Showcasing the nations

newest dairies

Showcasing 35 of New Zealands newest dairy farm developments throughout New Zealand

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Coast & Country Page 2 NEW FARM DAIRIESNew Farm Dairies is brought to you by...

New Farm Dairies is New Zealands most comprehensive guide for farmers planning a new farm dairy construction.

It showcases a range of the newest farm dairies in the country, offering farmers a vital, in-depth reference for their own dairy projects.

We distribute more than 30,500 copies of the FREE publication to all dairy farmers throughout New Zealand, reaching all corners

of the countrys vast dairying industry.

No.1 The Strand PO Box 240 Tauranga 3140 phone 07 578 0030 fax 07 571 1116

email lois@thesun.co.nz

Sarah AdamsonGraphic Designer

Page Layout Coordinator

Lois NattaAdvertising

027 281 7427

Brian RogersDirector/Editor

Elaine FisherEditor

Claire RogersManaging Director

Merle FosterJournalist

Just like the dairy industry, New Farm Dairies is

growing. This is our ninth annual edition and at 120

pages, our biggest ever.New Farm Dairies is the only

specialist publication focusing on new dairy buildings from the top of the North Island to the tip of the South Island and since its rst issue in 2005, has gained a reputation as a reliable resource for anyone considering building or upgrading a farm dairy.

Thirty- ve new dairies are fea-tured in the 2014 issue, but many dairies have missed out because bookings for inclusion werent made early enough, says New Farm Dairies consultant Lois Natta.

I already have eight bookings for the 2015 edition and if anyone wants to be part of it, they really need to book before the end of October 2014, says Lois.

This years edition features just

one goat dairy, but wed like more in the 2015 edition to re ect this growing aspect of our dairy industry.

Its not just new dairies which can feature in the publication. Sig-ni cant new cow barns and feed pads, and the associated infra-structure, are also worth pro ling.

It is Lois who co-ordinates journalists, dairy owners and representatives of all the trades and service companies involved in each project to meet on-site, for interviews and photos. She also visits and writes about some of the new projects too.

What has really impressed me this year are the ef uent storage and handling systems which farmers are installing. The engineering and technology going into addressing ef uent issues is outstanding and re ects how seriously the best farmers take environmental issues.

Theres an increased recogni-tion of the value of attracting and retaining top staff too.

Many farms are building really lovely modern homes for their staff and it makes sense. Its worth making an investment in housing for top staff to ensure they stay on the farm.

Cold, inconvenient old farm houses arent going to retain workers. Our team of journalists have once again been impressed at the standard of new dairies being built and the willingness of dairy owners and those companies involved in the projects, to share their knowledge and experiences.

The dairies featured here are among the best of the best and illustrate why building a new farm dairy requires a signi cant capital investment, and doing it right ensures a building which will bene t the farming venture for years to come.

To be featured in New Farm Dairies 2015 call early to avoid disappointment.

Contact Lois Natta on 07 378 9091 or 027 281 7427.

Biggest issue yet reflects dairys growth

Publishers Brian & Claire RogersFRONT MAIN PHOTO COURTESY SUPPLIED BY WAIKATO MILKING SYSTEMS

PH 07 578 0030 Page 3NEW FARM DAIRIESFARM DISTRICT PAGEKapuni 3 Taranaki 4-9

AFT Trust Taranaki 10-11

Corrigan Taranaki 12-13

Hockly Partnership Taranaki 14-15

Davidson Manawatu 16-17

Massey Manawatu 18-21

Rotopai Farm Wairarapa 22-25

Panea Farm Bay of Plenty 26-27

Red Dog Dairies Central Plateau 28-29

Waipupumahana Trust Central Plateau 30-33

Pengxin NZ Ltd Central Plateau 34-37

Limestone Downs Auckland 38-43

Welch Egg Co Auckland 44-49

Thompson Dairies King Country 50-53

Rustic Dairies King Country 54-55

Ramul Farm King Country 56-59

Lagoon Valley Dairies Southland 62-65

Hitchen Southland 66-67

Creekside Pastures Otago 68-69

Auchenbrae Canterbury 70-73

Te Awa Land Co Canterbury 74-77

Riverholme Pastures Canterbury 78-81

McLelland Canterbury 82-83

Saywell Canterbury 84-85

JansonAg Canterbury 86-89

Netherland Holdings Canterbury 90-93

GSB Farm Canterbury 94-95

CIB Canterbury 96-97

Payne Waikato 98-101

Lottisham Waikato 102-103

Rowling Waikato 104-107

Lynrich Trust Waikato 108-109

Cranleigh Waikato 110-111

Hills Waikato 112-113

Upson Downs Farm Northland 114-115

Farmers Market 116-118

Effluent top worry for many farmers

Cows are ef cient converters of grass into milk, for which

there is a ready market.But the byproduct of the process is

more problematic. Cow ef uent is high in nutrients but on todays dairy farms there is so much of it, its too much of a good thing.

Fifty years ago farmers gave little thought to cow pats in the paddock, other than that they increased the worm population; and ef uent in dairy shed yards was washed into drains or creeks with no concern about where it ended up.

Todays large herds mean such practices are totally unacceptable. However, farm-ers still face the dilemma of what to do with all that ef uent.

Councils are getting tough on farmers; and failing to have a consented, modern ef uent system can even see them ordered to stop milking.

Its not surprising that how to deal with ef uent is top of farmer woes, accord-ing to farmers who attended this years Fieldays and gave their thoughts to the Innovation Centres new drawcard, The Lab.

The Lab, run by Tauranga-based Locus Research, asked farmers what their top ve problems are on-farm and ef uent management was the main answer, says Locus Research product designer Simon Crane.

The most common problem Ive come across is ef uent management on dairy farms. Its expensive, timely, it takes a lot of time and the ef uent when

they irrigate back onto pastures can go through the soil really quickly and thats when you get pollution into the waterways.

How you manage that quickly and cost-effectively is a real big problem.

Ef uent regulation tightening is also a factor, says Simon. The increasing amount of paperwork they have to do to comply with regulations was another thing I got from farmers because the more time they spend on paperwork, the less time theyre spending on the farm.

When new dairies are commissioned, they invariably include upgraded or completely new ef uent systems and storage, aimed to reduce the impact on the environment allowing farmers to use the ef uent to spread on pasture and maize paddocks.

Page 4 Coast & Country KAPUNI 3

Originally Fonterra owned two farms on the slopes of Mount Taranaki Kapuni 2 with 36 hectares and

Kapuni 3 with 119ha which was close to the companys Kapuni

Manufacturing site processing lactose and high value lactose derivatives.

The majority of Fonterras dairy farms are located close to their manufacturing sites, where theyre used to irrigate waste-water from the manufacturing processes an elegant solution to the waste-water problem

and a win-win for both farm and factory.In this case both dairies needed considerable

work to bring them up to Fonterras quality and compliance supply conditions.

So rather than spend the money twice, Fonterras dairy operations manager Paul Mahoney decided there were considerable ef ciency gains in combining the farms into one 155ha unit, with one new 44-aside herringbone dairy and an upgraded ef uent system capable of servicing a herd of 520.

As youd expect Fonterra aimed for maxi-mum value for money, hence Paul opted for a large herringbone that could be operated ef ciently with just two milkers using a basic but top quality milking plant, a herd manage-ment system and snap chiller.

The job went out for tender with selection criteria that included an excellent Health and Safety record and policies, attention to detail and the ability to work with a large corpora-tion as well as the obvious prerequisites of quality design and workmanship.

Quintin Oakes from Stratford-based Quintin Oakes Builders Ltd won the building tender with a Chapman Dairy design 44-aside herringbone.

GEA Milfos was given the job of supplying the milking plant, and Ag rst Engineering Waikato got the job of designing the ef uent system.

Its not surprising Fonterra went with this combination; it represents quality all the way.

Fusing farms sees new Fonterra dairy

By Graeme Dobson

Chapman Dairy has franchised builders in many regions of NZ who are all busy keeping up with demand, because Chapman Dairy designs are very popular, mainly due to the huge wealth of experience behind them.

The dairy is a Chapman Dairy design, built by Quintin Oakes, of

Quintin Oakes Builders Ltd.

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Page 5PH 07 578 0030 KAPUNI 3

Maximum value for money at new dairy

That experience allows them to create blue-prints to suit all situations. And their licensed builders, like Quintin, arent just very expe-rienced in building theyre also negotiators who talk to their clients about their needs and can adapt the basic design on-site to suit.

For example, this dairy is built so it can be easily and economically expanded to a 50-aside, if warranted at a later date. In the end, everyone comes out happy.

You know the owner is serious about health and safety when you have to sign in to the site when you arrive, and sign out when you leave.

But its not bad thing and is all part and parcel of Fonterras focus on work health and safety, which was a key focus throughout the dairy-build.

Fonterra project manager for job Anne Bridges says risk assessments were conducted

before starting, and Job Safety Analysis, spot checks and high visibility vests were manda-tory.

Contractors also worked with our health and safety advisor whenever a new phase in the project started that introduced a new risk, says Anne.

So signing the book was the rst thing Quintin had New Farm Dairies do; then he

was happy to show us around.This is a nice airy and light dairy, theres

windows all along the wall that can be opened in the summer to let the air ow through, says Quintin.

The roof slopes lengthways along the 38m length of the pit that mirrors the slope of the oor and keeps the distance from oor to ceiling constant.

www.chapmandairy.com

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Page 6 Coast & Country KAPUNI 3

It makes it uniform and very neat.The buildings, including the staff and milk

rooms, are certainly clean; and neat and the use of preformed and painted Coloursteel panels makes it easy to keep that way.

Painting is kept to a minimum theres just a couple of timber rafters that run the length of the building and the pale-coloured panels re ect a lot of light, which creates a very bright, pleasant environment.

There are very few spaces for spider webs and bugs to get established and nowhere for birds to settle; even the gaps between the roof ridges and rafters have inserts to prevent birds from roosting, so theres no bird droppings which should keep dairies regula-tor, Quality Consultants of New Zealand, very happy.

Provided they keep the maintenance up, in another 10 years time this dairy will still look really good, says Quintin.

Functional extrasThere are few frills with

this building; everything is simple. But any extras, such as the step rails that run down each side of the pit, are very functional.

Details like step rails are typical of a Chapman Dairy, as is the thought that goes into designing the yard layout to give the best cow ow and the

least cow stress possible.Ive been a Chapman Dairy agent for three years now, things have cer-

tainly taken off in that time, says Quintin.

I used to do one dairy a year; now I do three or four. Don Chapman is a good bloke and easy to work with; and hes spent the time on the tools, so he knows the problems and issues.

Theres always a requirement for block-work in a herringbone and here blocks were used for the loading ramp, tank stand and in the pit.

This is a specialist job so Quintin brought in tradesmen from local company Masonry Con-struction.

Theyre one of those hard-working gangs that just do not stop. If youre pushed, you can be sure that theyll get it done doesnt matter what day it is, if the weathers right theyre there and work-ing, says Quintin.

And they put the same care and attention to detail into laying blocks in dairies as they do in

laying stones, bricks and blocks for my residential work, so you always get a good job, says Quintin.

Once in place the blocks needed sealing and nishing to the high standard required by Fonterra and QCONZ.

Quality all the way at Mount Taranaki

The bails are clean with heaps of room and windows for summer ventilation.

Builder Quintin Oakes, of Quintin Oakes Builders Ltd.

GEA Milfos control units over the pit.

So they called in the best Palmerston North-based painters Surfatex Ltd to apply an Acra ex sealing coat to the pit walls.

Acra ex makes maintaining a high hygienic standard easy by sealing surfaces against bacterial build-up and presenting a very easily-cleaned surface.

Acra ex is ideal for dairies and gives a bright, attractive and extremely hard-wearing nish.

Surfatex Ltd is very accommodat-ing and certainly spend a lot of time on the preparation work; theyre very fussy and they take pride in their work, says Quintin.

A lot of guys will spend two or three hours prepping, but Surfatex spent a day to make sure it was right. The jobs got a 10-year warranty and they like to make sure there wont be any comebacks, says Quintin.

Page 7PH 07 578 0030 KAPUNI 3

That pride shows in the nish, which makes the blockwork an attractive feature and its testimony to their quality and reliability that Surfatex do virtually all Chapman Dairy jobs from Hawkes Bay and Taranaki down to lower North Island.

Growing reputationAnother company with a long history with

Chapman Dairy is Leask Engineering. In fact, theyve been closely associated almost from the time Don Chapman rst started building dairies.

Leask Engineering has been in business and specialising in dairies since 1958 when they pretty much pioneered herringbones.

Now they supply and install complete dairies from their Tatuanui factory in the Waikato, or they supply complete kitsets or just selected components.

At Kapuni 3, Leask Engineering supplied Quintin with the two gates to the bails.

But the engineering rm dont just do dairies; theyll do any other engineering jobs that come their way. Their reputation has gone far beyond the Waikato theyve been selling and install-ing steelwork in dairies as far away as Ireland and Pakistan, so theyre well up in the industry. Inside the dairy, Fonterra had Glen Stevens from Dairypro 2010 Ltd install a GEA Milfos milking plant and chiller.

Pro installersGlen set up Dairypro 2010 Ltd in New

Plymouth four years ago and became the GEA agents for the area; and one year ago he expanded into Stratford, to be better able to handle GEAs work.

GEA Taranaki area sales manager Steve Nolly says the Milfos plant is a very good basic plant with swing arms for better cluster alignment, a Flomax milk pump, high capacity iC330 claws,

wash automation and pull-out jetters, tucked away at the side of the pit. And its all designed to be upgraded, whenever they want, says Steve.

Glen says theres also variable speed milk pumps. And everything here is interlinked in a network pulsators, milk pump, vacuum pump, wash so they can all be controlled from the pit or the milk room just by pressing milk, wash, purge or off, says Glen.

Theres also a Milksweep milk recovery that puts a pulse of air through the lines to push out the last of the milk.

The iNTELWASH automatic wash is the most high-tech system Glen installed. The iNTELWASH washes the plant, lls the tub, recirculates the water through a series of valves, doses the chemicals and dumps the wastewater.

The iNTELWASH is very exible and can be easily programmed to suit any requirements, so adjusting it to Fonterras standards wasnt a problem.

Chilling suits changesAlso designed to meet changing demands is

the GEA iCONVERTER aquaCHILL on-demand chiller, which Fonterra had installed ready for anticipated changes in regulations that are likely to see a tightening of milk chill-ing requirements.

The milk passes from the rst plate cooler and into the aquaCHILL where its chilled with glycol before its put into the vat, says Steve.

Once in the vat the milk is maintained at the correct temperature by Tru-Tests Dairy Technology Services Milk Cooling and Tank Solutions refrigeration system.

DTS recently became a part of the Tru-Test Group, ensuring theyre able to offer their clients the best in farm technology.

At Kapuni 3 theyve installed an 18hp Patton Pak refrigeration unit with a heat recovery unit.

The heat recovery system on the Patton Pak puts water into the hot water cylinders at about 50 degrees Celsius, meaning a lot less power is needed than if the water was being heated in the cylinders from cold and it represents a major saving.

The Tru-Test group of companies is one of the worlds leaders in farm technology and offers the farmer a range of very advanced ser-vices, including the herd management system Fonterra have chosen for Kapuni 3.

Keeping trackEach cow has a Tru-Test electronic identi ca-

tion tag in her ear that enables the farmer to comply with the mandatory NAIT scheme by keeping track of her throughout her life and beyond for that matter and is an invaluable tool in herd management.

Tru-Test scales in the exit race record each cows weight against her EID as she leaves the dairy. The valuable information is used with Tru-Tests MilkHub Herd Tracking system for such things as monitoring herd health and determining feed regimes.

The Tru-Test MilkHub Autodrafter draft-ing gate in the exit race is also linked into the MilkHub Herd Tracking system and to an over-head display and a console in the pit.

The farmer just needs to put in the EID number of any cow he wants drafted and shes automatically directed into a side yard for later attention.

The Autogate can also be operated from an Apple or Android mobile phone so animals can be selected at any time and from anywhere.

Installing the GEA and Tru-Test systems is demonstration of Fonterras push for ef ciency in the dairy, but staff needs were not over-looked either.

As a part of their commitment to their workers conditions and comfort, Fonterra had local plumbers GJS NZ Ltd install a toilet and

wash facilities in the dairy. Installing these facilities for staff in a dairy is

exactly the same as in a home, and the same regulations apply, meaning theyre required to be plumbed separately with their own dedi-cated septic tank and soakage isolated from the dairys ef uent system.

Ef uent designSo it was a registered plumber for the

human waste, but the dairy waste was a dif-ferent matter and needed a different type of professional Ag rst Engineering Waikato and Steelcon Construction.

Functionality thrills at Kapuni 3

GEA Milfos swing arms.

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Page 8 Coast & Country KAPUNI 3 Coast & Country KAPUNI 3

Fonterra engaged Davieth Verheij from AgFirst Engineering, an accredited ef uent design company to design, supply and build a new ef uent solids separation and green water recycling system.

AgFirst Engineering designed, sup-plied and built the complete system with sub-contractors Coastal Agri Services, Opunake and Steelcon Construction, Matamata.

The key design considerations for this ef uent system was to minimise water-use in the dairy and have the ability to irrigate dairy ef uent through the Kapuni factory waste-water system, says Davieth. This needed to be achieved with a reliable but simplistic system.

Ag rst achieved this with a rotary drum separation system to remove solids from the ef uent before the green water is passed to the holding pond.

The rotary drum separation system was chosen because of its high ow capabilities, low power consumption and low mainte-nance.

As the ef uent passes through the system the solids are ltered out and dropped into a bunker to be later spread on pastures or crops.

This enabled the existing ponds working volume to be maximised and the green water to be pumped back to the yard for washdown via the backing gate.

Steelcon Constructions used high-strength concrete for the construction of an oval holding sump an oval shape makes stirring ef cient and prevents any solids build-up where the ef uent is received from the yards.

Then they built the solid waste bunkers with prefabricated con-

crete panels. Finally, they installed a child-proof fence around the sump to ensure the job is fully compliant with health and safety standards.

No more wranglingThis dairy is all about functional-

ity. Out in the yard theres a piece of equipment which doesnt need elec-tronics or computers and ticks all

Fonterras boxes for ef ciency and safety for both worker and cow.

A Wilco and Waverley Wran-gler hoof trimming press.

The Wrangler came about nearly 20 years ago when young sharemilker Wilco Klein Ovink invented a safer way to treat cows legs and hooves by using a system of slings and ropes to manually, but easily, lift and restrain each leg so cows hooves can be worked on accu-rately and safely.

The Wrangler does away with the old wrestling match with each cow and all the inherent dangers of being kicked or trodden on.

It reduces stress levels in cows as well, so its not surprising its a piece of equipment found in many yards now and richly deserves to be there. Today, Wilco and his crew are kept at out in their Whakatane factory

satisfying the demand no more milking cows for him.

In most respects this dairy is fairly standard, but Quintin reckons it has one unique quality its azure blue roof and ashing is the closest colour they could get to Fonterra blue.

This makes for an interesting com-pany ID.

As project manager, Anne is happy with the dairy created.

All contractors selected produced a quality job for us, and in a timely manner. Our target date was the December 1, 2013, and the rst milking actually occurred on December 8, 2013.

Tru-Tests Milk Hub in-pit controls.

GEA Milfos milking plant.

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Page 9PH 07 578 0030 KAPUNI 3PH 07 578 0030 KAPUNI 3

Page 10 Coast & Country AFT TRUST

Being born in Taranaki to dairy farming parents, there was always a

likely chance Donald Anderson would be a dairy farmer himself.

As a young man he spent time working on oil rigs in the North Sea, saved his wages and came back to Taranaki and worked his way up to owning several dairy farms.

After sharemilking for several years, my wife Maree and I started with buying the original block off my parents when they retired and have since added to our dairy farm business.

We enjoy the challenges of dairy farming and I think the future looks bright, says Donald.

His philosophy is low cost, low risk, high pro t dairy farming with return on capital being the key drivers.

The No. 2 dairy farm at Rahotu, near Opunake, is an amalgamation of three smaller farms.

The rst one was acquired in 1982, the neighbouring one in 1994 and the last one in 2012. This combined farm makes a good size dairy unit of 200 hectares milking 450 cows.

The three original farms all had small dairy sheds on them, which were still being used, but it was time to build a new, more ef cient dairy.

Volcanic laharsThe farm sits close to Mount Taranaki and

this attracts rain, so during the 2012/2013 drought Donald and Maree Andersons farm was still growing grass.

The contour of the land is at to rolling, interspersed with small mounds called lahars, formed from previous volcanic eruptions.

Donald had built a 50-bail rotary at one of his other farms in 2009 and was very impressed with its performance, so he decided to use the same builder, Kodesign, which is the dairy shed branch of G.J Gardner Homes in New Plymouth.

I wanted the same standard plan as last time, without any bells and whistles. The difference is this one is a 44-bail rotary and the platform spins in the opposite direction to suit the new races, and so the cows dont have to cross the tanker track.

The walls are made from concrete panels with refrigeration panels on top. The roof is also made from refrigeration panels, which keeps the noise down and keeps it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. They are

low maintenance and easy to keep clean. So it is cows in, cups-on, cups-off, teat spray, cows out, simple, says Donald.

The new dairy shed is open to the west as the heavy rain usually comes from the north and the cold weather from the south.

Trusted inventorsEltham company Hotter Engineering are the

inventors of the rotary platform and Donald used them again for this new dairy.

They are the experts and the other platform is still going well, says Donald.

DeLaval milking machines have proved their worth during the last 30 years, so were the obvious choice this time.

They are reliable and provide an excellent

back-up service. It is a standard no-nonsense milking system with automatic cup removers without retention arms, which is easy for staff to use, says Donald.

AFT Trust chose a PR1500 rotary platform with a standard DeLaval Milker. It was the rst one of this type installed in Taranaki. It is an open-type bail in which DeLavals range of automated products, such as an automatic drafting system, can be installed at a later date, says DeLaval Ltd milking systems district manager Bruce Battersby.

It is a very simple and effective milk har-vesting solution for this farm.

Michael Bloemen Engineering from Kaponga welded the pipe rails in the circular yard and provided the two backing gates.

When three small farms become one

The Kodesign rotary dairy shed at Rahotu.

AFT Trust By Helen Wilson

Farm owner Donald Anderson in the circular yard.

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Page 11PH 07 578 0030 AFT TRUST

The DeLaval milking clusters.

Farm owner Donald Anderson, and fencer Merv Krutz

The double backing gates made by Michael Bloemen Engineering.

A DeLaval rotary dairy shed.

Low cost, low risk, high profit dairying

By Helen Wilson

Michael Bloemen has been build-ing dairy shed yards since he was 15 years old and has had his own business for the last 16 years. I also do general repair work, but dairy shed yards are the main part of my business, says Michael.

Refrigeration in AFT Trusts other rotary dairy shed was supplied by Tru Tests Dairy Technologies Services and with the excel-lent service and product Donald decided to install the same system. The refrigeration unit chills the milk to the required tempera-ture before going into the vat and retains the temperature until tanker pick-up.

Fencing in rhythmBuilding on a new site meant rearrang-

ing the fences for easy entry and exit of the cows. Pungarehu company Krutz and Asso-ciates can build a one to eight-wire fence or a deer fence. Merv Krutz is the main fencer and his wife Glenda is the gofer but also hammers the insulators into the posts

when required. Theyve been in business for nine years.It was a bit of a challenge here, as we had to take the lahars into account. On occasions, we had to use a rock spike to make a hole in the underground rock before putting in the post, to keep them upright, says Merv.

It takes a bit longer but you get into a rhythm. We fenced off the new raceways and the ef uent pond.

Agricultural spraying, such as gorse and fertiliser spraying, is the main part of their business as well as fencing.

We use quad bikes and trailer sprayers, which are more suitable for the hills. We can go where the bigger vehicles cant and being lighter there is no damage to crops, says Merv.

The AFT Trust No. 2 Farm at Rahotu employs a variable order

sharemilker plus one other full-time worker. Building this rotary dairy shed, farm

owners Donald and Maree Anderson have kept it simple by using contractors they know and trust; and can rely on.

The rotary platform supplied by DeLaval. The lahars formed by ancient volcanic eruptions.

ROCKY HAWKE | (06) 769 6512 | 0274 431 704 | rocky@kodesign.co.nz

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Page 12 Coast & Country CORRIGAN

Twenty-two-year old Josh Corrigan is a young man who had

to step up to the mark and take over the running of the family

farm when his father became ill.The second eldest of 10 children and the

fourth generation on the farm, hes taken on the challenge and with the support of family has increased the area of the dairy platform, increased herd numbers and production and just built a new 34-aside herringbone dairy.

When New Farm Dairies visited in February he was also looking forward to getting married to Carly Muggeridge in 25 days time.

The farm is on Whakatau Rd near Hawera in Taranaki and has 142 hectares in dairy and 70ha in sheep and beef. Joshs parents, Duncan and Fiona Corrigan, moved to Whakatau in 1991 with three children. Sadly Duncan died in October 2012 just after signing the contract for the new farm dairy. The farm is now in a trust with Josh as manager and his mother Fiona overseeing the operation of the farm. Older siblings lend a hand, as well as cousin Chris Reed; and Joshs anc Carly Muggeridge is an all-rounder helping in the dairy and the house.

The farm had an old 18-aside herring-bone shed which needed to be upgraded with an increase in herd numbers.

The planning started in September 2012 and the project was completed during January 2013.

We decided to build a 34-aside her-

ringbone, as it was the most cost-effective option. We chose a DeLaval milk-ing system for its reliability and it was installed by DairyPro Hawera, says Josh.

Choosing reliabilityDairyPro Hawera managing director

Paul Gibson, who is the agent for DeLaval in South Taranaki, says he showed Josh and Fiona all the different options which were available and they chose DeLaval for reliability and after sales service.

The plant has swing down arms, which give excellent cluster alignment, and the automatic cluster removers are incorpo-rated into the swing arms.

Paul says swing arms make plenty of room for the milkers to move in the pit, being ideal for herd testing.

The jetters swing down for ease of use and the vacuum system has a variable speed drive which gives maximum power savings and minimum noise, says Paul. Hamish Thomson is the milk quality specialist for DeLaval and takes care of after-sales and hygiene requirements in South Taranaki.

We have an excellent back-up ser-vice and we are always available when required, says Hamish.

Josh says the DeLaval DSG3 automatic drafting system is a real time-saver. I can programme my drafting require-ments weeks ahead and its all done saving labour, money and time.

The drafting gate and milking plant can be integrated with the milk meters for accurate drafting of low production or sick cows.

Young love for family farm

Corrigan

A great team: Carly Muggeridge, Josh Corrigan and his mother Fiona Corrigan, Hamish Thomson from DeLaval, Nick Callingham from Tru-tests Dairy Technology Services, Wonder Minerals sales representative Wayne Trethewey,

Central Silo Systems Ltds Sean Curry, and Paul Gibson from DairyPro Hawera.

The farm dogs enjoy a ride i

n the ute.

Discussing the merits of

swing arm cup removers, Hamish

Thomson from DeLaval, farmer

Josh Corrigan and Paul Gibson from DairyPro

Hawera.

The 34-aside herringbone dairy shed.

Bridge St, Eltham

(06) 358 5805

(06) 358 5806Fax

Phone

Mobile 027 275 6575

57 Mihaere Drive,RoslynPalmerston North, 4414

centralsilosltd@xtra.co.nzEmail

Address

sean@centralsilosystems.co.nzbernie@centralsilosystems.co.nz

Page 13PH 07 578 0030 CORRIGAN

New dairy puts farm in good stead

Robust feeding system by Central Silo Systems.

Nick Callingham, from Tru-Tests Dairy Technology Services.The DeLaval milking plant.

Central Silo Systems Ltd supplied the silo.

Nathan Gray, who is a grandson of D.R Gray Ltd from Hawera, applied a special paint coating to the pit walls and milkroom walls. This gives a durable, hygienic surface which is easy to keep clean. D.R Gray Ltd has been painting buildings in and around New Plymouth and Hawera for more than 50 years.

The refrigeration unit was installed by Tru-Tests Dairy Technology Services based at Normanby, which is close to Whakatau Rd.

The double-plate heat exchange chills the milk to 18 degrees Celsius before it goes into the vat and returns the warmed water to the hot water cylinder reducing hot water heating costs, says DTS refrigeration technician Nick Callingham. The refrigera-tion unit for the two vats chills the milk to below seven degrees Celsius within three hours after milking. It does this easily. The polar wrap on the vat cuts the chilling time too, says Josh.

Tru Tests DTS also builds stainless steel tanks for Fonterra, as well as providing an on-farm back-up service.

A robust systemCorrigans dairy shed has been tted

with a Central Silo Systems Ltd in-shed feed system. This is an extremely robust system made to last, as it has standard galvanised drop pipes instead of PVC and a fully galvanised steel frame to support the continuous stainless steel feed trough. The meal dispensers are also galvanised to help protect them from being damaged.

Central Silo Systems Ltds Sean Curry, who operates the family-owned business with father Bernie Curry and wife Paula,

says their clients have the option of three different types of dispensers to suit their requirements and we also offer the option of stainless steel bolt-together or fully TIG-welded feed pans, the latter giving the option of adding a molasses injection system.

We installed a 16 tonne silo at this dairy shed but also offer larger storage silos and full on-farm feed mills if required.

The dry feed is then augured from the silo into the meal dispenser and then directly to each cow. We are nding in-shed feeding is becoming more popular with dairy farmers in rotary and herringbone dairy sheds.

Sean says Central Silo Systems Ltd has its own installers and service engineers so we can provide continuous after sales service to our clients when they need it.

Josh says Michael Bloemen Engineering from Kaponga did all the pipe work in the yard, and the AB area rails and installed the bail gates.

The middle pipe on the outside rails carries water to keep the yard clean during milking. Their price was very competitive, they were ef cient and easy to deal with, says Josh.

Wonder-full mineralsWonder Minerals has been around for

more than 20 years and has been associ-ated with the Corrigans for the last ve years. We look after animal health and use preventative measures rather than treating the animal once it is unwell, says Wonder Minerals sales representative Wayne Tre-thewey, who is based at Eltham.

During calving Josh gives the cows

calcium and magnesium for milk fever and grass staggers; and this year topped the cows up with liquid copper and lime our. The calves looked really healthy this year and thats partly due to making sure the cows have all the minerals they require, says Josh.

Wonder Minerals also provide bloat oil for troughs, for prevention against the digestive disorder.

We mainly supply the dairy industry but also supply cleaning products for other businesses, says Wayne.

Next season Josh and Fiona intend to increase the herd to 400 cows on a grass-based system with meal to boost pro-duction. The sheep and beef animals will be kept for the time being, to tidy up the gullies scattered around the farm. It only takes two people about 45 minutes to milk now and can be managed by one person if necessary. Theyre aiming to do 115,000-120,000 kg/ms this year.

The family farm is in good hands, with a committed young farmer such as Josh and thanks to his supportive family.

By Helen Wilson

LYNDON HARROWS AND ENGINEERING LIMITED

Page 14 Coast & Country HOCKLY PARTNERSHIP

A lot of pieces of paper with scribbling all over them passed between me and Johnny Neil, the

builder, when planning this dairy shed. And I have to say he was always exible and took the changes

in his stride, says farmer Craig Hockly.This is just the exibility Craig wanted, as he could picture

what he desired in a dairy shed and it had to be child-friendly with both his farm workers and himself having young children.

Proud dairy farmers Deanne

and Craig Hockly.

When a scribble becomes realityIt was a huge learning curve for both

of us, as this was Johnnys rst new build dairy shed since starting his own com-pany.

Johnny reckons he must have done a good job, as I now have lots of requests from other dairy farmers to build a dairy shed just like Hocklys.

Craig Hockly is the third generation to take over the family farm just out of Hawera in Taranaki.

My father told me I had to have a trade, so I worked in Hawera and became a quali ed furniture-maker.

My parents bought more land and I decided to come home on the farm. Dad had a year off and employed a couple to milk and I had to start at the bottom as the farm hand, says Craig.

When the couple left Craig worked with his parents on the farm. Craig is married to Deanne and they have two children, aged 10 and seven. Deanne combines farm of ce work, calf-rearing and family com-mitments.

Since acquiring more adjoining land and increasing the herd they outgrew the old dairy shed, so built a new 60-bail rotary with all the latest features.

Matt Cleaver has been an excavating contractor around South Taranaki for many years and his knowledge was invalu-able when making sure the site was just right for the new dairy shed.

It took three days to prepare the site. I

worked in with Johnny Neil, the builder, to make sure the drains were in the right place, says Matt. He also tidied up the site by replacing the topsoil and landscap-ing the area.

The Waikato Milking Systems plant is a 60-bail Orbit concrete rotary platform and milking machine, kitted out with a full A milk automation system. Waikato Milking Systems and its dealers are the only suppliers of A milk herd manage-ment technology in New Zealand.

The Orbit platform is designed and manufactured for ef cient milking of large herds. Known for its strength and engineering integrity, it integrates perfectly with technology enhancements from Waikato Milking Systems, says WMS lower North Island sales manager Brent Crothers.

Smart thinkingThe new generation technology

the Hocklys selected from the WMS range includes Smart-SPRAY, an automatic teat spray system for rotaries that ensures optimal teat coverage and reduces the amount of spray used.

They have SmartPULS, a digital pulsation system that works in harmony with cows to open and close the liners consistently and dependably every milking, provid-ing optimal milking performance.

BailGates is an integrated electronic bail retention system that keeps cows on the platform during milking if they need to go round a second time.

The A milk Herd Management System ensures the Hocklys get the informa-tion they need to make effective animal management decisions in a timely way. A milks Herd Management System pro-vides farmers with useful and user-friendly information about individual cows in the herd, including milking ef ciency, animal health, breeding, feeding and culling.

The A milk options include A Weigh, which automatically identi es and weighs cows as they walk over the weighing platform and stores the data in the A milk database, enabling estimation of dry matter intake and monitor the animals stress and health.

Deanne Hockly checks data on the computer.

asb.co.nz/rural

Before we get to know your farming business,well get to know you.The rural team at ASB Taranaki are experienced people with a passion for farming. We work hard to come up with the right solutions for every farm. But not before weve worked hard to get a real understanding of you and your business goals.

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Page 15PH 07 578 0030 HOCKLY PARTNERSHIP

The Hocklys also have A Sort, a powerful management tool that automati-cally drafts cows based on selected criteria. Their A Milk MPC milk meters provide reliable milk yield data that supports productivity, feeding and breeding decisions. Their A milk Pedom-eter Plus system collects data about animal activity, aiding decisions around health and fertility.

Bird-proofBuilder Johnny Neil has been involved in

building dairy sheds for many years, lives close by at Okaiawa, and has now formed his own company.

Craig and Deannes dairy shed has a wider-span than normal to allow more room between the platform and the walls. We had to take into account the proximity of the coast and salt spray. The roof is colour steel max. It has been bird-proofed with shade cloth curtains across the front of the platform, says Johnny.

The walls have all been sprayed with a special hygienic coating by Fritz from Surfatex. The shiny surface makes it easy to keep clean and looks good too.

Mark Ward is the South Taranaki area man-ager for FIL and set up a wash programme for the dairy shed. We set up an individual wash programme for each client. In the Hocklys dairy it is all automated so there is no handling of chemicals. It is programmed to do an acid detergent wash and a rinse after each milking. Craig hasnt had any grades, so it is working brilliantly, says Mark.

FIL also supply the teat spray.Central Silo Systems Ltd installed the in-shed

feed system, which is controlled by the plat-

forms computer system to individually feed each cow.

The complete feed system comprises of two separate 110mm feed lines auguring from each of the two 16 tonne Valco North American manufactured meal silos, giving the ability to feed two separate meal products, says Central Silo Systems Ltd co-owner Sean Curry

Central Silo Systems complete in-shed feed systems are built for extended service life and the company provides a full parts and after-sales service back-up from their Palmerston North premises.

House alarmCraig says Tru-Tests Dairy Technology Services

did a great job installing the refrigeration. It included a Tempro, which has an alarm in the house which lets us know if there is a problem with the refrigeration.

The heat recovery unit, installed by Tru Tests Dairy Technology Services, is made from stain-less steel for rust protection, and reduces the temperature of the milk to below seven degrees Celsius within three hours of milking.

The heat recovery means the warmed water is recycled into the hot water cylinder, saving farmers hot water heating costs, says DTS refrigeration technician, Nick Callingham.

Michael Bloemen of Michael Bloemen Engi-neering at Kaponga reckons: Craig and Deanne

have the most gates in any dairy shed yard we have built.

Hes patented his High Runner backing gate for rectangular yards in herringbone and rotary dairy sheds. It is self-aligning which means it is smooth running and jam free, says Michael.

They did a great job making sure the holding pens and gates were exactly how we wanted them, says Craig.

Gaining powerPowerworx is a Powerco-accredited lines

division of the Obertech Group, which has its main of ce in Hawera and builds overhead and underground services for customers in the Taranaki region.

Powerworx contracting division manager Bruce Wilson says the Hocklys dairy shed has its own transformer because of all the new technology in the dairy shed.

It ensures less interruptions if there is an outage. The overhead lines carry 11,000 volts from the road and then go underground to the dairy shed, says Bruce.

Its much more reliable having your own transformer and it is becoming more popular with larger dairy sheds.

Having a good relationship with the bank manager is always advisable when contemplat-ing a project such as this one. Our ASB bank manager at Hawera is Sami Werder and he is very supportive especially during the drought, says Craig.

He went over our budget and could see this was a viable proposition. Without his and the banks support, this dairy shed would not have happened.

Milking time has been reduced to two hours from cow-cupping to the cows exiting, com-pared to three hours in the old shed.

Everyone wants a new dairy like the Hocklys

By Helen Wilson

The crew who worked on the dairy shed: Farmers Craig and Deanne Hockly, Powerworx manager Bruce Wilson, Tru-Tests Dairy Technology Services refrigeration technician

Nick Callingham, Central Silos Systems co-owner Sean Curry, Matt Cleaver, builder Johnny Neil and Mark Ward from FIL.

Hockly Partnership

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Page 16 Coast & Country DAVIDSON

Bill Davidson, who was a sheep and beef farmer at Patea in Taranaki,

came to the Manawatu in 1971 with his family and bought a farm in the

Pohangina Valley near Ashhurst.

He married Yvonne in 1974 and they continued to farm sheep and beef until their son Robbie approached them two years ago, with a proposal to convert the farm into dairying.

Robbie had completed a degree in applied sciences at Massey University, worked in the United Kingdom for two years, and came back to New Zealand to manage a sheep and beef farm in Taranaki and then went onto a sharemilking job at Bell Block.

Robbie and his wife, Sher-rilyn, had 12 months to go on their sharemilking contract when Robbie suggested we convert to dairy and they could be the sharemilkers, says Bill.

I wasnt keen to start with but when we went to the national Mystery Creek Fieldays that year everything seemed to be related to dairy farming.

We talked to a lot of people and gathered a stack of pamphlets and came home and sifted through them, says Bill.

After analysing the data the gures stacked up, so the next stage was to obtain con-sent for change of land use from Horizons Regional Council. Once consent was granted, planning the new dairy shed started in earnest.

Double-up dairyBill and Robbie briefed Brett

MacDougall, of MacDougalls of Palmerston North and

Pahiatua, and the DeLaval agents for Manawatu, as to what they required in a dairy shed.

And along with Hum-phries Construction of Palmerston North, they

all came up with a concept for the Davidsons approval.Instead of a conventional

herringbone dairy shed, we decided on a DeLaval 18-aside

double-up system, says Robbie. It has two rows of cups, which is equiva-

lent to a 36-aside herringbone but the pit is shorter and Im able to milk 300-plus cows on my own, says Robbie.

It takes about two hours from getting the cows in, to locking them away.

A parallel rstThis is the rst DeLaval

Parallel milking parlour in the North Island. This system was the only way to guar-antee that one person could manage 300 cows on their own, says Brett.

It is a low line milking system with a lower milking vacuum for better udder health. One slow cow in the row doesnt hold up the milking and its easier to check on cow health, as the milker walks past the cows.

The plant has milk-ing point controllers (MPCs), automatic cup removers, duo vacuum function and also calculates the milk yield per cow, which feeds back to a central proces-sor so Robbie knows exactly what each cow produces.

This DeLaval plant is just a step down from a robotic

one. It has the upgradeable technology and has the capability of having the latest

DeLaval herd navigator, which is like an on-farm laboratory

installed when available, says Brett.

Kane Barry, project manager for Humphries Construc-tion from Palmerston North,

worked with MacDou-galls on the design of

the dairy shed. The original plans were changed slightly to incorporate an extra yard and a gable roof. They always take the farmers require-ments into consideration

and will make any changes to their standard dairy shed plans.

Ditching wool for milk at Pohangina ValleyThe ef uent pond, built by Blackley

Construction.

The exit end of the new dairy.

Sharemilker Robbie Davidson, with his father Bill Davidson, who owns the farm and Brett

MacDougall, managing director of MacDougalls.

The DeLaval double-up

milking system with a shorter

pit area.

Page 17PH 07 578 0030 DAVIDSON

The internal walls of the dairy shed have been sprayed with a hard-wearing resin paint by Surfatex

for easy cleaning and it brightens up the area.

Utilising waste energyTru-Tests DTS Milk Cooling Solutions

installed a PZB 1300 13hp refrigeration unit to assure the best milk quality.

Tru-Tests DTS Milk Cooling Solutions lower North Island area manager Tim Rix says milk needs to be cooled more quickly to comply with the new regulations coming into force in 2016.

This unit has a vertical air discharge, which is much more ef cient condensing for quicker cooling, says Tim.

It also has a brazed plate heat exchanger that utilises waste energy, which is a by-product of the cooling process.

The water goes into the cylinders at about 50

degrees Celsius and is then heated to 85 degrees Celsius

and used for washing the plant. This is a huge cost-saving in power for

the farmer, says Tim.The milk vat was also supplied by Tru-Tests

DTS and made at their factory at Normanby in Taranaki.

An optional extra is a Tempro, supplied by Tru-Tests DTS, which is a remote milk tem-perature display in the pit.

It continually ashes up the milk temperature in the vat so any problems can be dealt with quickly, stopping the milk spoiling.

DTS provide a full follow-up service with either a Tru-Tests DTS technician or a recom-mended independent refrigeration contractor.

Robust meal feedingCentral Silos Systems Ltd at Palmerston

North supplied and tted a heavy duty, robust meal dispenser with a high ultra violet rating in the new dairy shed.

Central Silo Systems Sean Curry says the dispenser has been designed speci cally for the dairy industry.

And we use galvanised dispensing pipes,

rather than PVC, for increased added protec-tion and they will last longer, says Sean.

The continuous feeding pan has been TIG-welded and stain-less steel bolted for added strength and longevity.

Palmerston Norths Blackley Construction rural contract man-ager James Christensen supervised all of the site works, including the dairy shed, herd home, ef uent pond and all of the farm races.

Bill booked us in six months in advance and we started in Decem-ber 2012, says James.

Blackley Construction has been doing work for Bill for 35 years and were the obvi-ous choice for the dairy conversion project.

Luckily for the Davidsons they had on-site pit metal, which saved them a signi cant amount of money on the races and building foundations.

Bill and Robbie had a farm plan of where everything was to go and we just worked to

that. The farm has large stands

of mature trees, which we worked to save as opposed to

wiping them out and starting again, says James

Blackley Construction came back in March and built the ef uent pond, which is fully compliant with a plastic liner with council-required leak

detection system.

Sheep roamingThere are still a few sheep on

the farm to clean up areas where the cows cant go.

Although Robbie and Sherrilyn are the share-milkers, Bill takes a keen interest in the farm and helps out when necessary.

I havent actually milked a cow yet but dairy farming leaves sheep farming for dead, says Bill.

Parallel parlour with one man handling 300 cows

By Helen Wilson

Cows entry in the Davidsons new milking parlour.

DeLavals teat sprayer at cow exit.

The DeLaval cups t on the jetters for

cleaning.

Beams & TimberDirect Ltd (BTD)

Page 18 Coast & Country MASSEY

Uni leads way in testing farm methodsMassey Universitys No. 4 dairy

farm is now home to a large farm systems trial thats part of a nationwide research programme

called Pastoral 21.Funded by DairyNZ,

Fonterra, Beef + Lamb NZ, Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand and Ministry of Business, Innova-tion and Employment, it includes three other regional farms: one in the Waikato, one at Lincoln and the other at Telford in Otago.

Professor Mike Hedley is the project leader and the research is to ascertain whether partially standing cows off pasture using a housing facility is a system that can increase on-farm productivity, while reducing nutrient losses.

The comparison trial began at the start of

the 2013/2014 season. The funding will see the trial run initially for three years, when the results will be collated and may continue for longer if research funds become available.

The No. 4 dairy farm used in the research

is 232 hectares effective and is part of the Massey campus in the Manawatu. Milking 650 cows, its a traditional spring calving operation.

The projects overall objective is to increase productivity while reducing the environmen-tal footprint, says Mike.

Standing cows offEach region has its own focus; here in the

Manawatu we have ne-textured clay soils, much like other areas such as Southland and Otago.

In previous research, by standing the cows off for some of the time particularly during late summer and autumn weve noticed a reduction in nitrate leaching.

Standing cows off during wet winter and spring months will also lead to less treading damage, which has an impact on increasing subsequent pasture growth, says Mike.

The herd has been split in two: one as a standard grazing herd, using the existing feed pad, and the other herd is a duration-controlled herd.

These cows are grazed as much as possible

on pasture, but stood-off in a housing facility during critical times.

Supplements are fed in the house, as they are to the standard herd on the feed pad.

Controlled herdThe cows are a mixture of Friesian and

Friesian crossbreds. When New Farm Dairies visited in June, the cows in the duration-controlled herd were in-calf, had plenty of condition on them and were being break-fed long lush pasture.

Mike says from February to May one group is managed as a duration-controlled herd on one side of the farm.

The cows are put out to graze for four to ve hours after milking and then taken off the pasture to the cow barn to receive supple-ments if needed.

In the winter, the weather and soil moisture plays a large part in determining how long we leave the cows on the pasture the wetter it is, the more treading damage there will be.

Mike says Massey has several weather moni-tors to supply data as well as forecasts and looking out the window.

The cow barn from the front of the farm.

Massey No. 4 cows show-ing good condition.

Leaders In Pump Technology

Page 19PH 07 578 0030 MASSEY

Cow barn could improve pasture, cow health and production

Its early days yet to start comparing results, but the farm systems research is monitoring soil condition, nutrient loss, pasture growth and quality, cow produc-tion and condition, and cow health such as mastitis and lameness.

Comparing the two systems will also take into account labour and feed costs and the overall economic performance.

Cow barnThere are monitoring stations in the

cow barn and in the paddocks, which monitor the heat load inside and outside.

Our role as researchers is to quantify how the use of a cow barn can be imple-mented on the farm to improve pasture quantity and quality, cow health and of course, production, says Mike.

Dairy housing consultant and expert Harmen Heeson was instrumental in ensuring the design and layout would work for the intended outcomes at Massey No. 4 dairy farm.

I provide the builder [Cowhouse Con-struction Ltd] and the client, in this case Massey University, with expert advice and support for the project, making sure it will work and be cow wellbeing-friendly, says Harmen, of Cowhouse Ltd Consulting.

A big part of the design expertise was the integration of all existing systems with the new cow barn.

It had to t in with the existing rotary dairy shed, silage bunkers and another ef uent pond for the rotary dairy shed and allow easy cow movement between the buildings.

The cowhouse can accommodate 400

cows and Technipharm from Rotorua provided the t-out equipment.

Soft sleepingThis included approved

Polysoft cow mats for cow comfort, the stall guidance system, cow-house separation gates, ventilation curtains and the cowbrush and scraper system.

It doesnt take long for the cows to work out sleeping on something soft is far more comfort-able than hard concrete.

There are two large roller brushes installed so the cows can give themselves a back scratch when they feel like it and

it is used often. The cowhouse is divided in two, with stalls down each side and a wide laneway in the middle where the supplements and harvested grass are fed out.

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Page 20 Coast & Country MASSEY

The lane-way is wide enough to accommo-date a tractor, and at the front of the building theres a turnaround circle for the tractor.

An automatic scraper system has been installed to ef ciently scrape away the ef u-ent, which then drains into the new ef uent pond.

New methodologyPalmerston North company Blackley Con-

struction Ltd won the tender with Cowhouse Ltd to construct the large ef uent pond.

Blackley Construction Ltd rural contract manager James Christensen says the ef uent pond had to be compliant with regional council stand-ards.

And because the soil type on-site is Tokomaru silt loam, which is clay-based, we were able to use the in-situ and re-compacted clay to build a compli-ant pond, saving the cost of a plastic liner, says James.

It is the rst ef uent pond in the Manawatu to use this meth-odology and its 10 times more impermeable than council require-ments.

A rigorous testing regime was implemented to ensure all re-compacted clay would meet permeability testing requirements.

The ef uent pond has a capac-ity of 5000m3 and the amount of ef uent produced depends on how

long the cows are housed for. It will be emptied about four-six times a

year and spread back onto pasture to replace nutrients not being deposited as dung and urine from the cows.

Up for debateBlackley Construction Ltd also car-

ried out the site works to prepare the building platform, as well as removing

a stand of mature pine trees so the required infrastructure would t.

Farm Supplies Central reinstalled the origi-nal ef uent line.

Whether to house cows or not is always a subject for debate when dairy farmers get together.

Sometimes it depends on climate, availabil-ity of land or soil type.

The research Mike is lead-ing will prove invaluable for dairy farmers to

make informed choices about housing cows, based on the economic and management outcomes of the Pastoral 21 research programme.

Thanks go to Doctor Chris-tine Christensen, who is part of the research programme, for showing New Farm Dairies around No. 4 dairy farm.

University farm tests effectiveness of housing facilityThe well-used back

scratcher.

Blackley Constructions rural contract manager James Christensen checks the ef uent pond.

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Page 21PH 07 578 0030 MASSEY

Page 22 Coast & Country ROTOPAI FARM

The Weatherstones forebears settled at Tuhitarata in South Wairarapa in

1843 yes, thats 171 years ago. Rotopai, the original dairy operation, began

back in 1931 with about 100 cows and has grown exponentially.

Today Bryan Weatherstone and son Stewart, who is farm manager, milk 2600 cows off 1350 hectares, which extends from seven kilometres of river frontage all the way to the skyline.

In 2000 they put in a 60-bail rotary dairy, but more farm expansion overstretched its capacity so last year they built a new 80-bail rotary to take some of the load, by milking 1500 cows.

Return customerPat Finn from C&F Industries designed the

other dairy and the result was excellent so it was logical for the Weatherstones to sit down with him and design the new one.

Pat sorted out all the permits and supplied

the materials; then when it came to building it became a cooperation between C&F Industries and Paul Bashford, from Bashford Construc-tion Ltd.

But rst local earthmover Malneek Con-tractors was needed for the earthworks. Lee Malneek did all the site-work, including preparing the tanker track, building site and digging the ponds.

Lees done a lot of work for us before all the irrigation lines, races and the underpass. His bulldozer driver, Alan Pilcher, in particular, is excellent, says Bryan.

They started with the green eld, says Paul. I came in with Pat and put the pegs in the ground; then they dug out what was needed to be dug out, got the metal they needed for the foundations and prepared the whole thing ready for us.

Heaps of roomOnce the earthworks were ready Paul did the

footings and concrete work and organised the

blockwork. Then C&F Industries manufac-tured and erected all the steel-work, pipe-work and the backing gate in the 16 metre radius yard, and designed and built the ef uent system.

Paul then put the roo ng and cladding on and did all the nishing.

The dairy is large at 23m by 35m so theres heaps of room around the platform. And whats slightly unusual is the platform bridge is under the eaves on the side of the building.

This allows the roof over the entrance to be low and provide maximum protection from the elements.

Paul was able to incorporate an expanse of clear plastic in one of the high gable ends to provide natural lighting and large sliding doors under it, to provide maximum access and ventilation.

Sliding doors opposite the bridge provide more access and ventilation while the vats are located under the other gable.

The corners of the building provide ample

space to incorporate storage, of ce, machines and staff rooms.

Outside, a separate roofed area shelters a vet yard. Its a neat arrangement that suits any season; and the workmanship is outstanding.

Paul does mainly high-end residential work and he treated our dairy with the same care hed use on a million-dollar house thats why we got him, says Bryan.

Plant perfectionCotter & Stevens Ltd Electrical & Machinery

managing director Jim Clark says as the Wai-rarapa DeLaval agents, his team installed the DeLaval milking plant.

Martinborough-based Cotter & Stevens Ltd also put in all the wiring, plumbing, water pumps and ef uent system. In fact once the building was up, they did pretty much every-thing.

Jim says the Weatherstones have all the best technology available.

On the DeLaval platform we installed a full

Rotopais ruthlessly efficient

dairy

C&F Industries steelwork over the DeLaval scales and drafting gate.

The front of the Weatherstone dairy. The complete dairy.

DeLaval Bails. Three generations of Weatherstones, xed in concrete.

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Page 23PH 07 578 0030 ROTOPAI FARM

Ingenious operation in South Wairarapa

Rotopai Farm

Central Silo Systems silo and feed system.

The C&F Industries-designed and built vet yard.

Farm manager Stewart Weatherstone with his father Bryan Weatherstone; Cotter & Stevens

managing director Jim Clark and Paul Bashford, from Bashford Construction Ltd.

Cows enter the yard through a foot wash.

ALPRO herd management system that includes automatic cluster removers, milk metering, and blood and conductivity measuring, says Jim.

Each cows milk yield is recorded every day and shes weighed each time she leaves the dairy. This allows ALPRO to feed her individually with a crushed barley and molasses mix.

The Weatherstones also have the ALPRO drafting system that lets them manually draft animals either individually or in batches, or the computer can be set to do it automatically.

The bail gates are also linked to the ALPRO system and only come down if the cow needs to be kept back either because shes kicked the cups off, or the computer has detected a prob-lem needing closer inspection.

The ALPRO herd management system is fully DeLaval, so the Weatherstones didnt have to look at integrating anything else.

The other dairy is set up with the ALPRO system and its been excellent, says Stewart.

Theyre in the process of linking the systems in the two dairies, so cows and staff can interchange as they move around the farm.

Its also linked to the house so Stewart can work from there. ALPRO is also a great help in drying off, says Bryan.

It progressively drafts the low-yielding cows and leaves the higher-yielding ones to milk through, whereas in the past wed dry off mobs that included some that were still producing.

ALPRO also controls the feed distribution in the bail, thats saved about 30 or 40 tonne of grain by limiting wastage. In the end, ALPROs paid for itself, says Bryan.

Faultless feedThe system that delivers the feed to ALPRO is a standard

CSS Feed Mill and Molasses system, supplied and installed by Central Silo Systems.

It comprises of a 180 tonne Hopper bottom grain silo, SKIOLD Danish-manufactured disc mill and CSS 4500kg Meal Mixer.

The mixer accurately blends ground grain with additives such as lime our, magnesium, rumensen etc before conveying the mix to feed heads inside the dairy where ALPRO takes over.

Central Silo Systems also installed a 36 tonne meal silo for additional storage of grains, palm kernel, dried distillers grains, soy meal, or anything else they want to include.

Central Silo Systems did the other dairy back in 2000. They

gave good service, so we stayed with them, says Stewart. Hygiene is high on the list too theres even a foot wash for

the cows as they enter the yards, which keeps stones and mud out.

The Weatherstones have also put in a state-of-the-art ef uent system, designed and built by C & F Industries, which features ef uent solids removal by GEA Farm Technologies Houle Solu-tions Agi-pump and slope screen.

GEA Houle Solutions eld services technician Murray McEwan says his team speci ed the size of the receiving sump to allow for three days storage and just in case of accidents, theyve incorporated an alarm system.

Murray says they supplied an Agi-pump tted in the sump to agitate and homogenise the raw ef uent before pumping it up to a 1.2m by 1.2m slope screen that processes between 300-500 litres of ef uent per minute, depending on the thickness. With no moving parts the only maintenance is an occasional wash.

The screen removes the solids before the green water gravity-feeds to a 3500m3 pond lined with a Viking Containment geosynthetic liner.

The solids drop off the screen into a bunker,

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Page 24 Coast & Country ROTOPAI FARM

to be spread on pastures or crops when needed.Murray says this passive separation system

has been in New Zealand for four- ve years. Weve got about 60 in now. When its used with water recycling it can reduce freshwater-use from 50-70 litres per cow per day to 12 litres thats a massive saving.

The way the regional councils are going with the water-use regulations thats going to be a very important consideration.

Preventing crustingMurray says screening the solids out also

prevents crusting and may do away with the need for an agitator in the pond because theres no solids build-up this ponds been operat-ing for a year and the oating solids in it are negligible.

Together with Dairy NZ and council, C&F Industries designed the pond to meet both the farms needs and comply with all local envi-

ronmental regulations, then passed the data to Viking Containment to make and install the liner.

After Viking welded each joint on-site it was pressure-tested as part of Vikings quality assur-ance, then given a 20-year warranty.

Viking also installed gas venting to prevent ballooning, whaling up, from any gas build-up under the liner.

The whole operation was quick and ef cient Stewart says it took the Viking team just three days to complete.

Although much of the ef uent system is gravity-fed, the pumps rely on electricity and extended power cuts can be disastrous.

Power insuranceAs insurance, Invercargill-based Cow Power

Generators supplied a massive 187 kva back-up generator that could run the whole farm if necessary.

The Weatherstones originally went to Cow Power for a generator in the other dairy because they liked the simplicity and reliability Cow Power offered.

Cow Power also gave a very good price on the rst generator so the Weatherstones went back to them for another one.

We use it once a month just to make sure its checked regularly, otherwise probably no one would go near it. But the point is that well never have any shutdown time, says Stewart.

Really a generator is an essential on all dair-ies, they should be compulsory, says Bryan.

Pond prideThe Weatherstones are especially proud of the

oxidation pond they designed with Cotter & Stevens Ltd Electrical & Machinery.

The bore water is very high in iron so they have a unit that sprays it into the air to oxidise the iron.

Once the rust has settled out, the water is l-tered and UV-treated to make it t for drinking.

The water pond holds 1.2 million litres ve days worth so theres no need for water tanks.

The water gravity feeds from the pond to a manifold at the dairy where seven pumps direct it to the dairy, or out across the farm. Like the rest of the dairy, the water oxidation system is a total success story.

The Weatherstones pride in their property shows in the whole ambience of the dairy the way they keep the dairys environs so neat, clean and manicured and the way they look after their staff, even to the point of providing them with breakfast.

Theyve even installed muf ers on the dairys machinery, just to keep the neighbours happy.

This dairy has a wonderful feel to it its very user-friendly and outwardly simple, but behind the scenes its very complex and almost ruth-lessly ef cient.

Happy staff, cows, neighbours at Tuhitarata

Rotopai FarmThe ef uent pond, with a Viking Containment liner.

GEA Houle Solutions eld

service technician Murray McEwan,

with the solid waste bunker. Seven pumps shift water from the

dairy right across the farm.

Water aeration unit at work removing iron

from the water.

Ef uent sump with GEA Houle stirrer and pump.

By Graeme Dobson

COTTER & STEVENS Electrical & Machinery

Page 25PH 07 578 0030 ROTOPAI FARMTR

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Page 26 Coast & Country PANEA FARM

Theres one thing about Roger McCosh. Hes been in the business long enough to know exactly what

he wants and it shows in all aspects of his new dairy.

Rogers new 250 hectare Bay of Plenty conversion and its 40-aside herringbone dairy were near completion in late-June, but it wasnt quite there yet.

When its nished he intends to milk 450 cows, but when New Farm Dairies showed up he was fully concentrated on just having the dairy ready when the rst calves drop.

When Roger and a local cowshed expert builder designed this dairy they had one eye rmly on the future by having the pit extended to accommodate 50 bails on each side, so if Roger decides to expand the herd, the cost to the dairy will be minimal.

The last place I built cost me as much to expand as it did to build the original dairy, so it made sense to put that bit of extra in now, says Roger.

The property was a sheep and drystock unit before Roger bought it, but it had been a dairy farm about 25 years ago and boasted a dairy built way back in the 1930s.

Unfortunately the technology wasnt quite up to scratch, so it all ended up in a hole nearby and Roger went to GEA Milfos for the latest in milking machines.

I went to GEA because theyve got Milfos. Ive used Milfos for the last 30 years and it works well, so when you have something that works why change?

And Ive gone with very few electronics, so theres really nothing to go wrong, says Roger.

But before he could begin building, he needed to shift a lot of dirt. The farm has a shortage of at areas big enough to accommo-

date a dairy and its associated yards and tracks, which meant a hilltop needed attening.

Roger knew just the man to do this: local man Greg Vercoe. Gregs normally kept pretty busy contouring kiwifruit orchards and land for irrigators.

In fact, hes been at out since the kiwifruit rebounded a few years back but he had the time for Roger.

Greg pushed about three metres off the top off the hill and used the ll to make enough at for the building and for the tanker to turn around, says Roger.

He [Greg] did all the heavy work, then Bob Hill-Rennie used his digger to re ne the levels, dig the herringbone pit, and put in all the dairys drainage and the pipes, says Roger.

I got both Greg and Bob in because theyre local, Ive used them before and theyve always done a very good job for me.

Besides, I like to get local contractors from the Te Puke area and support the town.

Minimising electronicsIt was another local company, Te Puke-based

Think Water BOP the local agent for GEA Milfos that installed the Milfos milking plant.

As he did before, Roger wanted to minimise the electronics in the dairy so Think Water BOP put in mechanical components, such as mechanical pulsators, instead of the computer-ised systems that GEA Milfos have available.

But there are some extras, for instance the iNTELJET 150 purge system that puts a pulse of compressed air through the milk lines to ensure all the milk is recovered.

Another area where Roger has gone up market is the GEA Milfos walk-through teat spray in the exit race that effectively sprays the teats with teat spray when the cow breaks an infra-red beam as she passes.

Built for futurePanea

Bob Hill-Rennie prepared the site, including the ef uent pond.

Looking down the length of the bails

Earthworks by Greg Vercoe and Bob Hill-Rennie, and pond liner by Viking.

There used to be a hill here but now theres Rogers new dairy.

GEA Milfos drafting gate.

The Milfos iNTELJET 150.

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Page 27PH 07 578 0030 PANEA FARM

Roger gets what he wants

By Graeme Dobson

Shane Reid, Kelvin Withefords apprentice, at work wiring up some of

the pumps.

Kelvin Witheford shows off his variable speed units.

Brothers Kurt and Nick Johnson from Trenching & Irrigation handled all the

reticulation for the new conversion, including the dairy and ef uent.

Russell Cor eld, from Russell Cor eld Refrigeration & Electrical Ltd, shows

off his refrigeration units.

The Milfos milking plant ready to go.

Think Water BOP also installed a three-way drafting gate thats air-operated from a consul in the pit.

This can be switched to computer operation should Roger change his mind in future.

Kelvin Witheford from Witheford Electrical Ltd installed all variable speed pumps to move the water, milk and ef uent.

But on the whole this dairy is an excellent demonstration of GEA Milfos readiness to accommodate any level of technology their clients want.

As well as the pumps and wiring the dairy, Kelvin Witheford and his apprentice Shane Reid also rewired the old farmhouse thats being renovated for the farm.

Once again, I went to Kelvin because hes local, gave me a good price and Ive had 50 years experience with him, so I trusted him to do a good job, says Roger.

One key systemKelvin has the dairy working on a one key

system so that anyone can come in, turn it on and milk. Then at the end of milking switch everything off with the key.

Russell Cor eld from R Cor eld Electri-cal & Refrigeration Ltd looked after Rogers refrigeration needs with a chilled water unit that works on off-peak power and a vat refrig-eration unit.

The milk needs to be brought below seven degrees Celsius within four hours. Well be putting it in at about 12 degrees Celsius; and then the refrigeration unit on the vat will bring it down and maintain it at the required temperature, says Russell.

And its not just cold water coming out of the refrigeration unit, the heat recovery pack Russell installed will produce hot water at a respectable 55 degrees Celsius.

More locals in fact from just a couple of

kilometres down the road brothers Kurt and Nick Johnson from Trenching & Irrigation took care of all the farms water and ef uent reticulation.

Water worksTogether with their father, the boys got the

water from the bore to the tanks, then on to the dairy and beyond. They also organised the ef uent disposal.

Bob Hill-Rennie had excavated a 30m by 30m by 4.5 m about 4050m3 ef uent pond and prepared it for the Viking pond liner and for Kurt and Nick to hook up to the dairy.

Originally the pond was to be much larger, but this was reduced when Trenching & Irri-gation diverted the rainwater run-off from the dairy away from the pond saving Roger a considerable amount of money in the process.

Originally Roger had another company lined up to install the ef uent pond liner, but they kept mucking him around so he had a rethink.

Bob had experience with Viking and recom-mended them to Roger, and his timing was just right.

The South Island was in a cold snap that made it too cold to weld plastic, and jobs had to be put on hold, which meant they were able to be on Rogers job virtually straight away.

There was certainly no mucking around with Viking and they did it for $10,000 less than the original quote, and threw in a free barbecue as well. You cant ask better than that.

In fact, Roger couldnt have asked for better in any aspect of his dairy he has exactly what he wanted, while leaving his options open for future changes.

Page 28 Coast & Country RED DOG DAIRIES

Outdated dairy leads new owners to improviseTucked away near Mangakino, in

the South Waikato, equity partners Vaughan Parker and Paul Smith

are establishing themselves on 111 hectares of the best dairy land

you could ask for. Initially they intend on milking 296 cows and

increasing to 400 during time. The property had an old and badly outdated

dairy on it, so they started looking around for local contractors to build a new one.

The design they chose is a 32-aside herring-bone by Chapman Dairy a name well-known and respected throughout the country.

Chapman Dairy has a number of licensed franchisees throughout NZ, who erect the dair-ies. In the central North Island its