Southern Riverina wool and grain producer Cam Schultz is experiencing his best lambing and biggest wool clip in a century of family farming, backed by his production of cereal hay.
Despite facing the worst start to an autumn he can remember, Southern Riverina wool and grain producer Cam Schultz is experiencing his best lambing and biggest wool clip in a century of family farming, backed by his production of cereal hay.
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Years of farming experience in a changing climate means Cam always has feed reserves available for his 60 per cent Merino, 40 per cent crossbred flock by baling cereal hay on his 700-hectare property, Claverton at Culcairn, and at another nearby leased asset.
The production of cereal hay has become a big part of the Schultzes’ business and this year, Cam said they had produced a reserve feed source of 2000 round bales to ensure 7500 sheep made it through the long dry spell.
“We’re very fortunate we have good hay yields in our area, so we haven’t had to buy feed in, and our sheep have maintained their weight through winter,” Cam said.
“Although I thought 2000 bales would be plenty, I actually think we could have done things better with 3000.”
The Schultz family originally settled at Claverton, 50km north of Albury, in 1913.
These days, Cam and his wife, Bianca, and their children produce 18.5-micron to 19-micron wool from their flock and grow wheat, barley, canola and lupins, as well as contract baling hay for about eight regular clients in the district.
They also lease and sharefarm 680ha nearby, and recently bought a 530ha farm at Matong, 125km further north near Narrandera.
Baling is big business
Cam remembers when they first started baling straw behind the headers in 2006.
“It was the drought, and we were using the crop straw for sheep feed, and contracting for other farmers who were cutting failed crops,” he said.
“One year, we produced 15,000 bales, mostly Dad and I, and Bianca drove the hay rake at one stage.
“Once we took our heads out of the sand and realised we couldn’t just rely on getting the big shiny machine out of the shed and harvesting a crop every year, we were right, and baling became a major part of the business.”
The family bale hay for other farmers within a radius of 80 to 90km and cart it with their own farm trucks.
Depending on supply and demand, or whether it’s a drought year, Cam said they may have 10 to 15 clients, which has the potential to expand with the new block at Matong.
The production of cereal hay has become a big part of the Schultzes’ business and this year, Cam said they had produced a reserve feed source of 2000 round bales to ensure 7500 sheep made it through the long dry spell.
They started 18 years ago with a John Deere 469 Premium Round Baler and progressed to a new, high-density 990 Variable Round Baler, before their most recent purchase of a 461R Premium Round Baler that includes silage configuration.
Most of the tractors in the Schultzes’ machinery shed are John Deere, sourced through the Hutcheon & Pearce dealership in nearby Albury.
The oldest is a 6410SE, followed by a 6930, a 6175R, an 8260R and a recently purchased 8340R.
“I like the simplicity of John Deere for what we do, and the reliable service provided by Hutcheon & Pearce. If I need a quote on a tractor, I don’t bother going anywhere else, and the back-up is excellent,” Cam said.
“It’s very rare they can’t find a part on the hay or harvest front, and it’s not often you hear of a John Deere machine sitting idle.”
Wrapping up lessons learned
From the beginning, Cam has used John Deere CoverEdge net wrap for their bales, but on buying the high-density 990 baler, Cam said they decided to try a competitor’s cheaper product, which turned out to be disastrous.
“We had a huge net failure which cost us a couple of contracting jobs,” he said.
“It was inferior quality, and it failed in a drought period when people were really relying on having that hay — there were bales exploding and net rolling up.
“We ended up going to back to CoverEdge net and we haven’t had a problem since.
“That experience has really stuck in my head — you just have to stay with what you know works.
“CoverEdge is watertight, it’s adapted to Australian conditions, and when you’re really relying on it, it’s there. You don’t want a failure.”
Cam also likes the look of the CoverEdge bales, whose unique, elasticated threads extend the net over the edge of the bale, eliminating bale ‘shoulders’ and providing better protection from the weather.
“The bales definitely look good, neat and presentable, nicely tucked up with no elephant ears and you can drop them onto a truck and go anywhere, no dramas.”
Cam Schultz said he recently fed out silage he’d had in tubes for three years, with no failure and no spoilage due to using CoverEdge as a wrap.
The Schultzes also do a lot of silage in tubes with their new 461 Premium Round Baler.
“That’s where the CoverEdge net helps to keep the tube lines of hay uniform, so the tube line wrapper can easily do its job,” Cam said.
“We recently fed out silage we’ve had in tubes for three years, with no failure and no spoilage.
“I like the speed of the 461R. We aim to mow the hay and get it cut, raked and baled in 48 hours to maintain the energy in the silage.
“The bale weights and silage it pumps out is equivalent to a six-string baler, but we’re doing rounds and we can maintain that quality even when the hay is stored outside.
“The baler runs on automation, so it stops and starts the tractor itself to make a perfect tube, uniform and tight. It all works.”
The Schultzes are hoping for a wet finish to this season, but they dry-sowed early and Cam said their crops — wheat, barley, canola and lupins — are virtually ‘over the line’, with the canola already above his head.
Cam Schultz uses a 461 Premium Round Baler and CoverEdge net to help keep the tube lines of hay uniform.
