The first 3 months of 2022, PGK had 100mm of rain. At Pooginook, rain during this summer period typically ruins the quality of dry spring feed in the native country. Additionally, this rainfall grows a bulk of low quality summer grasses and weeds that sheep typically don't perform on them. Without good management, these grasses often grow very tall and only remain green for a short period of time. Therefore their value to the sheep business is significantly less when compared with pastures grown at other times of the year.

We are using cattle in high numbers for a minimum of 3 months to manage the tall summer grasses. The main outcomes of this strategy include

• utilise the dry feed that sheep avoid eating and don't perform well on
• physically knockdown the tall summer grass in lambing paddocks to avoid mismothering
• open the pasture canopy to allow for autumn and winter pastures to grow