Martin Parks Waikato

The lower yard, complete and ready for cows while work continues on new races to the dairy shed. The upper stand-off pad is close to completion.

Each stand-off pad features two troughs set into the repurposed corrugated iron windbreak fencing. The roofs feature timber poles and beams.

The Comfy Cow mats, left, interlock with each other and require few if any bolts as their 53kg weight holds them in place.

Each mat is 30mm thick, 1.8m x 1.2m covering 2sqm when laid and interlocked. Each mat weighs 53kg and has a specially designed air-cushion comfort base with a textured top for increased grip.

They are constructed from a 50:50 blend of recycled and new rubber for sustainability and durability and have UV stabilisation, which provides resilience to the New Zealand environment and ensures longer life than alternative matting.

Paul says the grip pattern on the mats reduces the incidence of cows slipping and the deep aircushion pattern on the underside increases cow comfort and support.

“The design of the mat also addresses hoof white line damage and lameness which can result when cows are walking, standing, pushing or pivoting on concrete.

“Cows are the best judge of comfort and it’s not uncommon to see them lying down within a short time of being let onto the stand-off pads. The mats are warmer than concrete, cleaner than woodchip, and provide more cushioning on joints.”

The benefits of being able to hold stock off pasture also extend to the pasture, with increased yields and persistence due to reduced pugging.

DIY job

Bruce says he and Jenni tend to do everything themselves and so decided to redevelop the existing stand-off pad sites – removing all woodchip, resurfacing, pouring concrete and erecting windproof fencing and water troughs around the circumference. The location and contour of both sites enable effluent to feed from the dairy shed, through each pad and into the effluent pond.

“Around half of each stand-off pad is covered by a roof providing the cows with shelter from rain or sun and each pad is equipped with two silage feeders and two troughs. We simply put one bale of silage into each feeder so the cows can pick at the feed.

“We collect rain-water from the standoff pad roofs along with the dairy, calf and implement shed, storing the water in two tanks. We use the water for washdown of all yards in combination with green-wash from the effluent pond. We anticipate washing each pad every day to maintain cleanliness and promote animal health, such as reduced mastitis.”

Bruce says the new pads are due to be completed in early July ready for calving. Each pad will comfortably house 100 cows, which will cater to the two mobs we run the herd in – heifers and young cows in one mob, and mature cows in the other.

Cosy

“We expect some cows will calve in the yards, where they will be sheltered and warm, and the cows easily transferred to the adjacent dairy shed for milking.”

Bruce says the mats around the exterior of the yard had to be cut to shape but this was easily done with a jigsaw.

“The mats are anchored with concrete fasteners at the entry/exit points and sides as well as every second row, which ensures a secure, more comfortable fit for the space.

“They are interlocking with their weight stopping them from shifting even when under a heavy load.”

A spectacular dairy shed is at the centre of the family succession plan for a Waikato farming operation.

Two adjoining farms owned by the Martin family have merged, linked by a 70-bail rotary milking shed.

Long-time dairy farmers Peter and Karen Martin have formed an equity partnership with son Shane and his wife Melanie at the 300ha Kereone Rd operation near Morrinsville.

They put through 950 cows in two-and-a-half hours in a shed which blends high-tech with staff and cow comfort, coupled with top quality materials and a visually attractive finish.

“We did our homework,” says Karen, with the shed designed by Chapman Dairy and built by Don Chapman Waikato.

The Martins supply both Fonterra and Tatua, through the previous farm set-up, with three vats – the third for colostrum – in a 23m wide covered front to the shed.

“It gave it the right look,” says Karen. This included a light, bright colour scheme, “not [the traditional] cream and green”, she laughs.

Don Chapman Waikato managing director Shanan White says the shed has an 850 square metre roof and 15m radius yard.

His brief from the Martins, which included visits to other Chapman sheds in the Waikato, included an AI facility, Race Works Wrangler for hoof care and carpeted office, milk room, plant room and separate chemical shed.

Natural light

Shanan says the vented iron roof has skylights, offering natural light to the shed, with insulated colour steel wall panels.

In the shed, the Martins incorporated an underpass from outside the milking platform to the pit, which Karen says is appreciated by staff (and contractors during the construction stage). They used stainless steel throughout, including handrails and water heaters, adding fans to keep things cool in summer and keep flies away out of the shed.

Each cow is monitored when in the bails, with milk-meter data going into herd management software DelPro, shown on an interactive data display and computer in the well-appointed office.

Technology also includes automatic drafting, cup removers and on-deck teat-spray.

The De Laval E100 rotary milking system was supplied and installed by Morrinsvillebased McGregors Farm Services.

Business development manager Shaun Killalea says the DelPro system allows the farmer to monitor an individual cow’s milk production and also any animal health issues.

An animal’s identification details are read via electronic ear tag, and then the milking data is captured and assigned to the animal, he says. “The touch screen and control panel is the cockpit of the shed.”

Shaun says the milking platform features an automatic feeding system, rubber matting to prevent lameness and a skirt-wash to keep the outside surface of the platform clean.

Steve Edwards Peter and Karen Martin in the spectacular shed.

Staff comfort

A section of the shed floor outside the platform can be raised or lowered to cater for the height of the milker, he says.

Underneath the platform, a channel was made for the milk and vacuum lines to be hidden and create an uncluttered look while improving health and safety for staff and service people.

Race Wranglers $4,750 + GSTfrom

Pictured: Race Works $6,480 + GST