Agriculture Victoria veterinary officer Cathy Bunter said Agriculture Victoria had published a fact sheet on its website detailing the nutritional value of stubble to sheep and how to assess this on-farm.
It also provides tips on the optimal timing of grazing, the importance of licks and supplements, and potential health issues associated with grazing stubble.
The fact sheet highlights the importance of maintaining sufficient ground cover in paddocks to prevent the loss of topsoil.
Dr Bunter said grazing crop stubble could be a valuable source of nutrition to sheep in summer and autumn, while helping to reduce stubble loads.
“Animal health is always the priority. The feed quality of stubble varies significantly, so supplements are often needed,” she said.
Dr Bunter said the more residual grain in the paddock the higher the nutritional value to livestock.
Southern Wimmera farmer Nick Pekin said he was disappointed that parts of his cereal crops were severely frosted.
However, the heads on late-developing tillers were still green at harvest time on the lighter soils, and while these were not harvested, they provided excellent feed for his sheep.
Visit the Agriculture Victoria website at https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/ to view the fact sheet.