7/12/2020

Week ending 7-12-20 farm notes:

FARM PERFORMANCE

We have got through the week by offering the cows as much as they can eat while maintaining residuals. We offered 6.3 ha/day (or 155m²/cow) for the week, strip grazed a paddock that was initially shut for silage, and last night and today have offered PK to the young herd to top them up.  This has had the impact we desired with PGR of 73 kg DM/ha lifting APC to 2266 kg DM/ha. This has filled the wedge and secured the 2 hay paddocks to remain out of the grazing rotation. Cows are being offered around 18-19 kg DM/day.

We have been taking our time during the weekly farm walks this month to Pasture Condition Score each paddock and assess the amount of clover and plantain in each paddock. Now is an ideal time as both clover and weeds are easier to see now that mowing has ceased.

ANIMAL WELLBEING

At our last Focus Day we reported on the mitigation strategies we use at Owl Farm to handle the heat. Owl Farm Focus Day Handout pg 32. Our weather station gives us both temperature and humidity data and then we can use the DairyNZ THI calculator to work out what mitigation strategies are needed. We have signed up to receive the DairyNZ “cool cows” newsletter which reports for the last week how many hours in the day cows feel uncomfortable or when milk production can be impacted. Monitoring cow breathing rates is the best indicator of how the cow is feeling about the heat (more than 40/min is an indicator that the heat is getting to the cows). At Owl Farm we use a mix of the following strategies to keep cows cool:

1. Check and manage water flow and quantity every chance you are in the paddock (remove ballcock if on small water lines that can’t keep up). Check water use overnight with Halo to initiate a water leak check.
2. Provide more drinking opportunities. We have installed two more troughs in the races and now have four along the main race approx. 100-400m from the shed. This has no negative impact on cow flow to or from the shed.
3. Use sprinklers on the yard when temperatures reach 25°C, or if cows have had limited shade during the day. This costs $1.30 for every 10 minutes but is the most effective at cooling cows for up to four hours after milking.
4. Alter milking times to 3 n 2 (5am, 6pm then 11am) after mating finishes to remove afternoon milking and reduce walking (and working) hours during the heat of the day.
5. Plan for shade when planting summer crops and allocating feed for a week of predicted hot weather.

BUSINESS HEALTH

Nothing to report

HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Students have spent the last of their valuable time releasing young trees and shrubs from the rampant spring growth.  Our focus is now on ensuring any small natives are potted up and set for watering to survive over the summer period when we can start planting again in late autumn. 

QUALITY WORKPLACE

Nothing to report

COMMUNITY

We have been lucky to host two primary school visits this year after they were cancelled during calving.  Last week we had 60 new entrants on the farm helping Tom feed 100 kg calves, testing the milking machines, hosing down the yard, exploring different feed types and watching the tanker pick up the milk.  They even managed to find a four-leaf clover! This was the first time for many that they had been on a farm and seen the calves and cows. This is always a great opportunity to connect with our community and for them to appreciate how much we care for the animals and the environment.

PLANNING FOR THE MONTH AHEAD:

• Monitoring cell count and milk quality in preparation for changes to milking frequency
• Christmas parties
• Setting up simple systems for effective annual leave

Cheers Jo + Tom