Grazing Management

At Hovell Stud, high input pastures allow the sheep to express their optimum genetic potential.

The ewe flock is run under high stocking rates on high input pastures.

Pastures consist of phalaris, lucerne, winter active fescue, arrowleaf clover, chicory and plantain.

We use the winter active fescue and phalaris to maintain ground cover in a lucerne dominant pasture.

Grazing cereals are used to fill the autumn-winter feed gap, allowing an increase in dry matter production in the perennial pastures.

The grazing cereals include Wedgetail wheat, Mannus oats, Urambie barley and, for the first time in 2013, Revenue red wheat.

Ewes are pregnancy scanned into groups of multiples and singles, with the multiple bearing ewes preferentially grazed on cereal crops.

Single bearing ewes are grazed on cereal crops post-lambing.

Ewes are supplementary fed according to class during dry seasons, using a high protein ration.

Grain, hay and silage are feed tested, with all livestock weighed and fat scored, before being fed rations formulated to suit the various classes of stock.

Sale rams go onto a high lupin ration pre-sale for conditioning and semen production.