On-farm: Deferred grazing yards cut supplementary feeding costs for Williams farming family

Managing on-farm feed, especially in dry seasons such as 2024, is a practice that is becoming more relevant than ever. In the past decade, there have been a lot of on-farm investments made to develop methods of protecting paddocks from overgrazing, while still focusing on maximising livestock production and profitability. One couple who have done this well and are seeing ongoing benefits is fourth-generation farmer Noel Fowler and his wife Sandra. In 2019, the Fowlers invested in creating deferred grazing yards on their property Rapanui, a 6000ha mixed cropping and sheep enterprise at Williams in WA’s Wheatbelt. The investment paid for itself in the first year, with the 2019 season similar to what is unfolding in 2024 with a late start to the growing season. Having the ability to put their sheep in deferred grazing yards and allow their pastures time to establish creates a much larger supply of on-farm feed throughout the year. This level of pasture production can not be achieved if sheep are left to graze new and establishing pasture paddocks. Sandra said sheep were kept in the deferred grazing yards for the amount of time needed while pasture was established. Pasture is checked frequently for readiness for grazing, simply by visually and physically assessing each pasture paddock and estimating Feed on Offer (FOO), as well as ensuring pasture plant roots are secure in the ground and won’t be destroyed easily by grazing sheep. By allowing pastures time to get away ungrazed, there will be plenty of FOO in time for peak lactation of their flock, reducing the need to supplementary feed. She said all cropping and pasture paddocks were grazed over summer and coming into autumn was when deferred grazing began. Ewes are all pregnancy scanned, vaccinated with Glanery 3S and drenched before entering the deferred grazing yards. Ewes are separated into single and twin-bearing lots to enable feed rations to be tailored to each situation. Sandra, with the help of a long-term stockman, is in charge of the day-to-day running of the sheep side of the family business, while Noel is responsible for the design and building of the deferred grazing yards. Sandra noted their deferred grazing set-up was only one of many ways to create a deferred grazing system on-farm to increase pasture growth and utilisation. Their design consists of three smaller deferred grazing yards, which take up an entire area of one hectare between them. These are closest to the undercover sheep drafting and weighing yards. The design consists of three larger paddocks, which are furthest from the sheep drafting yards, being 2ha, 8ha and 9ha each. There is an additional 1.2ha paddock and two 2ha paddocks with the potential to create more if needed in future by dividing the larger paddocks further. Tagasaste trees have been planted between paddocks and pens for wind shelter and existing Redgums have been fenced off for preservation. The design has been based around a few constraints such as working within an existing main laneway system and existing yards to enable a fluid flow of sheep coming in and out. The key points considered included having enough slope, well-draining soil type, water close by and being near existing yards with shelter and shade. Sandra said sheep density was also considered with the pen sizes. “Ultimately, we like no more than 800 head in 2ha pens,” she said, adding that depending on the number of wet ewes scanned, sometimes this must be slightly higher. “The three smallest pens are designed to be able to hold smaller numbers of sheep, making them quick and easy to access for drafting, etc,” she said. “Different size pens and paddocks give us flexibility for mob sizes whether we are keeping an entire age group together, drafting for pregnancy status or drafting into weight groups.” Some of the pens were also designed big enough with fitting the seeder in so they may be sown if needed. Sandra said by making the deferred grazing yards and paddocks the way they are, they have been able to utilise them for other operations like weaning and finishing. “It has therefore spread the cost over multiple tasks and enables the yards to be utilised through the year,” she said. With sheep prices and the WA sheep market in the position it is, the Fowlers have reduced their Merino sheep flock from 18,000 head to 13,000 pre-lambing. They have made the decision not to mate their maiden ewes and dropped their oldest year group out to quickly reduce their flock size, a decision they can reconsider once the WA sheep market is in a better position. The Fowlers have been using Woodyarrup Merino bloodlines for the past four seasons and mated 5300 ewes this joining, down from the average of 8700. Sandra said they did a “flock profile” DNA test six years ago and have been using rams which complement their flock’s desirable traits, while improving areas they want based on the test results. “We are working towards a plainer body type, higher weaning weight, fine all the while heavy cutting sheep,” Sandra said. She said setting goals and having a better understanding of nutrition and management of their sheep were behind this improvement. “Over a decade ago our lambing was 70-80 per cent from mated; I set a goal of reaching 100 per cent we have now well exceeded that,” Sandra said. “A healthy, happy sheep is a productive sheep.” Sheep kept in deferred grazing yards are fed lib oaten hay and a lupin barley ration in lick feeders. Mineral requirements are met with TopStock loose lick and in situations such as now, when on-farm barley and lupin supplies run out, Patmore pellets from Cuballing are used. The Fowlers run their property as a 70:30 cropping:sheep enterprise. Over the past 10 years, their cropping rotation has changed from canola, wheat, barley, two years of oats followed by pasture for three years, and is now a canola, wheat, barley, pasture, canola, wheat, oats, pasture rotation. Noel changed their cropping rotation to achieve better weed control and early cereal regrowth vigour for pasture paddocks, all the while maintaining a good clover base without having to reseed. Sandra said sheep were an integral part to their farming operation and over the years they had tweaked many aspects of how they maximise production, while maintaining a high animal welfare standard of their flock. She said after reviewing Pastures From Space, they decided to move lambing back two weeks from a traditional July 4 start, as well as from a six week to a five-week window. Sandra said it had made a huge difference, with the tighter and later lambing time frame creating a much better fit. She said the deferred grazing yards also made weaning much easier and were utilised during this period in November when lambs are weaned and left in yards for a period of 3-7 days to settle. “The deferred grazing yards give us so much flexibility,” Sandra said. “We try and sell as many wether lambs at weaning and keep our ewe lambs for classing as hoggets at 1.5-years-old. “We keep a portion of these ewes as replacements, selling the rest, with our increase in weaning rates meaning we now have a lot more ewes to select from, so can apply good selection pressure, keeping approximately 30 per cent of each year drop.” Looking to the future, Sandra was concerned about how things were playing out with regards to recent Federal Government announcements on the live sheep export trade. She said animal welfare was a number-one priority in their enterprise and sheep were an important part of their mixed-farming operation. The Fowlers were committed to sticking with their pure Merino flock and were hopeful WA’s sheep industry as a whole would be supported to persevere through a difficult season and political climate.