Frank Mason (Genesis Algae Innovation), conducted the following sheep benchmark trial at Hume st Mackay trial using alive micro green algae (Chlorella Vulgaris).
Frank Mason (Genesis Algae Innovation), conducted the following sheep benchmark trial at Hume st Mackay trial using alive micro green algae (Chlorella Vulgaris).The block size is 5800sqm ex cane farm alluvial soil and has been constantly grazed with Dorper sheep for the last 7 years. The grass is unimproved Guinea Grass and was slashed the first week of November 2023 and sprayed at the start of the trial with 4L of algae concentrate. 43 adult Dorper sheep were then put in the paddock which equated to a stocking rate of 1 sheep per 135 square metres. The sheep were fed concentrated (1:166) AlgaeFeed at 1.5mL per head per day in the water troughs.
Research into other intensive grass fed sheep production systems in Victoria shows stocking rates between 320 to 350 square metres per adult sheep equivalent. Hence the algae fertilised pasture and fed to sheep delivered a stocking rate 2.4 times more intensive This has significant implications for cost of production including the work of University of Queensland scientific project. This showed Dorper sheep fed the same AlgaeFeed rate for each 1kg of liveweight gain reduced feed consumption on a dry weigh basis of 1.5kg. Further the research showed positive changes to the Fatty Acid Profile of the meat making it more healthy to eat.
Suggested future work could investigate using AlgaeFeed in other intensive grass fed production systems such as goats. Genesis Algae Innovation is also doing work with grass fed cattle which is the subject of another report.
For further information, www.genesisalgaeinnovation.com