Renewing paddocks which have poor growth or high weed content can give high financial returns. In this example, we’ve used top end renewal costs ($985/ha), but this still returns up to $4173/ha in profit over 5 years, depending on the system. Few other investments can match this.

 

This return can come in two benefits. First, increased annual and seasonal pasture production allows a higher ewe stocking rate, and produces more lambs, value $2339/ha. Secondly extra DM yield allows a crop of lambs to be finished, and the increased feed quality of the new pasture allows faster lamb growth rates, valued at $112/ha. The total value of these two operations is $2945/ha.

 

Typical costs of renewal

In this example after a crop, glyphosate is sprayed to kill weeds prior to cultivation. Full costs are presented, but these should be partly attributed to the cost of the crop.

 

Cost benefit example

This example considers a case where new pasture increases growth by 4 t DM/ha, which is often achievable, but depends on the situation. The extra DM yield allows carrying capacity to be increased by 2.8 ewes/ha in year one, while the new pasture is still establishing, and by 4.5 ewes/ha once the new pasture is established.

 

Typical pasture production

 

 

New pastures typically have a higher feed quality (ME), as you replace weeds in the old pasture with desirable species. This allows lambs to be finished faster (e.g. 200 g/day) than old pasture (e.g. 120 g/day), setting up the opportunity to trade and finish an extra 15 lambs/ha. This would vary year to year depending on rainfall and availability of store lambs.

 

Gross margin from extra ewes run