Darby Sheep Waikato

Steve Edwards Rhys Darby outside the milking shed, which has been converted from cows to sheep.

Rhys Darby’s flock of Spring Sheep Zealandi .

A North Waikato cow cockie has branched out into sheep milking.

Rhys Darby, who oversees a family operation comprising three adjoining properties near Huntly, is milking 600 sheep in a converted cowshed.

What was a 34-aside herringbone has become a 42-bail sheep milking parlour.

Rhys is part of a third generation of his family on the Hetherington Rd property, dating back 50 years.

They own two dairy farms plus a support block, with 42ha sliced off the latter to create the sheep operation.

Following discussions with Maui Milk and Spring Sheep, Rhys says the project got a little more traction in August 2019.

The 140ha support block previously carried young stock and cropping (maize).

Rhys admits he knew very little about sheep milking but wanted to utilise the block a bit better.

After doing the budgets he settled on 600 sheep, with the shed future-proofed to cater for 1200 by 2022. Half & half

The flock is Spring Sheep Zealandia – half from milking farms and half hoggets – sourced from farms at Masterton and the South Island.

The herringbone shed had been left as it was for about seven years before the conversion.

“It’s a mix and match shed,” says Rhys. “We had the infrastructure. It was just how to utilise it.”

The existing buildings, yard and pipe-work were retained, along with some equipment including the hot-water cylinders, mixing tub and vat.

The new operation also made use of existing water and electricity supplies.

Rhys says the pit level was dropped and narrowed, for milking sheep at eye level, and its drainage system replaced.

Concrete slabs were laid down the existing bails to accommodate a new sheep milking system.

A feature of the conversion is the pneumatic bails supplied and installed by GEA Farm Technologies.

Grant Coburn, from the company’s milking equipment, robotics and dairy farming division, says the European system has indexing gates which align the animals in the exact position for milking

The animals then ‘self-load’ the stalls quickly and correctly. A view across the yard to the “mix and match” milking shed.

Speed up

After milking the breast-rail lifts up, allowing for rapid exit, says Grant.

He says this increases the number of animals milked per hour, while reducing labour input and stress on livestock.

“They load fast and unload fast,” says Grant. “The sheep actually run in.”

Conversations began between Grant and Rhys about technology options for the operation in 2019.

Grant says the beauty of the bail system is that the sheep have options to exit the bails.

“There is a smooth flow.”

This technology is now commonly used in sheep and goat milking sheds, says Grant.

Once in, he says the sheep are held exceptionally well for milking.

Gate controls are at each end of the pit, with two staff employed for milking.

Grant says this rapid flow system sees 588 sheep milked in just 75 minutes.

The bails come in units of six, with the 42-row design based on the size of the existing shed, he says.

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