ANIM2501 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Cattle Feeding, Southwest Australia, Soil Health
ANIM2501: Introduction to Pasture
Significance of pastures
- Indirect benefit to land from biological N fixation, weed and pest control, improved
soil health.
- Agriculture, livestock and livelihood
Animal equivalence
- 1 animal equivalent = 1x400kg steer = 0.32 x lactating cow. = 8x50kg weathers.
Cattle numbers
- Major cattle state: QLD, northern Australia.
- Numbers decrease towards coast.
- Southern part less cattle but possibly more sheep and goats.
Livestock density
- Northern Territory less livestock density.
- Coastal areas start to pick up.
- Southern area most.
Annual rainfall
- Heavier along coast.
- Here not much and seasonal.
- Northern Australia: Summer dominant
- Further South: Summer rainfall but might not be dominant, maybe some winter rain.
- Further South: Uniform. Rain all year round (Best)
- Most South: Winter rain. (Perth area/ Southwest is winter dominant)
Extensive pastoral areas
- Relatively unimproved native pastures.
- Predominantly northern Australia..
- Extensive properties managed at low intensity. (16 hectares for an adult cattle
equivalent or 2 hectares per adult sheep, for dry sheep equivalent)
Improved pastures (Buffel grass-leucaena) and less hectare per steer produces higher
annual live weight gain. (How come less hectar gives more weight gain?)
Benefits of improved pastures (Pastures from overseas?)
- Greater animal live weight gains
- Animals are younger at turn off
- Meet market requirements for superior grass fed beef.
- Sustainable intensification-environmental and economic.
- Improved market flexibility. Animals more muscle and fat, easier to meet market
requirements.
- Positive animal welfare: No skinny cows or sheep.
- Increase land value.
Integrated Crop-livestock systems
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Indirect benefit to land from biological n fixation, weed and pest control, improved soil health. 1 animal equivalent = 1x400kg steer = 0. 32 x lactating cow. Southern part less cattle but possibly more sheep and goats. Further south: summer rainfall but might not be dominant, maybe some winter rain. Most south: winter rain. (perth area/ southwest is winter dominant) Extensive properties managed at low intensity. (16 hectares for an adult cattle equivalent or 2 hectares per adult sheep, for dry sheep equivalent) Improved pastures (buffel grass-leucaena) and less hectare per steer produces higher annual live weight gain. (how come less hectar gives more weight gain?) Meet market requirements for superior grass fed beef. Animals more muscle and fat, easier to meet market requirements. Positive animal welfare: no skinny cows or sheep. Livestock graze a mixture of crops and pastures. Graze rotation pastures: pastures are the principal feed base. Seasonally dry slopes and plains (southwest australia, winter dominant rain/ central.
