Avon Lea Canterbury

what works works

Clare Bayly

Andy and Liz Hayes with their children, from left to right, Ayla, Charlie and Hugo. e rotary dairy shed from the circular yard.

Avon Lea dairy shed.

When it came to selecting the best option for a dairy on their newly acquired farm, Andy and Liz Hayes only had to look across the paddock.

˜ e couple were dairy farming in Hakataramea Valley, near Kurow in the South Island’s Waitaki District, when, in 2019, a neighbouring sheep, beef and dairy grazing property came on the market.

“We’d been milking 1200 cows on the 280ha home farm but the acquisition of the 320ha neighbouring property gave us a combined acreage of 600ha and the ability to milk upwards of 2000 cows,” says Andy.

“Kurow is a great place to farm because it is quite cold but dry and stock do well.

“Fortuitously, the previous owner of the new property, was – like us – a member of the Haka Valley Irrigation Scheme and had an e° ective irrigation system and nutrient allocation. ˜ e only consent we therefore needed, to convert to dairying was an e˛ uent discharge.

Converting process

“Converting the property from drystock to dairy meant we had to build a new dairy, three houses, develop races, subdivide paddocks and regrass around one-third of the farm.” ˜ e purchase of the new property took place in May 2019 with a September takeover – the certainty of purchase enabling Andy and Liz to build cow numbers to 2000 with the purchase of high index empty cows.

“˜ e plan was for the combined 600ha property to operate as two dairy units capable of milking 2000 cows through two dairies,” says Andy.

“When it came to what sort of dairy we would build on the new farm, we only had to look at the 54-bail Waikato Milking Systems Orbit rotary we had on the home farm. It was a highly functional dairy which had been milking 1200 cows twice a day for a number of years, so we decided to replicate it – albeit with a larger platform.

“In retrospect, we regret not building a larger platform on the home farm but at the time we were milking 700 to 800 cows so a 54-bail was ideal. However, with the new farm we elected to build a 60-bail Waikato Milking Systems Orbit concrete platform as it would speed milking and future-proof the farm.

“˜ ere are multiple beneÿ ts from having virtual replica dairies, especially for the farm team who – if required – can easily transit from one dairy to the other.”

Morrison Agri director Robert Morris says he commissioned Andy and Liz’s new dairy and recalls there was a heavy frost on the day – minus 12 degrees – but a beautiful day followed.

All in one

“We advised and installed the Waikato Milking Systems Orbit Concrete Rotary Platform, which features the Multi Roller for long life and low maintenance,” says Robert.

“Technology in the new dairy includes Waikato Milking Systems ECR-S automatic cup removers, Bailgate Straps and SmartSPRAY, which applies teat spray to every cow at every milking.

“Morrison Agri did all the plumbing for the shed and yard.

Need to lower your nitrogen usage? Want to improve your soil health? Soil Matters can help.

Future-proofi ng NZ farming through

sustainable practices

www.soilmatters.co.nz

Call us for a consult today on 0800 842 367

All-Trace GET 8 monThs ComprEhEnsiVE TrACE ElEmEnT insurAnCECoVEr

...for your young stock this winter with All-Trace Trace Element Boluses for Cattle

For pricing and orders please contact your veterinary clinic. For more information please contact Vetpak on Tel: 07 870 2024

All-Trace Trace Element Boluses for Cattle

For the control of trace element and mineral deficiencies, for eight months, in grazing cattle.

e platform viewed from the pit. e dairy shed control panel. e dairy shed control panel.

Waikato Milking Systems cluster.

Avon Lea’s second in charge, Levi Catapang. Entrance way on to platform. Waikato Milking Systems cluster Waikato Milking Systems cluster and automatic cup removers. and automatic cup removers.

“In a ÿ rst, we installed Waikato Milking System’s unique Orbitor Gland main centre swivel. In contrast to standard centre-glands, the Orbitor Rotary Gland transports seven services in a single unit – milk, wash water, vacuum, in-bail teat spray, milk recovery, skirt and wall wash and electrical, with capacity to add other chemicals or services in the future.

“In the past two glands would have been needed to transport those services; the ease of installation of the Orbitor Rotary Gland cuts four days from the install.”

Covid delays

Andy recalls the conversion started in November 2019 soon after they took over the farm.

“I did all the lane and paddock design and all the fencing. ° e new dairy is situated in the centre of the farm, and local earthmoving contractors developed the site, e˛ uent ponds and lanes.

“° e conversion was well underway in March 2020 when Covid hit and the site was, for a short time, closed for around seven weeks through lockdown.

“In that same week, however, we also got notiÿ cation that some of the cows we had purchased were potential carriers of M. bovis.

“Fortunately, after four weeks of testing, all cows were found clear of M. bovis but the uncertainty didn’t help our stress levels at the time!”

FIL area manager for South Canterbury and North Otago, Kirk Falconer, says FIL provides Andy with a tailored, cost-e˝ ective range of New Zealand made detergents and teat sprays to speciÿ cally suit the requirements of his farm and animals.

Andy uses Quantum Red and Quantum Powder dairy detergents and Iodoshield Active teat spray.

“We also undertake regular shed inspections and provide trouble-shooting assistance and sta˝ training on such things as mastitis management,” says Kirk.

“FIL prides itself on empowering our clients with knowledge via sta˝ training to prevent a lot of the problems farmers commonly see in their sheds. Our approach, to prevent rather than react, is one that delivers real value to our clients.” ° e electrical ÿ t-out of the new dairy was conducted by Calect Electrical, which provides a comprehensive range of electrical services across homes, farms, dairy sheds and irrigation systems in the Waitaki Basin and Mackenzie Country area.

Andy and Liz Hayes say that despite the challenges that 2020 presented with Covid and M. bovis, the new dairy was completed on time.

“° e three new houses we added to the farm were completed one month late but the dairy was up and running in time for calving,” says Andy.

Powder dairy detergents and Iodoshield Active and M. bovis, the new dairy was completed Easy to operate “We’re really pleased with the new dairy. It’s a great shed; a lot of it comes down to the way the cows ˙ ow onto and o˝ the platform. “° e farm team like it – it’s sheltered from the prevailing wind, easy to operate and, overall, a pleasure to milk in. “Having two sheds that, other than platform size, are virtually identical makes it easy for sta˝ to move from one farm to the other if and when required. Currently, in the new shed, it takes one person around 3.5 hours to milk 1000 cows.”

Proud to support Million Springs - Avon Lea

The e preferred milking g sy ystems s partner r for r Dairy y Farmers Ph 0800 0 577 7 583 3 | | www.morrisonagri.co.nz