A Wagyu farmer in northeast Victoria has found the perfect source of summer feed in his quest to address the herd's decrease in production when pasture growth slows down.
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Thomas Giltrap, who runs Giltrap Pastoral at Mitta Mitta with partner Bonnie and parents Hugh and Judy, said planting Sprint and BMR Octane forage sorghum in November and grazing it through to March gave the herd a much-needed boost to their conditioning.
"Dad used to grow a bit of forage sorghum in the past for dairy cattle, but he transitioned out of dairying four years ago and we were just relying on pastures of ryegrass and clover during the summer months," Mr Giltrap said.
"In the hotter months as the pastures shut down, the cows weren't putting on much weight, so Sprint and Octane made a big difference."
The family has 280ha and leased country, and the Mitta Mitta River running through it means they can be self-sufficient.
Mr Giltrap said the other benefit of forage sorghum was that it took half as long to irrigate compared to pasture.
"We have thought about growing crops like corn and some farmers do around here, but our place isn't really conducive to cropping," he said.
Mr Giltrap said in light of the 2018-19 summer forage success, he is planning to run the program again.
"We've been really happy with Sprint and Octane because it's cost effective and fills the feed gap," he said.