Taranaki dairy farmer Matt Kissick is wintering his herd on fodder beet for the first time this season. He is using the high energy crop to extend his round and improve cow condition during late lactation, but he warns the transition requires careful management.
Matt sharemilks 540 Kiwi cross cows on 158 hectares at Kaponga in Taranaki. The herd produces an average of 250,000kgMS. He decided to try wintering his herd on fodder beet this season but he did have serious reservations about using the crop, which is more routinely used in Canterbury and Southland.
Fodder beet requires careful management. Transitioning cows to fodder beet involves adapting their gut microbes to its sugar-rich content. Too quick a transition can cause acidosis that leads to down cows and even death.
“There are health and environmental risks tied to fodder beet, so good management is essential,” says Matt.
“We needed a way to ensure the herd was getting just the right amount of fodder beet each day in their breaks.”
Matt turned to Gallagher’s Electrified Ring Top™ Posts and powered up his break fences using a S60 Lithium Solar Energizer to ensure his herd stays where he puts it, keeping its fodder beet consumption and nutrition at the optimal level.
“Using Gallagher’s Electrified Ring Top™ Posts, I’ve been able to keep my cows where they need to be while break grazing the fodder beet crop,” says Matt.
“The posts are not only sturdy and robust but also fully electrified, making them exceptionally effective in containing the herd. We’ve had no break outs, and it gives me real peace of mind the herd is staying where it needs to be.”
Unlike standard pigtails, which can be cumbersome to carry and struggle to maintain their stability in soft soil, Matt says Gallagher’s Electrified Ring Top™ Posts offer superior durability and ground anchorage, even in cultivated fields like fodder beet.
“I haven’t experienced any issues with post breakages or cows escaping since I started using them. They’ve been a game changer for us.”
Before incorporating fodder beet into his herd’s ration, Matt was primarily using pellets, kale, and summer brassicas to supplement his herd.
“Fodder beet is a great crop for delivering energy per hectare, but you do have to manage it carefully, even more so in herds that haven’t been fed it before,” says Matt.
He says the Ring Top posts were easy to install and handle. Even if a cow dropped debris from the fodder beet onto the fence, the posts and fence remained unaffected.
“I can easily carry a handful of posts, and their solid construction means they easily withstand the rigors of daily farming,” says Matt.
He also appreciated Gallagher’s commitment to manufacturing the posts in New Zealand.
“As a proud Kiwi farmer, supporting local businesses is important. Knowing that I’m using quality gear made right here in New Zealand adds to my confidence in the product,” says Matt.
This year’s fodder beet crop gave Matt an additional 120 tonnes of dry matter for his herd across the four hectares he planted.
“In terms of future plans, while I don’t intend to expand the area of fodder beet on my farm, I do plan to start break feeding earlier in the season based on this year’s success,” he says.
“I’d definitely recommend Gallagher’s Electrified Ring Top™ Posts for farmers looking for a reliable fencing solution to manage challenging crops like fodder beet.”
To find out more about what Gallagher products are right for you, have a chat with your local Farm Source team.