OMANUKA FARMING
PH 07 578 0030
Automatic cup removers are a feature of the 40-aside herringbone shed.
The plate cooler provided by DeLaval.
Teat spray technology supplied by DeLaval.
The herringbone milking shed is actually a straight rail, which Ben McKelvie says helps in accommodating different-size cows in the bails. “Cluster alignment is made easy because the swing-arm can be moved left or right as needed, for better placement.” Also, he says you don’t need to be worried about over or under-milking with this system. “Because the swing arm enables excellent alignment of the cups with each udder, the clusters hang correctly, which allows all quarters to be milked out evenly.” Ben says vacuum efficiency is important for a smooth milking, and the DeLaval MC3 clusters maintain stable vacuum even at peak milk flow and are capable of handling up to 12L per minute. MacDougalls says the milk-line height above the cow floor has an impact on the vacuum required to run the milking system. For every 100mm increase in milk-line height, an additional 1kPa in vacuum is needed. Careful design of shed features can help minimise overall energy usage, says MacDougalls. Automated detergent dosing ensures optimal
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Hot water cylinders provided by DeLaval. detergent usage without milkers having to do anything other than keep the detergent tanks full and hooked up to the one-touch C200 automatic shed wash system.
Professional painting Painting was completed by Foxton-based Surfatex. Director Glen Sinclair says the bare walls and floors inside the pits, plus in the plant-room and office were primed, painted and sealed. The company uses a product called Acraflex, which Glen says provides a good-looking surface that is easy to keep clean and maintain. “Our dairy wall sealers and floor coatings protect concrete from effluent and corrosive chemicals, with a heavy aggregate resin overlay to ensure a non-slip surface for the cows,” he says. Glen says the coating shows up every speck of dirt so the farmer knows which area needs cleaning.
Surfatex supplied the coating as well as its application at the McKelvie property. Glen says the paint is rolled on, with a spray glaze to finish. Earthworks on the McKelvie project were provided by Richard Algar Ltd, from Rongotea, about 30km out of Foxton. Director Richard Algar says the company has helped digging drains and stacking with its diggers on the Omanuka Rd property over the years. In the latest undertaking, Richard Algar Ltd dug effluent ponds north of the cowshed and moved soil required for the milking shed site. Richard says he also used his digger to spread ‘rotten rock’ on the race leading into the yard The new milking shed is not the only engineering feat worth noting at Omanuka.
Surfatex director Glen Sinclair admiring his company’s handiwork in the shed painting process.
Ben McKelvie is a former polo player who, in recent years, has turned his attention to his other sporting love – cricket.
Cricket complex An area behind his house has become a 1300 square metre cricket ground, complete with a clay batting block in the centre. Omanuka Oval is the home of Palmerston North’s Bloomfield Cricket Club, which was established in 1994. Ben originally played indoor cricket with club members, leading ultimately to his creation of a ‘home ground’ on the farm. He initially cleared an area of pine trees and established a poplar/golden elm/akeake wind-break, before developing what is now a perfectly manicured outfield and pitch area. The latest addition to Omanuka Oval is a scoreboard, with a pavilion in the offing. Quite a change for a place once “among the scrub”.
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