Mixed farming offers many benefits, particularly in Wimmera and Mallee environments as it spreads the risk profile of the farm business.
To reach the full potential in a mixed farming enterprise, the two components (livestock and cropping) need to work better than the individual components alone.
This has been achieved by Birchip mixed farmer Robbie Lee who established and is continually improving his containment feeding areas.
BCG extension manager Ciara Cullen recently met with Robbie and BCG livestock officer Alison Frischke to discuss Robbie’s farming enterprise, as well as the key considerations in terms of joining and feeding requirements in containment areas.
One of the key drivers for building and using containment feeding is the flexibility is has provided to the enterprise, particularly when it is dry and/or wet.
“The containments were established during drought years due to paddocks being bare and blowing, so something had to be done,”
“In containment areas, you can manage your sheep a lot better as you can buy and sell whenever it suits…it makes our operation so much more flexible as there are so many more opportunities,”
“We generally buy lambs in November, graze our stubbles and them bring them into the feedlot to fatten before taking them to market.
“There are also environmental benefits of maintained ground cover on paddocks, which ensure the cropping component of the business is not negatively affected.”
This BCG in Focus podcast was funded by the Federal Governments National Landcare Program 1 in conjunction with the Wimmera CMA.
https://soundcloud.com/bcg-birchip/bcg-in-focus-profitable-integration-of-livestock-and-cropping
