Describing the situation in Mansfield as “incredibly tough” and the “worse winter I have seen in 50 years”, Rod Manning feels extremely fortunate to be droving his cattle in NSW on good feed.
Speaking to Warwick Long on the Victorian ABC Radio’s “Country Hour” in late July, Rod said he was “escaping the hard times in Mansfield” .
He was joining a mob of up to 600 head with 250 black angus cattle of his own on the road around Wakool River near Deniliquin.
North East and Goulburn Murray Farmer caught up with the man himself on a flying visit back home to replenish supplies including tucker for his team of eight working dogs before returning to the droving life.
Rod said he was at “wits' end” after no rain in May or June, and cold, hungry cattle to contend with at his Mansfield property.
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“Big numbers on full feed supplement and pressure on the perennial pastures being flogged,” he said.
He was faced with a rising feed bill and the dilemma to “sell down cattle” on a “fair swag” when the opportunity arose more than eight weeks ago to hit the road with his son-in-law Aaron Thege.
“Aaron had a hankering to go on the road and had all the contacts with the Pastures Protection Board and the council permits, when I said I would love to send our stock too,” said Rod.
According to Rod, Aaron is extremely capable and highly regarded as a stockman, horseman, and dog handler, leaving “nothing to chance”.
In retrospect, after trucking a mob of dry cattle over to Wakool, Rod wishes he had sent more after seeing the condition they are gaining on excellent grazing feed.
There is optimism in the cattle market with the price of beef going up, but the Mansfield farmer is mindful if the district has another “failed spring” that would be the tipping point for many local livestock producers.
Usually, his pastures would produce 20 kilograms of dry matter per day per hectare but currently struggles to reach four kilograms which has a huge impact on his feed budget.
He is well practiced in managing risk.
“When I was in veterinary practice one of the most single important things I told clients pre-drought or during drought was to formulate a plan,” said Rod.
“I am so fortunate” he said of the opportunity to go droving in a beautiful and friendly part of the world.
“The feed is long enough to go over the top of your Blundstone boots,” said Rod.
His description of how one falls into a gentle rhythm following the cattle on the road whether it be on horseback or a vehicle with his “working crew” of Border Collies makes one think of Banjo Paterson’s poem "Clancy of the Overflow".
Sleeping out under the stars with your dogs to keep you warm in the swag, it is a time of calm away from the usual pressures back on the farm at home.
His son Rodda, who has been looking after the farm at Mansfield, was heading over to join his father for a couple of days.
The intention is to keep droving the cattle for another two months and hopefully by then the much needed spring rains will have arrived.
