Animal Nutrition

Animal production relies on pasture or crop with high feed value and palatability to support livestock growth and productivity. This section has nutritional information including feed value, growing lambs, and transitioning stock onto crop.

Feed quantity and lamb growth

Proper feed boosts lamb growth, especially when pasture is good from autumn to mid-spring.

Feed quality and lamb growth

Lambs need high quality feed to grow quickly. The faster lambs grow, the greater their feed conversion efficiency.

Building pasture cover for lambing

Setting up for early spring is particularly important as kg lamb weaned is a key driver of profit.

Nitrate poisoning

Nitrate poisoning affects livestock after rapid pasture growth; cattle are most at risk, sheep the least.

Pasture palatability

Poor pasture palatability has many causes, but your ryegrass isn’t one—herbage tests can reveal the real issue.

Winter feed considerations

When winter pasture isn’t enough, feed must be saved from surplus times to keep animals nourished year-round.

Pasture feed value

Pasture feed value drives animal performance. ME and digestibility are key, with ME the most practical measure.