Pasture productivity is a central driver on the Gilmore family property in NSW for a good reason – producing livestock growth rates are essential to the success of his stud sheep operation.
Ross Gilmore runs Poll Dorset and Australian White Sheep on ‘Tattykeel’ at Black Springs, where he primarily sells rams, while also running a small Angus stud.
“Our system is all about pasture growth and the weight that stock put on in the paddock,” he explains. “In this higher rainfall area, we don’t like to supplementary feed, so the better the pastures are, the better the growth in our ram lambs, plus if there is no need to feed, it means a saving in labour and grain.”
Ryegrass plays a key role in the pastures on ‘Tattykeel’, with one of the most important characteristics being an ability to grow well through the cold winters to fill the pasture feed gap.
Ross first turned to One50 perennial ryegrass from AusWest Seeds in 2013, with its persistence being a noticeable stand-out.
“One50 hangs on well from June through to December, where a lot of ryegrasses we tried before were haying off earlier, so it gives us the ability to run lambs on paddocks a bit longer,” he explains.
“The growth of One50 through autumn and spring is fantastic, but particularly important is the good production it shows through winter.
“We are also getting really good growth rates from One50 on our lambs right through to our older sheep – they are all doing very well.”
Taralga farm advisor Adrian Keith also has a long history with One50, having grown it on his own property, while also having no hesitation recommending the variety to the Gilmores.