with his brothers, Tim and Andrew, crops 17,000 hectares of their 25,000 hectare property, as well as running 25,000 Merino ewes, 7000-8000 crossbred lambs and 12,000-13,000 Merino lambs, plus 2600 breeding cows.
Mr Fowler said they had grazed crops for five years but intensively for two years and learnt some valuable lessons and it was now a major part of their farming operation.
"Grazing crops is a very useful tool for increasing farm productivity which excitingly can be implemented without making any significant management changes and without having to spend any extra money," Mr Fowler said.
"It has made a large financial difference to our business by increasing incomes per winter grazed hectare and by enabling us to put more crop in the ground."
In 2010, through grazing crops Mr Fowler said they increased their stocking rate from 12 to 16 dry stock equivalent per winter grazed hectare and that increased their income per winter grazed hectare from $348-$466.
In 2010, Mr Fowler planted an extra 1000ha of barley which yielded 3.77t/ha and provided more than one million dollars extra income for the business.
"In 2011 our stocking rate peaked at 18DSE/WGha in what was initially a poor pasture production year," he said.
"In 2011 we planted an extra 1500ha of barley which yielded 3.2t/ha.
"This provided more than $1.2m extra income for the business."
Mr Fowler said there were also positive results in their livestock weight with their weight-gain trial steers averaging 1.45kg per head per day while grazing wheat in June.
He said grazing crops took the seasonal variability out of finishing steers which was vital in securing the premium market they were supplying.
"Grazing our crops has also allowed us to finish our grass fattened steers early, with our first ones usually ready by August 25," he said.
"This year our top steers spent 65 days grazing cereals (June 7- August 10) and then only needed 15 days on ryegrass pasture to be finished.
"In the past the ryegrass would have been required to do all the finishing.
"Last year our crossbred lambs gained 307 grams per head per day grazing an oats/ryegrass mix."
"This represented 41 per cent increase in body weight.
"In 2011 we weaned crossbred lambs onto canola.
"They stayed there for 28 days and averaged 273 grams per head per day.
"They were then moved onto Baudin barley and gained 310 grams per head per day."
Mr Fowler also hosted canola variety and grazing trials for the South East Premium Wheat Growers Association (SEPWA) with varying results.
"We grazed this trial with cull heifers starting at 28DSE for the first 13 days however the canola was growing away from the heifers so we increased the stocking rate to 58DSE for the next seven days," he said.
"The growth rate on these heifers was disappointing at 631 grams per head per day.
"Unfortunately these heifers were affected by bloat with 10pc suffering from mild bloat and 1-2pc suffering from extreme bloat.
"This would have had a large impact on average growth rates."
