The annual feed budget tool for sheep enterprises provides a broad estimate of the feed requirements for a single class of sheep, and the average monthly feed requirement to maintain condition in adult sheep and grow weaners at a moderate rate. The tool gives results in either graph or table format.
| Pasture Availability: | kg DM/ha | Quality (MJ/KgDM) | Pasture Phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | dry | ||
| February | dry | ||
| March | dry | ||
| April | establishment | ||
| May | establishment | ||
| June | vegetative | ||
| July | vegetative | ||
| August | vegetative | ||
| September | vegetative | ||
| October | vegetative | ||
| November | dry | ||
| December | dry |
Composition of Feed Mix
Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Total |
| Energy intake Pasture/s (MJ/day) | 3.2 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 5.9 | 10.4 | 11.2 | 13.3 | 21.8 | 27.1 | 27.1 | 14.0 | 9.5 | |
| Energy required/day (MJ/day) | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | |
| Energy to be fed/day (MJ/day) | 5.1 | 6.8 | 8.3 | 2.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
How to use the tool
To get started, enter details under each tab, including details for sheep, pasture availability, and feed types used. Once these details have been entered, use the slider to set the ratio of each feed type.
Step 1 - Sheep details
Use this tab to select the class of sheep and its status. Select the rainfall range that best fits your property, and the seasonal growth of pasture. This affects the default feed on offer values in the next screen. The selected class of sheep will be represented in the highlighted title bar of the results table.
Step 2 - Pasture availability
The pasture availability tab shows default values of pasture availability (kilograms of dry matter per hectare (kg DM/ha)) and quality of pasture (megajoules of energy per kg of dry matter (MJ/kgDM)). You can adjust the figures in this table to better represent the availability and quality of pasture on your property, if required.
Step 3 - Feed types
Enter the feed type using this tab. To select or deselect a feed type, click on the name of the feed. You can select up to 3 feed types at a time. For each feed selected, enter the cost on-farm and the proportion of the diet this feed will meet. That is, for a single feed enter 100%. To remove a feed type, click on the name of the feed again.
Data output
Once 100% of feed types have been selected, a table will be displayed showing pasture availability, energy the sheep requires, and the amount of energy required in supplementary feed. Click ‘view as a graph’ to see the results in graph format.