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MMFS Manual
Module 1 Plan for Success
Chapter 1.1 Establish business objectives and plans
Chapter 1.2 Develop a sound business purpose
Chapter 1.3 Calculate your cost of production per kilogram of meat or wool
Chapter 1.4 Compare your business performance against industry benchmarks
Chapter 1.5 Quantify risks and develop a risk management plan
Chapter 1.6 Assess enterprise changes and new technologies
Chapter 1.7 Plan management succession
Tool 1.1 SWOT analysis
Tool 1.2 A simple process for setting goals and objectives
Tool 1.3 How to prepare a business plan
Tool 1.4 Developing shared values and personal and business goals
Tool 1.5 Discussion starters for imagining the future
Tool 1.6 Goals grid
Tool 1.7 MLA cost of production calculator for sheep, beef and goat enterprises
Tool 1.8 AWI cost of production calculator for wool enterprises
Tool 1.9 MMFS cost of production calculator
Tool 1.10 Indicative industry benchmarks
Tool 1.11 A farm business risk assessment template with example
Tool 1.12 The Sustainable Grazing Systems one-page planning process
Tool 1.13 A partial budget template
Tool 1.14 Capability review process for the next generation
Module 2 Market Focused Wool Production
Chapter 2.1 Know the features of your wool that influence demand and price
Chapter 2.2 Use a customer focus to produce, harvest and prepare wool for sale
Chapter 2.3 Maximise returns from your wool sales
Tool 2.1 Simplified flow of the wool pipeline
Tool 2.2 Wool values over time
Tool 2.3 The Merino Dark and Medullated Fibre Risk scheme and National Wool Declaration
Tool 2.4 Planning guidelines for shearing, wool preparation and classing
Tool 2.5 Wool accredited by QA schemes sold through Australian wool auctions
Tool 2.6 Guidelines for reducing chemical residues
Module 3 Market focused lamb and sheepmeat production
Chapter 3.1 Decide what product you can produce most profitably
Chapter 3.2 Manage the production system to meet market specifications
Chapter 3.3 Decide on the most profitable selling method
Chapter 3.4 Respond to short- and long-term price and market signals
Tool 3.1 Lamb growth planner
Tool 3.2 Potential markets and specifications for sheepmeat
Tool 3.3 Fat scoring lambs and sheep
Tool 3.4 Lamb production checklist
Tool 3.5 MSA production requirements and recommendations for lamb and sheepmeat
Tool 3.6 Factors affecting carcase quality and value
Tool 3.7 Selling options for sheep and lambs
Tool 3.8 MLA market information
Module 4 Capable and Confident People
Chapter 4.1 Define your business culture and values
Chapter 4.2 Develop and maintain professional communication
Chapter 4.3 Clear roles and responsibilities sustained by appropriate remuneration
Chapter 4.4 Develop people to grow your business and their career
Chapter 4.5 Balanced, safe and happy life and work
Chapter 4.6 Managing a happy and efficient team
Tool 4.1 Define your values and culture statement
Tool 4.2 Communication planning
Tool 4.3 Job roles table
Tool 4.4 Annual training plan
Tool 4.5 Work-life balance exercise
Tool 4.6 Induction checklist
Module 5 Protect Your Farm’s Natural Assets
Chapter 5.1 Plan the vision for your business and grazing enterprise
Chapter 5.2 Prepare an inventory of your farm’s natural assets
Chapter 5.3 Devise and implement your action plan
Chapter 5.4 Measure, manage and monitor your progress towards the vision for your grazing enterprise
Tool 5.1 Indicators of saline land
Tool 5.2 Stock water requirements
Tool 5.3 The 3D approach to weed management
Tool 5.4 Weed control tactics in native vegetation
Tool 5.5 Best practice guidelines for salt land
Tool 5.6 Rabbit control options
Tool 5.7 Fox control options
Tool 5.8 Wild dogs and feral pigs
Tool 5.9 Establishing a photopoint
Tool 5.10 Before and after photographs
Tool 5.11 Species identification resources
Tool 5.12 Monitoring and assessment tools
Module 6 Healthy Soils
Chapter 6.1 Manage according to soil capability
Chapter 6.2 Maintain groundcover to enhance soil health and promote biodiversity
Chapter 6.3 Test and observe soils for key indicators of soil health
Chapter 6.4 Implement solutions for problem soils
Tool 6.1 A guide to classifying land capability
Tool 6.2 Measuring groundcover and litter levels
Tool 6.3 Earthworm sampling
Tool 6.4 ‘Look, smell, feel’ tool
Tool 6.5 Other biological activity tests
Tool 6.6 Taking a soil sample for laboratory testing
Tool 6.7 Soil health benchmarks and guidelines for managing problem soils
Module 7 Grow More Pasture
Chapter 7.1 Build and maintain soil fertility
Chapter 7.2 Graze to keep desirable species productive and dominant
Chapter 7.3 Establish new pastures
Tool 7.1 Determining priorities for growing more pasture
Tool 7.2 Fertiliser test strips
Tool 7.3 Interpreting soil tests
Tool 7.4 Guidelines for fertiliser application
Tool 7.5 Grazing management guidelines for individual species
Tool 7.6 Pasture assessment techniques
Module 8 Turn Pasture into Product
Chapter 8.1 Know your feed supply
Chapter 8.2 Know your animal demand
Chapter 8.3 Match animal demand to feed supply and minimise risk
Tool 8.1 Daily pasture growth estimates
Tool 8.2 MLA Feed demand calculator
Tool 8.3 Feed budgeting template
Tool 8.4 Feed year plan template
Tool 8.5 Pasture rulers, sticks and meters
Tool 8.6 Getting started in simple rotational grazing
Module 9 Boost Business with Breeding
Chapter 9.1 Breeding helps improve profitability
Chapter 9.2 Profitable sheep are fit for purpose
Chapter 9.3 Breeding tools help business decisions
Chapter 9.4 Business decisions are driven by objectives
Chapter 9.5 Informed classing, selection and joining decisions are critical
Chapter 9.6 Monitoring and reviewing enables continual improvement
Tool 9.1 ASBV explanations and examples
Tool 9.2 Breeding objective template
Tool 9.3 How to calculate your current ASBV position
Tool 9.4 Trait and assessment tool
Tool 9.5 Protocols for effective visual assessment
Tool 9.6 Classing plan
Tool 9.7 Ewe retention and culling plan
Tool 9.8 Ram purchasing plan
Tool 9.9 Determining when to class
Tool 9.10 Summary breeding objective and sale day assessment plan
Tool 9.11 Annual management calendar
Tool 9.12 Monitoring and review plan
Module 10 Wean More Lambs
Chapter 10.1 Ensure most ewes get in lamb
Chapter 10.2 Manage your ewes to improve lamb survival
Chapter 10.3 Keep maximum number of lambs alive to weaning
Chapter 10.4 Manage weaners for lifetime productivity
Chapter 10.5 Prepare your ewes for next joining
Tool 10.1 Condition scoring
Tool 10.2 Lambing Planner
Tool 10.3 How the ‘ram effect’ works
Tool 10.4 Recommended condition score targets for ewes
Tool 10.5 Liveweight targets for weaners and young ewes
Tool 10.6 Ram pre-joining checklist
Tool 10.7 Standard reference weight calculator
Tool 10.8 Pregnancy scanning ewes
Tool 10.9 Checklist for newborn lamb mortalities
Module 11 Healthy and Contented Sheep
Chapter 11.1 Keep your sheep in good condition
Chapter 11.2 Plan an integrated health management program
Chapter 11.3 Adopt on-farm biosecurity measures
Chapter 11.4 Manage sporadic outbreaks of diseases
Chapter 11.5 Meet animal wellbeing requirements
Tool 11.1 Energy and protein requirements of sheep
Tool 11.2 Condition score targets for adult sheep
Tool 11.3 Management calendar
Tool 11.4 Calculating the cost of energy and protein of common feeds
Tool 11.5 Liveweight targets for weaners and young ewes
Tool 11.6 Water quality for sheep
Tool 11.7 Management of trace element deficiencies
Tool 11.8 Management of worms
Tool 11.9 Management of drench resistance
Tool 11.10 Management of liver fluke
Tool 11.11 Management of flystrike
Tool 11.12 Prevention of clostridial diseases and cheesy gland
Tool 11.13 Diagnosis, control and eradication of footrot, lice, JD and OB
Tool 11.14 Minimising the risk of potential sources of disease
Tool 11.15 Quarantine periods for important sheep diseases
Tool 11.16 Common sheep diseases and their causes
Tool 11.17 Zoonotic diseases of sheep
Tool 11.18 Checklist of animal welfare compliance
Module 12 Efficient Pastoral Production
Chapter 12.1 Establish a vision
Chapter 12.2 Know your property
Chapter 12.3 Efficient pastoral production
Chapter 12.4 Determine a grazing management approach
Chapter 12.5 Match grazing pressure to feed supply
Chapter 12.6 Manage vertebrate pests
Chapter 12.7 Obtain best production from rainfall received
Tool 12.1 Develop a property inventory
Tool 12.2 Develop a property plan
Tool 12.3 Conduct a water audit for your property
Tool 12.4 Management calendar
Tool 12.5 Make an action plan for efficiency and innovation in your operation
Tool 12.6 Define your grazing management goals
Tool 12.7 Grazing management practices
Tool 12.8 Condition scoring
Tool 12.9 Estimate feed on offer (FOO)
Tool 12.10 Taking plant cuts and quadrat cuts
Tool 12.11 Photo standards
Tool 12.12 Establishing and monitoring trigger points
Tool 12.13 Assessing total grazing pressure (TGP)
Tool 12.14 Calculate DSEs for your property
Tool 12.15 Controlling foxes
Tool 12.16 Controlling wild dogs
Tool 12.17 Controlling feral pigs
Tool 12.18 Grazing land management Gateways Model
Tool 12.19 Recognise and minimise decline in landscape function
Tool 12.20 Invasive native scrub control – establish a plan of management

Tool 6.5 Other biological activity tests

Many labs offer tests to measure soil bacterial and fungal numbers and their activity. However, there is little evidence that the numbers mean anything from site to site or year to year and interpretation of these numbers and ratios is completely subjective. 

Two tests available in soil labs, which allow comparison of trial treatments, are Potentially Non Mineralisable Nitrogen and Soil microbes CO2 respiration test which both give an indication of biological activity.   

Potentially Non Mineralisable Nitrogen test measures the release of soil nitrogen produced in soil kept under anaerobic conditions indicating the capacity of a soil to turnover soil organic matter.  Soil microbes CO2 respiration test measures their rate of soil respiration (CO2 outflow) as they decompose organic matter.  

For more general information on soil biology visit:   

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Chapter 6.4 Implement solutions for problem soils

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Tool 6.6 Taking a soil sample for laboratory testing
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MMFS Manual

Module 1 Plan for Success Module 2 Market Focused Wool Production Module 3 Market focused lamb and sheepmeat production Module 4 Capable and Confident People Module 5 Protect Your Farm’s Natural Assets Module 6 Healthy Soils Module 7 Grow More Pasture Module 8 Turn Pasture into Product Module 9 Boost Business with Breeding Module 10 Wean More Lambs Module 11 Healthy and Contented Sheep Module 12 Efficient Pastoral Production

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