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Just weeks into its first winter, Ecotain® environmental plantain demonstrated its potential for improving lambing percentages, productivity and ewe/lamb health for farmers Rebecca and Dan Gardiner.
To better match feed supply with demand at lambing, Rebecca and Dan sowed 38 hectares of Ecotain at ‘Ambleside Pastoral’ in Foxhow Victoria (sown late spring 2021).
“In our lamb business, we are trying to achieve a higher stocking rate with a higher lambing percentage and get more kilograms per hectare, and so far, Ecotain has been brilliant,” Ms Gardiner said.
Ecotain established well through a relatively mild summer and was planted at a sowing rate of 10 kg/ha with 100 kg/ha of MAP. Ecotain environmental plantain is a broad-leaved perennial grazing herb that performs well in a range of pastures across Australia. Ecotain has a coarse root system and can adapt to a range of soils, rainfalls and other environmental conditions while offering excellent nutrition for stock.
In late February 2022, Rebecca and Dan scanned 567 ewes and moved them from crop stubbles to one of two new Ecotain paddocks at a stocking rate of 11.5 DSE/ha or onto a phalaris and clover paddock at stocking rate of 6.5 DSE/ha.
Ms Gardiner said lambing started in April, and after lamb marking (end of May 2022), they had 871 lambs, so the Ecotain was already showing its worth.
“Our lamb marking rate was 153 per cent overall, but the really outstanding point when we looked at the data was that our marked percentages increased by ten percent on the two Ecotain paddocks compared with the rates in those paddocks in 2021,” she said.
On the two Ecotain paddocks, they achieved 185 percent and 179 per cent.
She also noticed improvements in ewe health and mothering ability where they were grazing the new feed. “We didn’t see any mismothering on the plantain, the ewes were all clean and they had big bags of milk, so you could see they were doing well,” she said.
She estimated that the condition score of the ewes grazing Ecotain was about four through winter and the lambs also seemed more vibrant and energetic.
“I haven’t had to pull a single lamb this year, even from the maidens and we had about 120 maiden ewes,” she said. The Ecotain will also be given the job of fattening the lambs after weaning.
“All of the lambs will go on to the Ecotain. It will be more beneficial for them, nutrition-wise, and they will probably get some hay or silage too,” she said. The Gardiner's aimed to finish lambs as early as September 2022 before harvesting starts.
DLF Seeds Product Development Manager said “At marking on Rebecca and Dan’s farm, the ewes grazing Ecotain were in better condition; and they visibly looked like they were lactating more, with bigger udders.”
“Using Ecotain Plantain in a straight sward or to create diversity in ryegrass and clover-based pastures is one of the simplest options sheep and beef farmers have today. It is an ideal source of minerals for animal health and performance and is an environmental feed option to help mitigate nitrogen leaching. Ecotain has been bred for an upright growth habit, extending its relevance and use on farm considerably.
With multi bearing ewes, we are often finding that the ewe cannot harvest and process grass quickly enough to fulfil her energy requirements. As a result of this, we often see the ewes body condition declining over time or a lower dressing out percentage in lambs.
Because plantain is such a high-quality feed and has a faster rate of passage, rumen throughput is faster when compared with pasture fed animals as feed is more digestible. This, partnered with Ecotains upright growth habit, is allowing the ewe to physically consume and process more dry matter, more often.” He explained
Ecotain environmental plantain can be found at all major and local rural retailers.
For more information on Ecotain and other high-performance varieties, contact your local DLF Seeds Sales Agronomist on 1800 619 910 or by visiting dlfseeds.com.au.
