Dairy Focus AUGUST 2016
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Farming Dairy Focus
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WIN WIN WIN
EDITORIAL COMMENT Where does RSPO -certified palm oil come from?
Be in to win this month’s book - The Last of the Human Freedoms by Keren M Chiaroni. Please write to “Dairy Focus book giveaway”, PO Box 77, Ashburton 7700, or email susan.s@theguardian.co.nz with “Dairy Focus book giveaway” in the subject line.
Sourced www.rspo.org
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Gamechanger.
Susan Sandys
Pressure from environmental groups has led to Fonterra pledging to source its palm products from sustainable sources. It is a move which should be applauded, although it’s a shame the co-operative didn’t take the opportunity sooner, showing itself as a leader in environmentally-aware farming. The co-operative’s move followed one by Landcorp, just a few days earlier, of completely phasing out its use of PKE. Greenpeace is welcoming the Landcorp decision, and applauding Fonterra for making a “good first step”. At the same time, the activist organisation is calling on the co-operative to fully phase out the palm oil industry by-product. From my perspective as a consumer of dairy products, I am relieved at Fonterra’s actions. I am one of those shoppers who stands in the supermarket aisle reading food packets to see if they have palm oil in
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them. If the palm oil was sustainably sourced, that would suit me just fine. The creation of palm oil plantations is causing destruction of the world’s last remaining rainforests, but that is not to say the oil can not be farmed in a sustainable manner and support hardworking farming communities. The industry’s certification body, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), would certainly maintain this is the case. According to Greenpeace, New Zealand is currently the largest importer of PKE, using about a quarter of the world’s supply each year as supplementary feed for livestock. And Fonterra says it sells approximately one third of the PKE used in New Zealand, through its Farm Source stores. The remainder of New Zealand farmers using PKE now need to follow Fonterra’s lead, and ensure they are using only sustainably-sourced product.
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Calving ‘easiest time of year’ Michael and Susie Woodward met while Susie was backpacking in New Zealand, and today the couple represent an award-winning partnership. Susan Sandys reports. When Susie Woodward came to New Zealand as a backpacker in 2005, she was struck by the beauty of rural New Zealand. She had been brought up on her family’s dairy farm in America, where cows were farmed indoors and red barns dotted the dairy landscape. To see flourishing green pastures and livestock out happily roaming in the sunshine, seemed like a farmer’s paradise. “I saw cows all around and thought this was my place,” she said. Her holiday was planned to take six months, but she met her future husband, dairy farmer Michael, after taking up a job calf-rearing. Eleven years later the couple have three children, aged six, four and two, and are award-
Susan Sandys
SENIOR REPORTER
winning 50/50 sharemilkers. They farm at the 1000-cow, 300-hectare Tapatoru Dairies at Dunsandel, owned by Purata Farming. Michael and Susie took out the Canterbury North Otago Sharemilker of the Year title earlier this year, and were runner-ups at the nationals, where they also attained the human resources award, health and safety award, leadership merit award and livestock performance merit award. continued over page
Michael and Susie Woodward represent an award-winning sharemilking partnership. PHOTOS SUSAN SANDYS 110816-SS-016
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From P3 Calving is under way at Tapatoru Dairies, having kicked off on August 1 and it is due to finish at the end of September. Michael and Susie said apart from some rain, everything was going smoothly, albeit a bit slowly. The slowness was caused by the same issue many farms had experienced this season, a lower-than-expected sixweek mating success rate. This had been 66 per cent, compared to the industry target of 78 per cent and their rate for the previous year of 72 per cent. Cold conditions had been offset by fantastic weather overall. Traditionally calving was one of easiest times of year, and so it was turning out to be this season. “You are not trying to do a lot of other stuff, we do a lot of preparation work through the winter to make sure we are not in a rush, so it’s pretty straight-forward. We would be the envy of the rest of the country for the weather we have had,” Michael said. Prevention was a key strategy. For example, milk fever cases had been minimal this year, and this had been helped by magnesium-dusting paddocks. Fatigue in staff
www.guardianonline.co.nz of 465,000 kilograms of milksolids, achieve a gradefree season, and achieve a 10-day somatic cell count of less than 120,000 cells per millilitre at all times. They said the dairy downturn had not made any difference to how they operated the farm, as operating on a tight budget was something they had always done. The couple had worked for farm owners in the past who had undertaken improvements while in a debt situation, and needed to keep costs down. Their goal is to own their own farm one day, and this remains the same, although they expect it to take longer than initially anticipated. In the meantime, they are enjoying their work, not to mention their workplace, of green pastures beneath the pristine backdrop of the Southern Alps. For Susie, there are no thoughts of going back to America to work on the family farm. On a day checking cows, which had already calved, break-feeding on pasture, she remarked on the sound of her mob happily grabbing hearty mouthfuls of the fresh grass. “That’s my favourite sound in the world,” she said.
Susie Woodward says the sound of cows grabbing mouthfuls of lush grass is the best sound in the PHOTOS BY SUSAN SANDYS 110816-SS-023 world.
was warded off with a strict six-days-on and two-days-off roster, with hours being 6am to 5.30pm at the latest, and one and a half hours for lunch plus a 15-minute morning tea break. “It’s always six and two, there’s no negotiation. We would rather employ another person in the team than not
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give them days off,” Susie said. Susie provided an extra pair of hands on the farm at calving time, working in the afternoons and checking the cows at night. Their empty rate was a little higher than they had hoped, at about 20 per cent, and they were expecting 250 replacements from the herd.
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Start the season well It’s that time of year when irrigating farmers look nervously at the sky and keep a close eye on the weather forecast. With the irrigation season around the corner, ensuring your machinery remains upright and safe during wind storms is high priority. Given this, IrrigationNZ’s on-farm risk advice partner, and specialist rural insurer, FMG has produced a free Irrigator Advice Guide that advises how to protect against wind damage. Based on the handy steps of Point, Park and Anchor, the free guide can be downloaded from FMG’s website www.fmg.co.nz/ advice , while hard copies can be ordered by calling them on 0800 366 466. In addition to the guide, FMG provides further information around irrigator protection. 40 per cent of FMG’s irrigator claims are from impact or accidents, so follow the steps below: Walk the tracks your irrigator will travel along, to check for any foreign objects on the ground which could
Andrew Curtis
IRRIGATION NZ
topple your machine. Check the wider surroundings for overhanging trees, new growth to shelter belts or new power poles that may have been installed since last season. Ensure everyone working on the machine knows what they’re doing. IrrigationNZ runs seasonal workshops for irrigation operators and managers. Book yourself and your staff on this one-day workshop to keep up with the latest advice and trends. Keep other farm machinery such as quad bikes and motorbikes away from the irrigator. If you’re towing the irrigator to a new part of the farm, plan the route
Centre pivots were no match for the 2013 Canterbury wind PHOTO SUPPLIED storm.
beforehand and check for obstacles like trees or power poles which could cause problems. Take a look at the FMG video recently uploaded to Youtube (https://youtube/ T7k9tldnrYI) featuring advice from IrrigationNZ’s project manager Steven Breneger. As well as summarising
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what went wrong during Canterbury’s nightmarish 2013 wind storm, the video offers excellent tips and guidance for those readying irrigation systems at the moment. It’s not only wind you need to think about during late winter and spring. Get your season off to the best
possible start by overhauling equipment and ensuring everything is in tip-top shape. IrrigationNZ has several resources that will help prepare you for the season ahead. Check out our factsheets under the resources section of the website irrigationnz.co.nz/newsresources. On the ground, FMG partnered with IrrigationNZ this month to run a series of workshops in Canterbury. The FMG and IrrigationNZ Irrigation Advice workshops cover what is needed to keep irrigators upright – avoiding lost production over the summer months. FMG will update farmers on their learnings from recent claims and risk advice, and IrrigationNZ will provide guidance as the group takes a track walk alongside an irrigator. You can never be too ready or too prepared when it comes to irrigation systems and machinery. If you have questions or need support, please call IrrigationNZ on (03)341-2225.
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Farming Dairy Focus
Gut bug may help Calves getting the right gut bacteria in early life could help them become more productive cows. AgResearch scientists are gaining a better understanding of the complexities of ruminants’ digestive tract, and the role that microbes play. Ruminants have evolved an efficient digestive system which relies on a complex microbial community to break down and ferment plant fibre, providing nutrients for growth. AgResearch scientist Dr Sinead Leahy in Palmerston North said current rearing strategies for dairy and dairy-beef calves typically disrupted co-development of the microbial community and the calf. AgResearch scientists delved into the impact of modern rearing strategies on a subset of bacteria called Bifidobacterium. “In humans, these microbes have a versatile and important role in infant gut development. They do a lot of useful things, including preventing the establishment of pathogens and production of a range of beneficial metabolic substrates,” Dr Leahy said. “Just like their human counterparts, young ruminants are often susceptible to a number of microbial pathogens which can cause diarrhoeal disease, often referred to as scouring in animals, during their first months of
life which can severely affect growth. “The idea that Bifidobacterium could be used to provide beneficial effects for young livestock during a time when the risks of morbidity and mortality are high is attractive.” The research showed that Bifidobacterium could easily be isolated from young calves. The scientists isolated three species of the bacteria and sequenced their genomes to get a clearer idea of what they were and the role they played in calves’ digestive tracts. Using the genomes the researchers were able to predict the genetic strategies these microbes use for carbohydrate metabolism and host colonisation and persistence. This helped them understand how the microbes have adapted to the calf digestive tract, however it also raised further questions. “In instances where young animals can’t be fed their mothers’ milk, is there a way we can replenish their digestive tract with these beneficial microbes? For example, could they be used with calf replacement formulas?” Dr Leahy said. Long-term scientists hoped to identify microbes which protected against disease and which were important for development, maturation and productivity.
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Raising awareness Crop packaging supplier Agpac is raising awareness of breast and prostate cancer through the sale of its pink and blue bale wrap this coming harvest season. Agpac worked with its suppliers Trioplast and Tama to develop pink silage wrap and netwrap to raise money to combat breast cancer. The pink wraps were released in New Zealand and Australia for the 2014 silage season, and in 2015 they added blue wraps to highlight prostate cancer. The coloured wraps have since become popular internationally. Pink wrap was distributed throughout much of Europe last year, and this year the blue wrap will also be available. General manager Chris Dawson said the company would continue to donate a share of the sales of the wraps to the same charities it had supported over the past two years. They were the charitable trust Sweet Louise, which provides support to women with terminal breast cancer, and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand. Last season’s donations were $23,000 and $10,000 respectively. Sweet Louise CEO Fiona Hatton said rural women were really taking the campaign to heart.
Pink bale wrap has translated into money for Sweet Louise. Its CEO Fiona Hatton gratefully receives $23,000 from Agpac CEO Stuart PHOTO SUPPLIED Turner.
“We held an on line competition with spot prizes through the Sweet Louise Facebook page. We encouraged people to send in photos of pink bales and we had an enthusiastic response. Some of our clients with breast cancer took photos of themselves in front of bales,” she said. Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ CEO Graeme Woodside was similarly grateful, and particularly liked the visual nature of the campaign. “Anything we can do to remind rural men to get themselves tested is a big plus,” he said.
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Farmers in the frontline as calving Calving is in full swing, making health and safety more important than ever. Susan Sandys reports.
Cows can be unpredictable creatures, a fact learned firsthand by Mid Canterbury dairy farmer Craig Hickman. Mr Hickman is now recovering at home after an accident which landed him in hospital last month. He is among farmers who have been getting on board with new health and safety legislation introduced by the Government in April, and was in the process of organising hazard identification boards in his cowshed when the accident happened. It was a nice and warm Wednesday morning when it was beginning to get light, and he spotted a new calf in his springer mob. Picking up such calves was something he had done tens of thousands of times before over two decades of farming, but that experience counted for nothing when faced with the feisty maternal instincts of this particular cow. “I took my eyes off mums for a couple of seconds with very painful results,” he recalled. As he bent over to put a band around the calf ’s neck, the cow
butted him in the face causing him to collapse and his eyes filled with blood. The cow then trampled him and broke two ribs, shattering his glasses and lacerating his face. The swelling in his face necessitated a general anaesthetic in hospital so stitches could be put in. Stitches and broken bones not withstanding, Mr Hickman was back on the job within a few days. West Coast farmer Colin van der Geest has also seen just how dangerous working with cows can be. He and nine staff milk 2255 cows at Atarau and Aratika, near Greymouth. Herding a cow out of a paddock into a lane ended badly for one of van der Geest’s workers earlier this year. The cow had her escape route planned, and as she darted through a narrow 1.5 metre gap between a strainer post and a drain, the worker tried to cut her off with the bike. “The cow made it through, but he didn’t,” van der Geest said. “There wasn’t enough room
Waimakariri Gorge farmer and former All Black Richard Loe has had a few near misses on his property.
for both of them.” The bike rolled into the drain, and the worker hit his head on rocks. His helmet saved him from head injury and a roll bar may very well have saved his life, preventing the bike from crushing him. He survived with just bumps and bruises. “He was working alone and it would probably have been a couple of hours before I went looking for him. That was really scary, but the steps we had taken worked.” Among those steps was the roll bar, a measure which had
been applied to all the farms’ quad bikes. Van den Geest said it cost about $500 per bike to install roll bars. Despite the high cost, he believed they should be mandatory. “Most people get killed when the bike lands on top of them, so we have to stop the bike landing on top of people.” He first introduced roll bars on bikes in the areas with rolling country, but then extended it across both farms, seeing the safety advantages they would offer. And further
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9
gets under way
Mid Canterbury dairy farmer Craig Hickman is happy to be back on the job after being PHOTO SUPPLIED trampled by a cow.
measures would be taken following the accident. “We’re also having the strainer post moved to make the gap wider and adapting the drain so it can’t be rolled into.” Van der Geest holds regular team health and safety meetings, with major meetings at times when seasonal work activities are about to change. For example leading up to calving they will discuss best lifting techniques for calves, the temperament of the cows and how they are going to manage fatigue.
Bike helmets and roll bars on Colin van der Geest’s West Coast farms are saving lives.
“It’s just planning ahead and reminding people about the steps we all need to take to keep people safe,” van der Geest said. Rakaia Island part-owner Doug Turner said while the dairy downturn had made it more difficult to take the time to commit to a high level of health and safety, it remained at the top of the company’s priority list. “The spin-off to that is do we want to go to a funeral, do we want to visit someone in hospital,” Turner said.
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“We want to send everyone home at night.” Falling off motorbikes used to be one of the main accident types at Rakaia Island Limited, which operates two farms. There is one at Woodstock in North Canterbury and one at Rakaia Island, together with 8500 cows and about 50 staff. Health and safety had always been a priority, Turner said. All accidents were recorded, and emerging trends could be picked up. This had been the case with a number of motorbike injuries on the
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properties. Several years ago it was determined that such injuries, which included the odd broken leg, were related to speed. So management decided to introduce a 30 kilometreper-hour speed limit, resulting in reduced injuries. Attitude to health and safety was a big factor in compliance. Wearing helmets was compulsory on the farms, and peer pressure helped to make sure this happened. Former All Black Richard Loe farms sheep and cattle at the Waimakariri Gorge and
PHOTO SUPPLIED
is the WorkSafe Safer Farms programme ambassador. In an article in Ravensdown’s Ground Effect magazine, he said like many farmers he had had a few near misses. “For too long, we as farmers have been saying we learn by our mistakes. However, that’s no use when someone is killed or too badly injured to come back from it.” Farmers needed to take the required simple steps and could use tools and guidelines, such as those provided on the Safer Farms programme.
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Too early to tell if new act working New Zealand has a woeful health and safety record, with 52 people dying on the job every year.
Hundreds more are seriously injured, and from 600 to 900 die from work-related diseases. The Health and Safety at Work Act came into force in April this year, in an attempt to help the government achieve its goal of reducing the number of serious workrelated injuries and deaths by at least 25 per cent by 2020.
“
Statistics supplied by WorkSafe New Zealand show there has been seven deaths so far this year
The new act shifts the focus from monitoring and recording health and safety incidents to proactively identifying and managing risks. Organisations are also charged with engaging workers and allowing them to contribute to health and safety
on an ongoing basis. Under the new law the organisation entity itself has the primary duty to ensure the health and safety of workers and others affected by its work, while employees must take reasonable care to ensure the health and safety of themselves and others. A spokesperson for the Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Michael Woodhouse said it was too soon to say whether the new act was working in reducing fatalities. Statistics supplied by WorkSafe New Zealand show there has been seven deaths so far this year to June 26 in agriculture. The industry remains the most dangerous to work in, with the construction industry being the next most dangerous, with five deaths so far. From 2011 to June 26 this year there has been 101 deaths in agriculture, which is over triple that in the next most dangerous industry of construction, where there has been a mere 31. A workplace fatalities summary compiled by
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WorkSafe makes sombre reading. The agriculture industry’s first fatality for the year was in January, when a 72-year-old was crushed by a quadbike in Central Hawke’s Bay. In March a 67-year-old man was killed in the Far North when he was either thrown or jumped from his tractor going down an embankment. Later that month a wind change during a controlled farm burn-off engulfed a 74-year-old in Tasman, resulting in burns to over 70 per cent of his body.
In April there were three fatalities. A 72-year-old was working by himself at Masterton on the bucket of a digger when he cut his leg with an angle grinder, a 63-year-old at Gisborne was operating a four-wheel-drive side-by-side ATV vehicle when it rolled and he was trapped underneath it, and a 72-year-old at Clutha was thrown from a bulldozer on a farm. In May a 58-yearold was killed in a quad bike accident while taking samples of kiwifruit at the Western Bay of Plenty.
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Down cows, no longer a fact of life Death, taxes and down cows do not all have to be certainties in a dairy farmer’s life. Dr Joe McGrath, technical manager for nutrition company DSM and nutritionist is urging farmers to work harder to remove one of those “certainties” from the list, making their dairying days more enjoyable and more profitable. “We take a very accepting view of down cows in New Zealand, like it is just part of dairying life. In reality it does not have to be that way.” Dr McGrath also lectures in ruminant nutrition at The University of New England, NSW Australia, and spent much of his career studying mineral utilisation and deposition within cattle. He says unfortunately the acceptance of down cows being part of life is reinforced by their prevalence during spring time. Downers are now so common it is like a selffulfilling prophecy. “I challenge anyone to take a drive around the back roads
Dr Joe McGrath
PHOTO SUPPLIED
of the Waikato in July and not see at least one down or dead.” DairyNZ published a report indicating there are about 2 per cent of cows in a herd that actually go down in New Zealand during the calving period. “That is 50,000 cows within the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions alone. “Down cows are just the tip of the iceberg. For every one that goes down, there are at least 10 times more that are sub-clinically suffering the same problem. In fact DairyNZ suggests that 33 per cent of all cows in New Zealand are affected. This results in further problems with calving, milk production, fertility and mastitis through
the season.” Not to mention cost, the impact of hypocalcaemia adds up to losses the industry can ill afford. “According to DairyNZ, in 2012 milk fever will cost farmers about $400 million on treatments resulting from calcium deficiency, however, these are treatment cost and are not prevention. Often the damage to the cow is already done.” The $400 million includes not only calcium treatments for down cows, but fertility treatments for retained membranes, non-cycling cows and treating cows with calving difficulties. “These are all the ‘usual’ conditions farmers have come to accept as normal demands and costs for calving time. “Furthermore, it has been conservatively estimated that poor health of dairy cows during the calving period is costing the industry over $1 billion per year. “And anyone who manages a herd will appreciate the precious time lost in managing these down cows at a very
busy, stressful time of year.” But Dr McGrath estimates an effective prevention strategy using low-cost calcium-based supplements would be a 10th, or only $8 a head ($40 million for the industry), of the cost of having a hypo-calcaemic herd. “By supplementing large amounts of magnesium prior to calving with dusting, drenching, and water dosing and using anionic salt based springer diets, we enable the cow to get her required calcium from her skeleton. While utilising the cow’s skeleton as a source of calcium at calving is well practiced and often successful, it is likely leading to calcium deficiencies later in life.” He says this method of keeping cows healthy at calving is antiquated and risky. It relies on the cow having a healthy skeleton prior to calving and ensuring that it is replaced during the following lactation. It is likely that this mining of the skeleton is the reason the incidence of milk fever increases as they get older,
and it is worse with better producing cows. Whilst in New Zealand Dr McGrath has been working with the business Sollus to develop nutritional systems to help address calcium and phosphorus deficiency issues behind many of the health problems on New Zealand dairy farms. He cautions the utilisation of calcium within the cow’s diet pre and post calving should only be done as part of an advanced nutritional programme as there are many other nutritional imbalances in grass diets that need to be fixed first. Dr McGrath said it was ironic how in the lead-up to calving there was an emphasis on “calving checklists” loaded with expensive post down cow treatments. “The animal health industry in New Zealand should be focusing on prevention, not costly cures, as the damage is largely done – even if she does get up. From Dr Joe McGrath, technical manager for nutrition company DSM and nutritionist
33% of the New Zealand dairy herd will have subclinical milk fever this spring1 leading to health issues and production losses. Across the herd, deficiency in available calcium is a major contributing factor. Give them the calcium, vitamins and antioxidants they need to be healthy in the form they can absorb the best. 1
DairyNZ Technical Series 2012
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2 12
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Accurate record keeping essential On 1 April 2016, amendments came into force in respect of legislation relating to minimum wage, annual holidays and employment agreements.
Why?
There have been numerous breaches of minimum employment standards that have been occurring, which government considers is unacceptable. The amendments create a more robust system to ensure breaches are detected and sanctioned.
What?
The focus in respect of accountability is on record keeping in terms of both the number of hours worked during each day of a pay period, as well as holiday and leave records. Employees, or labour inspectors, may now seek to recover unpaid holiday (or other leave) pay from the person who is involved in the non-compliance in the event the employer is unable to pay or ceases to exist. Where the employer has the ability
Madeleine Henderson
LEGALLY SPEAKING
to pay and/or remains in existence, persons other than the employer will only be held accountable if they were knowingly and intentionally involved in contravening minimum employment standards.
Who?
It is not only the “employer” who can be held accountable for breaches. The amendments also apply to “officers” of the company, which does include company directors but also includes individuals who occupy management positions, such as a farm managers and business partners. The extension of liability to ‘officers’, as well as the increased penalties, ensure that this legislation is brought
into line with the Companies Act and the Health and Safety at Work Act.
How?
Employees may pursue a claim against an employer in the Employment Relations Authority, and labour inspectors may also carry out inspections which could may in enforcement proceedings being issued in the Employment Court. There are significant financial penalties that may be awarded, or alternatively a banning order may be made, which prohibits those found to have breached
minimum standards from being involved in employing staff or being an officer of an employer.
Practical Tips:
Some practical measures for avoiding breaches include: Employees may be entitled to in excess of four weeks’ annual leave per year, particularly where hours vary during peak times of the year, so accurate record keeping is essential. You risk breaching minimum wage requirements if you are averaging an employee’s pay over a year
where employees are working long hours during calving but decreased hours during the dry season. If an employee works on a public holiday, they are entitled to payment at timeand-a-half plus an alternative holiday if the employee would normally work on that day. This article is necessarily brief and general in nature. You should seek guidance from your legal advisor before taking any action related to the matters raised in this article. Madeleine Henderson is with Tavendale and Partners
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BREEDING AND MATING FEATURE
Farm mating plan vital The most important job of the season is approaching, that of getting cows back into calf. A detailed and dated mating action plan is essential to achieving better mating performance, something which will impact on your calving pattern and milk production for the next two to three years. New staff should be taken to a training day and have the farm mating plan explained to them. Staff need to know how to pick bulling cows and understand the farm’s system for recording heats, submitting cows for AB and re-tail-painting cows. Recommended bull ratios are one per 20 yearlings, or one per 30 cows in the main herd. Two teams of bulls rotated every 24 hours works well, ensuring rest so they don’t become tired or lame. If your herd’s past mating performance has not met your expectations, seek advice now to ensure you are not complaining 80X5about COLa slow (186X80MM) calving next spring. Once mating is underway, heat detection has to be the
TIPS FarmWise consultant Darren Sutton advises the following to maximise submission rates: Do not rely only on reading tail paint or detection aids in the cowshed.
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To identify quiet and short heats, spend 20 minutes two to three times per day in the paddock. The best time is two hours after cows have had a new break of grass or when herding them from paddocks before milking.
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Try to observe cows as quietly and naturally as possible, no motorbikes or dogs. Draft suspect cows prior to AB technician arriving into cycling group, and observe behaviour.
Suzuki Dealer newspaper advertising major priority and time investment of each day. The more time spent observing cows in the paddock, the higher the submission rate will be, with an increased sixweek-in-calf rate. Source: Livestock Improvement Corporation.
New born calf.
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BREEDING AND MATING FEATURE
15
Quality dairy genetics – NZ wide Farmers more than ever need to make cost effective decisions for their businesses. Liberty will provide farmers with high BW superior typed milking cows at just $6.75 per straw. Contact Liberty today and start saving.
Liberty genetics was formed in 1998 by a group of New Zealand dairy farmers that felt getting cows in-calf with quality genetics didn’t need to cost as much as what most leading genetic companies were charging. Liberty sources bulls from New Zealand’s best bull breeders, focusing on BW and dairy confirmation.
“
collection, this means Liberty does not have the overhead of a large bull farm to impact on our costs. At Liberty we have only three full time staff and pass all our cost savings on to farmers.” Liberty sell high quality friesian, crossbred and jersey dairy genetics as well as most beef breeds.
After the switch to Liberty six years ago not only am I saving thousands of dollars, my cows look great and I’m still maintaining the same genetic gains.
Breeders retain ownership of their bulls and receive a royalty for straws sold. This means a higher return for breeders along with much lower overheads for Liberty. Liberty genetics general manager Delwyn Knight explains, “Liberty Bulls remain on the breeder’s farms most of the year only coming to us for six weeks of the year for semen
Sales manager, Glen Williams is passionate about saving dairy farmers money after he started using Liberty on his dairy farm in 2010. “I have been in the dairy industry all my life, growing up on a dairy farm just north of Whangarei, share milking then moving into farm ownership. “I went through my
farming career believing there was only one option for genetic gain and like all farmers paid whatever that company charged for AB services. “After the switch to Liberty six years ago not only am I saving thousands of dollars, my cows look great and I’m still maintaining the same genetic gains.” Williams has seen Liberty’s market share grow significantly over the last few years, “we are still a small company, however we are growing fast, with many new clients making the switch to Liberty and enjoying the benefits”. Our herd improvement model is now well established since the first Liberty teams were selected back in 1998.
Want to breed your own herd? Call us today for the best bang for your buck. Free phone: 0508 454-237 (0508 4liberty) or 07 843-5054.
PHOTOS SUPPLIED
“Genetic gain from Liberty Genetics high BW bulls has added value to our herd” Sam and Hanna Kingston are long-term clients of Liberty Genetics and are pleased with the service and results they are getting for their herd. The Kingston’s average 1750kg / milk solids per ha across their farming business, running a low-cost system below $4kg / milk solids with very little brought in feed. The savings from Liberty’s lower cost genetics helps with this low cost structure. After a few years of milking Liberty breed cows, Sam says they are very impressed with their Liberty daughters for their superior udders, temperament and size. “Our calves look so much better than they used to; bigger and better marked as yearlings than when we used bulls from other semen providers,” Sam explains. The Kingston’s are also impressed with the genetic gain they are achieving by using Liberty Genetics. “BW is important to us. The genetic gain from Liberty Genetics’ high BW bull teams has added value to our herd.” Sam says they are moving the herd toward A2/A2 next season to add greater value to their milk in the future. “Liberty’s A2/A2 bulls in their packs are so much more affordable than their competition. Other companies see A2/A2 as a nominated product and charge a premium for A2/A2 bulls. Liberty charge their standard $6.75 per straw for their A2 team of friesian, crossbreed and jersey bulls,” he says. The Kingston’s also praise Liberty Genetics’ AI technician service, which is “another bonus with technicians on-farm at a convenient time to inseminate cows.”
Glen Williams Delwyn Knight Freephone: Website:
Sales Manager on 027 272 5494 General Manager on 021 404 262 0508 454 237 www.libertygenetics.co.nz
Sam and Hanna Kingston
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17
Posture of the hind legs There is a connection between the posture of the hind legs in rear view, and the condition of the claws. Normally the hind legs are more or less parallel (Figure 1). It is hardly surprising that in the course of a few years the difficult task of the outer hind claws may affect the posture of the hind legs. When a cow stands and walks properly, there is less chance of the hooves being overloaded. The ideal cow makes optimum use of her legs and hooves; her body weight is distributed evenly over her legs and hooves. This does not happen in reality, as dairy cows tend to put most of the load on their outside hind claws, so that is where most of the problems occur. Heavy loading and contusion of the quick in the outer hind claw will in the end cause sensitivity or pain. The cow will try to compensate for this by walking on her heels and by placing or turning the foot more outwards by adopting a base-wide (Figure 3) or a cow-hocked posture (Figure 2), thus making the inner claw bear more weight and the outer less. This
Fred Hoekstra
VEEHOF DAIRY SERVICES
decreases the height of the heel, makes the angle of the front wall more shallow and causes the cow to walk with her hocks closer together. Such an adjustment of posture is frequently observed. Thus the posture of the hind legs of our dairy cattle is only partly inborn, and to a great extent adopted. The latter is due partly to the unfavourable loading on the outer hind claw and to domestication, but probably for the greater part to the claw diseases that can afflict the claws. As a matter of fact, the effect of this adjustment of posture is relative: measuring shows that in adopting a cowhocked or base-wide posture,
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Figure 1.
the cow relieves her sensitive outer claw of its overload, only to a certain extent. Mostly this claw remains more heavily loaded than the inner claw, albeit less than before. This must be ascribed to the difference in height. The longer-term effects of laminitis may eventually be seen as an upward rotation of
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
the toe and a convex shape of the anterior hoof wall. Improving the weight distribution, together with restoring the foot to its correct shape and weightbearing surfaces is the main aim of preventative hoof trimming. Due to preventative hoof trimming being very time consuming
we have found that many farmers are recognising the benefits of contracting their trimming out to professional hoof trimmers, resulting in a reduction of severe lameness incidences in the herd and reduced lame cow numbers; thereby increasing productivity and bottom line profits.
Are you going to be compliant with the new milk cooling regulations? Get the real answer. Tru-Test will work with you to conduct a milk cooling assessment of your on-farm dairy refigeration using data loggers to provide hard data about where you need to invest to provide confidence you are investing in the right places to achieve compliance.
Tru-Test Milk Cooling Assessment Continuous monitoring over a minimum of four milkings with data loggers of: • vat temperature • milk entry line temperature • plate cooler water entry temperature A summary report including: • analysis and comparison of your plant performance with the new NZCP1 milk cooling standards • recommendations tailored to your individual dairy refrigeration needs No obligation to proceed with recommendations Report and recommendations from experienced dairy refrigeration experts.
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19
Fonterra gears up for peak period Fonterra has been creating efficiencies over its winter shutdown period as it aims to keep costs down. Director of New Zealand manufacturing Mark Leslie said a focus on effectiveness, efficiency and innovation across all aspects of the co-operative’s winter maintenance programme was
delivering savings. Each year Fonterra processes around 18 billion litres of milk at its nine South Island and 19 North Island manufacturing sites. The plants reopen from early August through to September, and the bulk of processing is carried out in the spring months.
“The work we’re doing now will help us get match-fit for that peak period,” Mr Leslie said. “Together, Fonterra and industry are focused on ensuring we can produce quality product for our customers and support farmers under a constrained milk price,” he said.
The co-operative had always been efficient in its maintenance projects, so the challenge this year was to come up with new ways to do things better, faster and smarter. Te Rapa winter shutdown manager Blair Bond said this had led to innovative thinking that would change
the way the co-operative processed milk. For example, a D4 evaporator, which evaporates water out of milk to be turned into powder, now has its process split into stages. This would allow the evaporator to run six per cent longer, meaning more milk could be processed each day.
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2 20
Farming Dairy Focus
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NZ NEWS BRIEFS
Rainforests to benefit from PKE pledge
Dairy product prices down Cheese is the cheapest it has been in New Zealand for seven years. Statistics New Zealand released its food price index data for the year to July 2016 this month, showing main dairy products had decreased up to 11 per cent over the last year. Cheese was down 11 per cent, fresh milk down 3.2 per cent, yoghurt down 9.7 per cent and butter down 11 per cent. Consumer prices manager Matt Haigh said the price of cheese had continued to fall throughout the year, to its lowest price since October 2009. “The average price of a kilo block of the cheapest available mild cheddar cheese was $7.39 in July 2016, down from $9.07 in July 2015,” Haigh said.
Fonterra has pledged to source its palm products from suppliers who do not cut down rainforests. Fonterra’s Director of Social Responsibility Carolyn Mortland said the co-operative wanted to ensure that there was no risk of deforestation within its supply chain. A new standard, to be introduced by 2018, would ensure the fair and ethical treatment of suppliers, and protect conservation values. Through its Farm Source stores, Fonterra sells approximately one-third of the PKE used in New Zealand. Farm Source chief operating officer Miles Hurrell said for some of the co-operative’s farmers, PKE had a role to play in cow health and milk production, particularly as grass quality declined over a season or during bad weather such as drought. “Our farmers already do an enormous amount of environmental protection work on farm, from fencing waterways through to managing nitrogen efficiently. We want to make sure we’re backing up their hard work with responsible sourcing practices,” he said.
Farmers fine-tuning in tough times DairyNZ has revised its break-even cost to $5.05 per kilogram of milksolids. It was $5.25 for 2015/16 and $5.77 in 2014/2015. DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle said New Zealand dairy farmers had sharpened their systems and reduced costs throughout the dairy downturn. “The reduced milk price has meant farmers have really fine-tuned their management and analysed their costs of production. This should bring the average farm working expenses back to an anticipated $3.55 per kg MS this season, the lowest level since 2009/10,” Mackle said. The break-even cash price includes farm working expenses (excluding adjustments for unpaid management and depreciation), interest and rent, tax and drawings; and nets off livestock and other income received.
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21
Milking solutions for sheep and goats The success and growth of dairy goat and sheep milking has led to the development of a range of milking systems which work with the animals’ behaviour and maximise productivity. Waikato Milking Systems has earned a worldwide reputation for innovative, superbly designed platforms and technology for the bovine dairy industry. This expertise has now been applied to a range of products which add new dimensions of efficiency and productivity on sheep and goat dairy operations. The company worked with leaders in the goat and sheep milking industries in the development of the range and demand is growing as farmers experience the Waikato Milking Systems’ difference. As in the dairy industry, sheep and goat farmers can choose from a range of rotary and herringbone options. The Capra Rotary was designed with animals and operators in mind and is an extremely efficient option for large herds. Developed
The Capra rotary platform is easy to install, operate and maintain.
in consultation with farmers, it works with the behaviour of the animals to achieve the best possible movement flow and milk-out. Goats and sheep enter the Capra from the centre of the platform using
an underpass and are milked facing outwards. The Lowline herringbone option has been crafted and customised to milk goats and sheep with maximum effectiveness. It is able to
handle large herd numbers quickly and efficiently while retaining excellent vacuum stability. 100% designed and manufactured in New Zealand, Waikato Milking
Systems’ range of small ruminant platforms and milking systems can be customised to any farming objective and is easily upgraded to keep pace with advances in technology.
2 22
Farming Dairy Focus
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™
Organx – The new way to farm John K Morris, CEo of AgrissEntiAls nZ ltd
by
Nutrient rich soil produces nutrient dense food, bringing health and vitality to all life. Topsoil and water are the two most precious things we have on our planet, more precious than gold, silver or platinum. Without topsoil and water we cannot feed ourselves, so, it is paramount that we take good care of our topsoil and our water. Today, based on current agro-chemical production methods, many experts are predicting that agricultural topsoil around the globe will be lost within the next 60 years. United Nations, Food & Agricultural Organisation, stated in 2015 – The International Year of the Soil, that soil is a non-renewable resource. Its preservation is essential for food security and our sustainable future, it also commented that soil is a finite resource, meaning its loss and degradation is not recoverable within a human life span. Here at Agrissentials
we dispute that call. From anecdotal evidence recorded over an eight year period, we took 50mm topsoil on a clay base down to 250mm – 300mm of topsoil depth, just by applying our multi-mineral, microbial rich fertilisers at two applications per year over Ralph Littler’s dairy farm in Ruawai, Northland. The agro-chemical fertilisers and sprays have a huge impact on microorganisms resulting in soil erosion – according to Dr. Morgan Williams’ report to the Government in 2004 soil erosion from farms was calculated at 200 – 300 million
tonnes of topsoil per year – that is not sustainable! However, don’t panic, Go Organx™! With our system you have the opportunity to set up your own topsoil regenerating and remineralising system using Agrissentials multi-mineral, microbial rich, certified ORGANX™ fertilisers. The new market is ORGANX™ and Agrissentials ORGANX™ system hold the key to the “X FACTOR” of soil health and soil wealth, with our live, living, certified BioGro fertilisers. Here is the opportunity to
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Considering your son’s boarding options for 2017?
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WAITAKI BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL We aim to develop our young men into educated, all round citizens of outstanding character
• Fraser Farm - functioning, productive school farm • High achieving First XV rugby team • Strong cultural achievement • Excellent facilities • Great school and hostel spirit
We would be happy to hold an information evening in your area to discuss how we can meet your son’s needs. For more information please contact the Rector Mr Clive Rennie on 03 437 0529 or the Hostel Manager Dan Keno on 03 433 1137
We have a product to reduce costs and health issues Combines the best of Triangular Liner Technology with a mouthpiece vent Air is introduced behind the milk providing more even vacuum through the milking system – this reduces the negative effects of vacuum on the teat • • • • •
Improved output and speeding on the teat Improved teat end condition Drier teats and reduced teat to teat cross contamination Reduced slips and kick-offs Proven to reduce Mastitis cases and lower Somatic Cell Court levels
Milk R Us are the only Impulse Air dealer currently in the South Island but There are more Milkrite / InterPuls dealers in the South Island and in the North Island, but Milk R Us are the only Impulse Air dealer currently on the South Island.
Call now on
0800 2 MILKRUS (0800 2 64 55 787)
E milkrus@xtra.co.nz
We build for industries. Starting with the primary ones. At Calder Stewart we’ve never forgotten where we
build - matched to your exact farming needs.
started, building quality farm buildings for the Kiwi
We pride ourselves at being a Rural Design &
farm industry. And over the course of the last 55
Build specialist and have gained a considerable
years of involvement, we’ve developed something
reputation in meeting the needs of many a farmer
of a knack for it. Our dedicated team’s expertise
over the years. Let us put our expertise to work for
in constructing custom woolsheds, covered yards,
you; call your nearest Calder Stewart Construction
wintering sheds and state-of-the-art dairy sheds
Representative today and see how we can deliver
ensures practicality, quality and a professional
a farm building that suits.
Over 55 Years Farm Building Experience A Rural Design and Build Specialist Premium Grade Construction Materials Used Durable & Rugged Design is Standard Best Value-for-Money in the Industry
Donald Sutton 211 Alford Forest Road, Ashburton
(03) 307 6130
To learn more visit our website:
COMMERCIAL•INDUSTRIAL•RURAL
www.calderstewart.co.nz