Industry Forum 2008
“2020 Vision : The face of WA broad acre farming”
Grain and Livestock: “A profitable combination” Dawson Bradford “Hillcroft Farms”, Popanyinning WA
Overview
• Working with natural resources, environment and location • Personal strengths and ambitions • Description of the business • Outcomes – Diversification, Intensification and Diversification • Where to now and why
Brief History •
Hillcroft farms is 10,000 acres (4000 ha) of medium loam and gravel soils with small amount of sand and heavy clay situated 160 kms SE of Perth and 30km NW of Narrogin.
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Receives annual rainfall of 450mm of which 350 - 400mm falls in the growing period.
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I started off share farming and bought a small farm our current home property “Hillcroft” in 1967.
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It was clear from the start the farm was unviable if it was farmed in the normal grain and sheep way.
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Intensification, diversification and integration were necessary if we were to survive.
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Seven adjoining or near properties have been bought since to make up the current “Hillcroft Farms”
Rationale • Making the most of the natural and human resources,environment and location has always been an area of focus to maximise returns. Examples
• Pigs: ready supply of grain, close to processing works(less freight), close to large town for staff and family requirements • Hay and Straw: 4 hay presses within 60 kms, suitable rainfall and climate
• Sheep predator free area, personal preference for producing livestock.
Personal Aims • To farm • To work with livestock – preferably meat sheep • Maximise production • Build sustainable size operation • Desire not to be tied to the farm 365 days of the year – need to employ staff
Main Activities • Grain production • Hay production • Prime lamb production • Terminal sire production • Wool production • Oil seed production • Pig production • Clover seed production
Staff To operate these eight areas of income along with my son and our wives, a permanent staff of nine or ten are employed, with two or three casuals during seeding, harvest and hay operations.
Grain Production • All grain produced is for livestock production with only surplus sold. • Basic Crop Rotation – two in one out wheat , barley and pasture. Some variation with hay. • Barley – 800ha – high yielding feed variety (Dash) for pig feed. Yields 3-4 tonnes/ha. • Wheat – 600ha – high yielding feed wheat (Coorong) for pig feed. Yields 3-4 tonnes/ha • Oats – 70 ha – seed production for hay enterprise. Yields 3-3.5tonnes/ha low because of varieties used.
Side benefits of grain production • Stubble grazing for sheep, back grounding and finishing lambs • Chaff heaps for sheep (an under utilized resource) • Straw for pig bedding with surplus sold to feed processors. • Wheat (600ha) provides valuable winter grazing for sheep. • Regular and reliable source of grain for piggery at best prices.
Hay Production •
High risk, high input, high capital requirements and high stress but high returns in most years.
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Oaten Hay – 1000ha – for export market – premium grade.
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800 ha of continues hay and 200 ha used strategically each year around farm to control resistant grass weeds
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Yields 7-8 tonne/ha
Side benefits of hay production •
Stubble grazing for livestock
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Low grade hay for late autumn supplement to livestock
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Reduces grass weeds in next grain production phase.
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Slows build up of chemical resistance in weeds.
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A frost tolerant crop for use in high risk paddocks.
Sheep production •
Prime lamb production 1000 merino and border Leicester cross ewes are mated to poll dorset ram lambs to produce heavy wt (22 kg plus) lambs for the export market.
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These ewes also provide recip mothers for ET programs in the terminal sire enterprise.
Side benefits of prime lamb enterprise •
Weed control for cropping phase.
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Provide recips for terminal sire enterprise.
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Cash flow from wool grown
Terminal Sire production • 1500 poll dorset ewes are mated to produce high performance terminal sires for the prime lamb industry. 500-800 rams and ram lambs are sold each year.
Side benefits from terminal sire enterprise •
Provides high performance terminal sires to prime lamb enterprise at minimal cost.
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Weed control for cropping phase
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Provide base flock genetics for development of wool shedding flock.
Wool shedding flock • 2000 ewe flock being developed to produce a self replacing, hardy, high performance, low in-put breed of sheep using latest technology and DNA to identify and select the right genetics, e.g. fertility gene (inverdale),
Side benefits of wool shedding project • Reduce labour in the long term • Male progeny are sold as prime heavy wt lamb.
Pig production • 650 sow – farrow to finish operation. • Approx 14500 heavy wt baconers are turned off each year. • Aim is to value add as much as possible all grain produced. • For every baconer that is produced 190kgs of grain is consumed i.e. 5.26 baconers per tonne of grain. • Rule of thumb over time is that the value of grain used in the piggery be double its return i.e. grain valued at $180/t will return a profit of another $180 through the piggery.
Side benefits of piggery • Regular weekly cash flow • Compliments cropping enterprise • Effluent provides valuable fertilizer for pasture and crops. Rich in phosphate, potash and nitrogen. • Utilizes extra trucking capacity – helps spread costs • Not greatly affected by seasonal conditions – frosts , droughts etc.
Straw production • 700t used in piggery, balance sold to feed processors • All crops are cut as low as possible and the header trails are baled.
Side benefits of straw production • Reduces stubble bulk for future crops or pastures • Provides bedding for piggery • Cash flow some of which is used to replace nutrients taken in straw
Clover seed production • opportunistic harvesting of pasture that yield economic quantities of seed. Varies from season to season.
Side benefits of clover production • Provides seed for repasturing after cropping phase – all seconds spread at rates up to 50 kgs per ha. • Cashflow – 20t to 70t of clean seed are gathered each year for sale both locally and for export. • Compliments the cropping phase by providing high density clover pastures to maximize nitrogen production
Wool production • a by product of sheep meat enterprises • rapidly declining in significance to the over all operation.
Side benefits of wool production • Cash flow
Oil seed production • opportunity crop – grown only when season and price is right and surplus land from other enterprises is available. • 2008 so far provides the perfect scenario for canola at Hillcroft – early season, high prices and surplus land due to early season and winter wheat grazing effect on stocking rates.
Side benefits of Oil seed production • Relatively frost tolerant • Diversifies income • Adds flexibility to rotations • Provides disease break for grain crops
Points to pursue for the future
• Winter grazing value of crops – How to best use them – extra stock needed or less grazing land and more cropping?
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Opportunity for finishing lambs for the high priced out of season market.
Points to pursue for the future
• Utilise chaff heaps to provide supplementary feed through autumn and winter for livestock. • Drought feed or part of ration for feed lotting of livestock.
Points to pursue for the future Develop self replacing, low maintenance, high performance wool shedding breed with the following characteristics: • Full wool shedding – No shearing – No crutching – Minimal fly strike – No lice • High fertility – 200% scanning 160% lambs marketed – 100% lambs marketed from ewe lambs • High milking and mothering ability
Points to pursue for the future • High growth • High yielding (LMY) carcases • High worm tolerance • Hardy – able to thrive under dry conditions. • Low labour and maintenance (easy care)
Points to pursue for the future Aim is to reduce costs whilst increasing production by: – Reducing labour required – Reduce supplementary feeding – Increase lambings to 3 in 2 years (2.4 lambs/yr) or even 4 in two years(3.2 lambs/yr) is possible (same basic principles as pig industry need to be applied)
