Feeding Livestock website

The Feeding Livestock website houses all the resources to help you manage livestock during dry conditions or situations where sheep or cattle require supplementary feeding. This includes:

• The beef and sheep drought feeding and management books that be accessed in full or by chapter.
• Tables for feed requirements (e.g. different classes of stock) and other lookup tables - accessed under ‘Useful Tables.
• Tools and calculators for feed and water budgets or developing a ration through the beef or sheep resources tabs.
• Pasture resources for estimating pasture feed; growth rates and more.

You’ll also find latest news, seasonal articles and links to relevant webinars and activities.

Pasture resources

On this page, we’ve included a range of tools for estimating feed on offer or feed availability, such as the Meat & Livestock Australia pasture ruler and links to some images that can help put some numbers to what you might be seeing in the paddock.

One tool that is available is the Livestock Feed on Offer Assessment Guide as a pdf. This farmer group–driven resource was produced to help farmers in the low-rainfall mixed farming areas assess their feedbase to improve their feed budgeting skills and nutrition of ewes. It includes pictures of a range of crop/pasture types (cereals, vetch, medics, crop stubbles) with measured feed on offer and feed quality.

There is also a range of pasture growth curves on this page, such as the basic one shown here, as well as a link to the EverGraze site that has many examples of different pasture types at different locations. Having an idea of your pasture growth in key paddocks is useful for making forward estimates of how much feed you are growing to meet livestock requirements or create fodder surplus for harvesting.

Pasture growth rates (Source Prograze manual) – a guide only as these may vary considerably with pasture species, soil type, moisture, climate and management.

Grain and hay prices

We have also included a link to the Dairy Australia hay and grain reports, which are updated regularly for a range of locations (as shown in the screenshot).

Feedback

We hope you have a look and find some useful resources. We welcome your feedback, email jane.court@agriculture.vic.gov.au or through the feedback button on the right of the site screen.