SUMMER crops are proving beneficial for Kojonup’s Ben Webb as he finds new ways to feed his sheep over the next few months.
Paddocks sown with Chicory, leafmore forage, Plantain, Lucerne, Millet and subclover in winter are bringing a green tinge to the Kojonup landscape this summer.
In an effort to effectively feed and maintain his sheep, Mr Webb is trialing sorghum, as well as a long-season canola that is sown in winter and grazed over the summer.
The canola is grazed once it reaches the six-leaf stage, when the plant is established, then the sheep will come off it as the plant lays dormant until the next season, before it reshoots and grows like a normal canola crop.
“Because the canola feeds the sheep, anything that we get off it at harvest time is profit,” Mr Webb said.
Using chaff carts is another way he provides feed for his sheep with 4400 ewes on the property.
Over summer Mr Webb will spread his sheep across the farm, starting off with the stubble and the chaff heaps.
He said the number of sheep remained the same although they sold some young ewes in the autumn when it was dry.
“We try to feed them other stuff as well, we don’t go from feeding them canola stubble to green sorghum,” Mr Webb said.
“We keep feeding them dry materials so their diet doesn’t change too much.”
Agronomist Alec Smith, Kojonup Agricultural Supplies, said in areas where there was potential to introduce this cropping cycle in the region, farmers could get enough money out of grazing to cover the cost of the crop.
“As a sheep producer that’s going to carry on his (Ben) weaners over summer, when we get 20 millimetres of rain he doesn’t mind because the downgrade of his annual pastures is OK and his summer feed will be awesome with his summer crops,” Mr Smith said.
Their crops this year are just above average, which he said was due to the cool finish and early sowing, where they conserved the early moisture.
This year they cropped 1200 hectares for their summer harvest, although they hope to grow grain sorghum in the future.