After the wet year of 2010-11 and in the midst of a very wet Spring again, many of our region's farmers are considering the addition of a feed pad to their farming system.
A feed pad allows farm managers to keep cattle off very wet paddocks, assisting with soil & pasture management. Feed pads can also be vital in very dry years when pasture reserves are low. Keeping cattle off paddocks in dry times also conserves soil & pastures.
The decision to build a feed pad is not an easy one. In the last 15 years parts of our region have seen only one very wet year and a couple of very dry years. Such infrastructure takes a great deal of planning and money.
There are many fantastic resources to refer to in helping with such a big decision. The Victorian DPI has a comprehensive booklet well worth a read and most relevant to our conditions. Another one from Queensland is also worth a look.
Often the best way to help with planning is to get out and learn from other farmers. The Future Ready Dairy Systems project is planning on helping with that in South Gippsland in 2012. Two feed pad bus tours will be held in February. Each will visit 3 farms and hear the story from the farmers who have been through the decision and the planning & building of a feed pad. For further information watch this blog or email ghayman@dcsi.net.au
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