Chris and Claire Walton - Wharepapa South, Te Awamutu

Chris and Claire Walton, have wanted to be involved in the sheep milk industry for many years leading up to this exciting venture at Wharepapa South, Te Awamutu. The couple were working on a sheep and beef farm in PioPio when the opportunity came to finally enter the sheep milking industry. Through years of research they have put together a fantastic sheep dairy operation on the 118Ha farm. The operation includes a 42-aside sheep dairy which Qubik converted from a 24-herringbone shed – with the ability to extend to 48 in the next few years.

Chris and Claire started the conversation with Qubik back in June 2020 with questions around possible conversion options with existing cow milking herringbones. Once Chris and Claire found the perfect farm for their Aranui Farming venture the process started around finding the most cost effective options available to convert the old 24-aside cowshed. The couple wanted to build and convert the shed to be suitable to milk 1500 sheep in year 5. Qubik worked closely with Chris and Claire over the conversion process offering different options around both Rapid Exit and Automation in the shed. The couple decided they wanted a product that would last with the New Zealand conditions and work efficiently with two people milking in the shed. Eventually after consultation, Qubik provided Aranui with the Qubik designed, fabricated and installed, 42-aside rapid exit system, made completely of high-grade stainless steel for longevity and strength. This was the fourth Qubik rapid exit system to be installed in the 2021 season. Qubik also installed a full range of Waikato Milking Systems milking plant, the 42-highline swing over with automatic cup removers and state of the art sheep milking equipment including auto vacuum cups. With easy start vacuum operated cup removers it is an easy task when cupping the lightweight sheep clusters. Sensors detect when milk flow/sensitivity combined with time activates the cup removers to remove from the sheep, this in-turn avoids any over-milking which is crucial with such delicate udders and teats and speed milking performance. The milking plant includes a Fristam positive displacement milk pump on a VSD to maintain the valuable quality of the milk. The vacuum system includes a BP200 Blower Vacuum also using a variable speed drive to improve vacuum stability and power cost saving for Aranui Farming. A Qubik automatic plant wash system allows Chris to focus on other areas of the farming system once milking has finished, knowing that the complete wash cycle is carried out efficiently and effectively. Qubik also supplied Aranui with two new dairy hot water cylinders with a complete stainless steel heater stand with inbuilt manifold and a Qubik fabricated stainless steel wash tub.