Dairy Focus - January 2018

Dairy Focus JANUARY 2018

M. BOVIS UPDATES & ADVICE Page 3 - 10

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INSIDE

Dairy Focus

EDITORIAL COMMENT

Dairy Focus is proudly published by the Ashburton Guardian Limited

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GROWING NZ PRIDE IN DAIRY

Continued concerns about the spread of mycoplasma bovis in recent weeks has meant the disease is never far from the minds of most dairy farmers.

Last week another property was confirmed as having the disease present, this time near Waimate, bringing the total number of farms nationwide to 18 – 10 in South Canterbury, five in Southland, two in Mid Canterbury and one in Hawkes Bay. On top of that another 32 are subject to restricted place notices.

MPI is continuing with its goal of trying to eradicate the disease and while a lot of farmers would like to see that happen, a growing number of those I’ve spoken to recently are increasingly unsure if that’s a realistic aim.

Given how common it is to move dairy cattle around in New Zealand, and general acceptance that NAIT regulations were not always followed as closely as they should have been, more and more farmers seem to be starting to wonder whether they should just accept the disease is going to be a reality long-term.

Time will tell but in the meantime MPI remains focused on wiping it out.

The ministry hopes to have its third field HQ to help farmers deal with the disease open shortly, this time in Mid

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

Canterbury. It currently has people based out of the AsureQuality office in Ashburton and is working with the local council about possible additional space.

Meanwhile Southland farmers, vets and industry stakeholders have got together and formed their own action and support group (see story page 9) and it would not be a surprise to see others spring up.

This week sees the second and final round of a nationwide milk testing programme MPI is running with the help of the milk companies involving samples of milk from cows affected by mastitis, lameness or other sickness.

The information collected will hopefully provide a better understanding of where the disease is, which will make for better long-term decisions on what to do next.

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Business as usual for livestock sales Cattle-related competitions are being cancelled and a major North Island dairy industry event has told South Islanders not to come, as concerns about the spread of mycoplasma bovis grow, but for dairy livestock sales it’s still pretty much business as usual.

With the New Zealand Dairy Event in Feilding last week asking those in the south to stay at home, two popular Canterbury heifer competitions being cancelled and at least three South Island A&P shows not holding cattle classes this year, there was some concern that dairy livestock sales might also be affected.

However, PGG Wrightson national dairy livestock manager Paul Edwards said that’s not the case, although there are probably some dairy farmers who have put buying and selling of stock on hold for now.

He said there were pockets of people who were making or changing purchasing decisions around their industry confidence, but by and large farmers were getting on with their business.

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

“Early on, after the initial discovery, people around the South Canterbury area were very hesitant. But as more information became available and with MPI’s checklist on what to do when purchasing stock, it has got better,” he said.

“So while there’s the odd isolated case of farmers not being personally comfortable in general terms the effect on livestock trading has been minimal,” Edwards said.

“From what I’ve seen of sales there’s been no noticeable decrease in either values or volumes, although there is a portion of people where it’s a closed shop for stock coming onto their farms.”

He said saleyards were

known to take their NAIT responsibilities seriously, which would give farmers confidence.

Edwards said PGG Wrightson was also involved in forward selling for sales that would really kick in during the May/June period and at this stage there was not too much of an effect there either.

“I don’t expect a major impact but we are keeping an eye on the situation.”

Carrfields Livestock general

manager Donald Baines has also not seen a noticeable impact on saleyard tallies.

“It should be noted however that the majority of dairy livestock (sales) are conducted as contracted sales between the vendor and a specific buyer, with most dairy livestock consigned to saleyards being cull cows,” he said.

“The most significant movement periods for dairy livestock are from May 1 to June 1.”

Baines said M. bovis was highly topical within the industry, with farmers and agents alike seeking as much information as they can from MPI in terms of how the spread of the disease can be prevented and whether it is possible to eradicate it.

To date there have been no specific new protocols in place affecting sales, he said, but the industry will continue to work with MPI and will investigate any measures it deems necessary.

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Does your farm pass the biosecurity warrant of fitness?

Biosecurity is about reducing the risk of diseases, weeds, or pests entering, spreading or leaving your farm. Use this checklist to identify ways you can help protect your farm. The biosecurity WOF was developed with input from farmers directly affected by the mycoplasma bovis outbreak.

It is recommended that you ask your veterinarian to help you work through this checklist.

Stock movements Any animals that come onto your farm are a potential source of disease for your herd. Sending animals away for grazing could expose them to diseases and weeds that you may not have on your farm.

Before purchase/entry Do you use a pre-purchase checklist when you buy or lease cattle?

• Ask questions about animal health, TB status, vaccinations, and disease and treatment history.

• Use a pre-purchase checklist to make sure that you don’t forget to ask about, or check, something important.

(For an example see www. dairynz.co.nz/m-bovis-prepurchase-checklist) • If in doubt consult your

• Talk to your grazier about managing grazing to avoid nose-to-nose contact with other stock.

• Consult your veterinarian for specific disease management advice for animals grazing away, preferably before sending them away, and especially if you intend to bring them home.

• Treat your animals as new arrivals when they return home.

veterinarian for specific disease management advice.

Do you comply with your NAIT requirements?

• Make sure all sending and receiving movements are sent to the NAIT system for all animal movements.

• Make sure animals have NAIT tags.

Sending animals off the milking platform or home farm Do you talk to your transport truck driver about biosecurity risks?

• Talk with your transporter to make sure your animals are transported in a clean truck.

• Do not allow truck effluent to be dumped on-farm.

Do you talk to your grazier about biosecurity risks?

your veterinarian if you are concerned.

Managing access onfarm Footwear, personal protective equipment (PPE), gear, vehicles, and equipment can spread diseases and weed seeds.

Disinfecting after cleaning minimises the chance of spreading unwanted diseases.

New arrivals Do you keep newly-arrived animals separate for seven days?

• Keep newly-arrived animals separate from resident animals to check the health status of the new animals.

• Monitor new arrivals for signs of disease and talk to

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Do you have a place to clean and disinfect footwear, PPE, and gear?

• Provide water, a bucket, and a scrubbing brush for cleaning.

• Provide disinfectant in a footbath and/or spray bottle.

Replace the disinfectant in the footbath daily, and in a spray bottle at least once a week, or when it becomes discoloured.

• If possible, have a cleaning and disinfection point at the tanker track entrance and at the dairy shed, or at the main farm entrance and the usual place visitors arrive on farm, e.g. the woolshed / stockyards.

• Provide clear signs in case you are not present when visitors arrive.

Do you supply PPE for visitors and farm staff ?

• Farm workers should leave their PPE on site and not take it home or to other farms.

• Consider providing some spare PPE for visitors to use.

• PPE must be cleaned of all dirt and muck after use, and then disinfected. This is a 2-step process.

Equipment coming on-farm Do you make sure machinery and equipment coming on-farm is clean?

• Make sure machinery and equipment, especially

5

equipment used for handling animals or giving treatments, is cleaned and disinfected between farms.

• Discuss this with contractors or cover in agreements so that contractors know your requirements before arriving on your farm.

Do you have a dedicated washing point for machinery with a waste area for water run-off ?

• Make sure that waste water does not go into waterways or your effluent irrigation system as this is another way to spread seeds.

Transport around the farm Do you provide a farm vehicle to transport visitors and contractors around the farm?

• If possible, provide a farm vehicle for on-farm transport.

Farm structure setup Other farms may have a different animal health status to your herd and should be treated as a possible source of infection for your herd. Some diseases are spread by nose-to-nose contact between animals.

Farm layout Does your farm have one main entry point?

• If possible, have one main

access to the farm and close off any alternate entry points.

fences.

• Do not graze boundary paddocks at the same time that the neighbour’s animals are grazing the adjacent paddock, or create a barrier using double fencing or outrigger fences, or use other barriers such as hedgerows.

The distance between fences should be at least 2 metres for adult stock.

• Consider risk points that may break the security of this boundary fence: • Roadside grazing • Road crossings • Effluent management • Raw milk going on/ off farm (i.e. for pigs or calves) • • Stock access to water that flows from a neighbouring or upstream property

Do you have a map of your farm with identified biosecurity risk areas?

• Map out your farm to identify: • Green zones: Areas where no stock can enter i.e. tanker tracks, house driveways, stock truck access ways • Blue or amber zones: Intermediate areas for holding incoming animals, sick animals and activities such as pet food storage and pick-up • Red zones: Areas where stock graze. A no-go zone for visitors and machinery unless they have followed the procedures above Do you have a dedicated area for sick animals?

• Keeping sick animals separate to the main herd(s) or flock(s) will enable better monitoring and management of these animals, and may reduce the spread of disease on the farm.

Boundary fences Do you have secure boundary fences that prevent nose-to-nose contact?

• Prevent contact between animals across boundary

Biosecurity awareness Do all your staff know and understand the biosecurity precautions for your farm?

• Remember to call your veterinarian, or MPI, promptly if you see something unusual regarding animal health, or an unusual weed or pest. The MPI biosecurity number is 0800 80 99 66.

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MYCOPLASMA BOVIS MYCOPLASMA – what to look out BOVIS for – what to look out for

Mycoplasma bovis is an unwanted organism in all farmers tobovis contact their veterinarian and/or Mycoplasma is an unwanted organism in following unusual signs in their herd. all farmers to contact their veterinarian and/or

NZ. It is important for MPI if is they see the for NZ. It important MPI if they see the

following unusual signs in their herd.

Adult cows Adult cows

Ear infections

Calves / young stock Calves / young stock

Ear infections • Droopy ear • • • •

Lame cows with swollen legs/joints Lame cows with swollen legs/joints • Painful and hot • Painful and hot

Ear discharge Head tiltear Droopy Ear discharge Head tilt

© Photo courtesy of John House.

© Photo courtesy of John House.

Pneumonia

• Hacking cough Pneumonia • Hacking cough © Photo courtesy of John House.

Abortions • Slips, early Abortions calves, small calvesearly • Slips, calves, small calves

© Photo courtesy of John House.

Mastitis • Swollen (rubbery quarters), involves Mastitis • • • • • • • •

multiple quarters Swollen (rubbery Not painful or hotquarters), involves multiple quarters Non responsive to treatment Not painful or hot Affected quarters will rapidly dry off Non responsive to treatment Cow is not sick Affected quarters will rapidly dry off

• Cow is not sick

Key messages Key messages What is it • Bacterial infection of cattle.

What is it • • • •

No food safety risk.

Bacterial infection of cattle.

Very low risk to human health.

No food safety risk.

• Very low risk to human health.

Lame calves with swollen legs/joints Lame calves with swollen legs/joints • Painful and hot

Fading calves

• Painful and hot

and sometimes the brain • Inflammation of the joints, and sometimes the brain

Fading calves • Inflammation of the joints,

Conjunctivitis • Sticky eyes, white eyes Conjunctivitis • Sticky eyes, white eyes

© Crown copyright 2017. Reproduced with permission of the Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK. © Crown copyright 2017. Reproduced with permission of the Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK.

© Photo by Fernanda Castillo-Alcala, 2017.

© Crown copyright 2017. Reproduced with permission of the Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK.

© Photo by Fernanda Castillo-Alcala, 2017.

© Crown copyright 2017. Reproduced with permission of the Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK.

Why is it important

What you need to be aware of

Call your veterinarian as soon as possible if:

• Production limiting disease.

Why is it important • Hard to treat, causes unresponsive • Production limiting disease. mastitis.

• causes unresponsive • Hard Hard to to treat, test for. mastitis.

• Hard to test for.

• Spread mainly by close contact between animals and feeding What you need to be aware of milk from infected cows to calves.

• Spread mainly by close contact between animals and feeding • Incoming stock and nose-to-nose contact over boundaries are the milk from infected cows to calves. biggest risk of bringing the disease onto your farm.

• Incoming stock and nose-to-nose contact over boundaries are the • Equipment used on animals must be cleaned thoroughly biggest risk of bringing the disease onto your farm. between farms.

• Equipment used on animals must be cleaned thoroughly • Don’t wait if you have animals with suspicious signs, early between farms. intervention from a veterinarian is important.

• Don’t wait if you have animals with suspicious signs, early • In some cases calves can be infected and show no signs of disease. intervention from a veterinarian is important.

• These signs appear at higher than rates.

Call your veterinarian as soon asnormal possible if:

• In some cases calves can be infected and show no signs of disease.

MPI disease reporting 0800 80 99 66

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Several animals show the above signs.

Animals don’t respond to normal treatments.

Individual animals show several of the above signs.

These signs are present in different classes of stock at the Animals don’t to cows normal treatments. same time eg. respond mastitis in and arthritis in calves.

• These signs are present in different classes of stock at the Veterinarian’s number___________________________ same time eg.phone mastitis in cows and arthritis in calves.

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Farmers need to support each other Many dairy farmers, from one end of New Zealand to the other, have had a rough few months.

If there’s not been flood or drought conditions, then it’s been understanding how to protect their farms from mycoplasma bovis.

DairyNZ wellness and wellbeing programme leader Dana Carver said it’s been a tough time for farmers and, for some, there are signs that it’s beginning to take a toll on their wellbeing.

She encouraged farmers who are feeling stressed to contact the Rural Support Trust.

“Don’t be shy to ask for help. There are a number of rural organisations you can turn to. If you’re unsure who to approach, I recommend the Rural Support Trust as your first point of contact.

Depending on your situation, they can refer you to the best person to help you.”

Carver said the great thing about the Rural Support Trust was that it’s a free service, run by local rural people who understand the

pressures of farming.

Her main advice to farmers was to stay connected.

“It’s natural when things get tough to isolate yourself.

But this is the worst thing you can do. It’s important to stay connected and support one another.”

Carver’s comments reiterate those made by Mid Canterbury farmer Craige Mackenzie in the Ashburton Guardian last week.

Mackenzie, whose property came under scrutiny before being cleared, said it was important not to isolate those farmers caught up in the outbreak.

South Canterbury Rural Support Trust representative Sarah Barr said the number of calls they’ve received is up on average across the country due to M. bovis and the extreme weather.

Most calls related to emotional stress, often linked to concerns about financial repercussions.

Barr said that the concern about M. bovis being found on farms is understandably causing farmers more stress,

Left – DairyNZ wellness and wellbeing programme leader Dana Carver says her main advice to farmers is to stay connected.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

and encourages all farmers to seek information about the disease to help prevent scaremongering.

“If you discover someone in your community has had their farm test positive for M. bovis, now is when they need

your support the most and it’s when having a community looking after one another is crucial.”

Barr said the best thing farmers can do to help reduce concerns over M. bovis is to take precautions to reduce the risk of the disease spreading to their farm.

“The best thing you can do is to implement good biosecurity practices on farm.

“When you take action you feel like you’ve got some control over the situation.”

For farmers wanting more information, visit www.ruralsupport.org.nz, call 0800 RURAL HELP, or visit www. dairynz.co.nz.

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Taking action Farmers, vets and industry stakeholders from around the Southland region have come together to form MASS (Mycoplasma bovis Action & Support Southland).

Spokesman Bevan Collie said the group’s objective was to provide a voice to those in Southland and assist the Southland farming community in understanding and dealing with the mycoplasma bovis outbreak.

“Farming practices in our region are different from other parts of the country”, Collie said.

“We move our stock more often and we know stock movements to be one of the main ways M. bovis is spread.

We urgently need information to help assess and manage this risk. This means rapid testing and being kept informed of testing results.”

Collie said MASS supported the Ministry for Primary Industries current response strategy of Contain, Survey, Eradicate.

“Eradication has to be the goal.

This disease can have a terrible effect on the well-being of cattle, will require an increase in antibiotic use at a time when we know antimicrobial resistance to be a huge threat to the planet; and is significantly cheaper than the cost of living with, and treating, cattle for infection,” Collie said.

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The group was also keen to point out that not eradicating the disease could lead to the demise of the sharemilking industry in New Zealand.

It said in a statement that the unique structure of the New Zealand dairy industry provided opportunities for young farmers to move into ownership, and removing sharemilking, or contract milking, would see the end of that.

For more information contact Collie at massspokesperson@gmail.com.

To stay-up-to date with the latest M. bovis developments and resources, go to www.mbovis.co.nz

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MPI copping it from all sides One of my favourite things about social media is the easy access it gives me to information from government departments: WINZ, IRD, Customs, they’re all there. Most of them treat Twitter like a help desk and merely answer questions during business hours but some, MPI in particular, manage to be brilliantly funny and genuinely helpful at the same time.

MPI is one of the accounts I have notifications turned on for, which mean whenever they tweet I get an alert on my phone. As soon as there is a development with mycoplasma bovis I know about it, and if I have a question it is answered very quickly.

The flip side to you and I having access to an incredibly responsive government department is that every other muppet on the internet does too; I’ve seen the people who run the MPI account subjected to endless bouts of ill-informed outrage on Twitter. This, however, is far better than Facebook, where they get threats of actual violence, a nice reminder as to why I’ve

Craig Hickman

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never signed up to that particular platform.

In the wake of the M. bovis outbreak I’ve often found myself defending MPI on Twitter, partly because their social media team is so effortlessly brilliant and don’t deserve the vitriol sent their way, and partly because they’re unfairly copping it from all sides: the general public and farmers alike.

The general public’s concern seem to be divided into two camps; outrage that the disease incursion occurred in the first place and outrage that the infected cattle are being processed for human consumption.

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Contact Paul Bailey

M: 027 229 9774 E: paul@canterburylivestock.co.nz

out the differences between M. bovis and BSE. Blaming MPI for the incursion itself is ridiculous, they don’t randomly send officers to farms to check for diseases that we don’t know are there on the off chance they might find something, and the disease itself is very difficult to test for. M. bovis requires multiple tests over a period of time, a positive test means you’ve got it but a negative test doesn’t necessarily mean you’re safe. Given the stakes for the country and the individual farmers we all want the testing to be thorough and accurate.

Farmer concern has largely been centred on wanting to know how the disease arrived

and why it has been allowed to spread as far as it has. As far as how it was introduced, speculation is rife but ultimately we may never know.

The disease has spread through the country via stock movement, and farmer expectation was that MPI would press a button on the NAIT computer and know within minutes exactly which animals from an infected farm had gone where. Unfortunately, while NAIT compliance of stock transfers from farm to slaughter sit at something like 95 per cent, compliance for inter-farm transfers is around 30 per cent.

There are many problems with NAIT, from the decision to use low frequency (FDX)

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tags when every other country rejected them in favour of HDX to the clunky user interface, but at the end of the day it has been low industry compliance that has led to delays in tracing stock movement.

We should all be extremely grateful foot and mouth wasn’t the disease to expose the flaws in NAIT. Given the speed with which things are moving I’m very glad to literally have MPI in my pocket, available to give me updates as they happen and answer questions as they occur to me. I just wish the muppets would lay off; there are real people on the other side of that screen doing the absolute best they can.

 Eco-friendly & approved  Kills better than chlorine  Costs less to use

Introducing DX50 Dairy Sanitiser u Eco-friendly & approved v Kills better than chlorine w Costs less to use

DX50 Dairy Sanitiser is Chlorine Dioxide in aqueous solution and is 2.46 times more effectively at oxidising the target pathogen cell walls. Due to this mode of action, disease bearing organisms cannot build up 2. DX50 kills 2.46xharmful better than chlorine than standard (killing) bacteria chlorine. resistance to the product.

DX50 Dairy Sanitiser is Chlorine Dioxide in aqueous solution and is 2.46 times more effective at oxidising (killing) harmful bacteria than standard chlorine.

Why does DX50 kill pathogens more effectively?

When oxidation occurs, the cell wall of the bacteria is dissolved, exposing the enzymes that lie beneath the surface. These enzymes control the biochemical reactions within that cell.

When DX50 contacts these enzymes, it immediately deactivates them by breaking their chemical chains.

With the enzymes ruined, the pathogenic bacteria is instantly destroyed.

No resistance possible The triggering action for DX50 Dairy Sanitiser is the sugar-like substances that are an integral part of Killing Power

Microbial Range

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Chlorine

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Plus Hot Water Savings!

That 15-20% saving is magnified when you take into account that DX50 works best in COLD water. That’s 7 afternoon washes every week with zero heating bills.

Parts Per Million

Dose

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Corrosivity

Optimal Kill conditions

50 ppm

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Negligible at use concentration

2-11 pH

High for most metals

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• ALess broad-spectrum sanitiser 600 ppm Minutes effective against

to hours

fungi & spore formers.

Ineffective against viruses.

• Kills only pathogens - not good bacteria • Kills 2.46x better than toxic Chlorine

3. DX50 can cost 15-20% less DX50 kills 2.46 times more effectively than chlorine at 50ppm vs 600ppm of chlorine. That means far less product is required to achieve better results.

When DX50 is used with Ultimate Liquid Caustic and Ultimate ULF Acid as a full cleaning system, farmers can save up to 15-20% on sanitising costs.

DX50 Dairy Sanitiser is not pH dependent and works most effectively in cold water. DX50 can also break down the protective bio-film surrounding a wide range of pathogens.

What makes DX50 so much better?

Chemical

Chlorine Dioxide

Very wide kill range

• Kills faster than toxic Chlorine • Effective with cold water not hot water

RECOMMENDED/APPROVED PLANT CLEANING TIMETABLE AND PROCEDURE

DAY A.M.

• Non-corrosive: acidic residue Tuesday Wednesday no Thursday Friday Saturday

Monday

Hotective Acid Hot Hot AciddownHot Hot Acid • Eff atAlkali breaking dairyDetergent plant Detergent Detergent Alkali bio-films Hot Acid Hot Acid Hot Acid Hot Alkali

A.M. rinse

Detergent

P.M.

DX50 Sanitiser (cold water)

Detergent

A full chlorine-free cleaning system As stated, DX50 is eco-friendly in that it kills only pathogens, not the good bacteria. But what if you use a chlorine-based alkaline as part of your cleaning system? Does that undo the eco-friendly work done by DX50?

Yes, it does. When any chlorine is washed into the effluent pond, it kills the good bacteria that are eating the crust and liquefying the effluent.

TO ORDER DX50

DX50 Sanitiser (cold water)

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Sunday

DX50 Sanitiser (cold water)

DX50 Sanitiser (cold water)

DX50 Sanitiser (cold water)

DX50 Sanitiser (cold water)

Here’s a chlorine-free answer DX50 Dairy Sanitiser has formed a partnership with CLARK Products Ltd to provide you with an ecofriendly Hot Alkali and Hot Acid Detergent By using DX50 with Ultimate Liquid Caustic and Ultimate ULF Acid, you’ll have a complete cleaning system that is eco-friendly and costs 15-20% less!

For more information on DX50, or to find a DX50 stockist in your area, call Ross Wright: 027 246 2114

12

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Dairy Focus

BUILDING FEATURE

Effluent ponds If you’re thinking of building a new effluent storage pond it would pay to have a read of the DairyNZ guide on the subject before you get started.

Farm Dairy Effluent Systems is a 32-page publication that you can download for free from the DairyNZ website.

The step-by-step guide takes farmers right through the process, from initial planning, through design and construction, to its operation and maintenance. It also includes information on where to go for help.

Dairy effluent ponds provide temporary storage of effluent, when soil conditions are not suitable for irrigation, the guide says, adding that having a well designed and constructed pond will save farmers time and money.

It points out that a well designed and managed pond will provide peace of mind; increased flexibility – they allow farmers to determine when to irrigate at a time that suits; more effective utilisation of nutrients and water; reduced risk of effluent non-compliance; and environmental protection.

When designing a pond there are three key things farmers should want, the guide says.

Firstly it should be a sealed pond to avoid leakage to groundwater.

It should also be a well-designed structure that allows for ongoing operation and maintenance, and is appropriately sized for the volume of effluent produced now and in the foreseeable future.

Finally it’s important that it meets regional and district council and Building Act requirements.

For more information or to download the guide, go to www. dairynz.co.nz.

Irrigation Pump Sheds/Storage

Contact your local X Span Agent

Dave McLeod Snowfed Builders 0274 342 857

These sheds are made to be easy to install with the middle piece of roof iron having been left off for easy Hiab onto your concrete pad. A 50mm overhang has been allowed to fit over your concrete pad so that you have no leaks.

There is hex bird netting over the ventilation gap across the front. Made from quality H3 90x45 framing timber and finished with either zincalume or your choice of colorsteel.

Sheds can be made standard or to your individual requirements.

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14

Dairy Focus

www.guardianonline.co.nz

BUILDING FEATURE

What to do first Built with pride Before you start a building project there’s a few things you need to do first.

The first thing you need to think about is decide how you want to manage it – building projects do not run themselves.

A few different roles are needed on a building project.

You need someone to: • Manage timelines and costs.

• Manage subcontractors.

• Liaise with the local council • Make decisions about the design of the work.

You can do some of this yourself, but if you are not knowledgeable about the building work process, you should get help from an architect, an independent project manager, a building company, or a licensed building practitioner who is licensed to co-ordinate the building work involved.

Once you’ve chosen a contractor, you need to agree on the price and payment structure.

The contract should clearly state what payments are required and when. Where possible, a fixed price is preferable. The lowest price is not always the best price.

You should: • Get detailed quotes (not estimates) for the building work.

RTO Construction Ltd has been in business for five years covering Timaru to Rolleston and everywhere in between.

We work on residential, farm buildings and light commercial and specialise in James Hardie products and ECKO Fastening Systems.

We also have a Macma Commercial Grade GIB lifter available for hire.

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lifting to this mean machine.

Rodney has 18 years’ experience in the building industry starting his time for a large commercial company in the Wairarapa before moving south 15 years ago.

He is a qualified, licensed carpenter and a Registered Master Builder. Being a small firm they pride themselves on quality workmanship for clients.

Like and follow them on Facebook Rodney – qualified, licensed carpenter and a Registered Master Builder.

• When comparing quotes, ensure that the scope of the building work and the materials and fixtures that you are comparing are the same across quotes so that you are comparing apples with apples.

• Make sure you have the funds to pay for the project before the work begins and that you understand the payment terms agreed with the building contractor.

• Think carefully before agreeing to pay more than the cost of the work that has been completed and the costs of any materials that have been supplied at the time you make the payment.

Information courtesy of the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment

PHOTO SUPPLIED

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16

Dairy Focus

BUILDING FEATURE

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Farm-related building work does The following information is from a guide produced by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment.

It is mainly for building owners and practitioners who are planning to carry out or provide advice on any building work.

It should also be noted that under Schedule 1 exemption 2 of the Building Act, regional and territorial authorities have the discretion to exempt any building work from requiring a building consent.

Dams (excludes large dams) Building work in connection with a dam that is not a large dam.

This exemption allows smaller dams to be built without needing to obtain a building consent. However, they will still need to comply with the Building Code.

A dam is defined in section 7 of the Building Act as meaning: (a) an artificial barrier, and its appurtenant structures, that: (i) is constructed to hold back water or other fluid under constant

pressure so as to form a reservoir; and (ii) is used for the storage, control, or diversion of water or other fluid (b) includes a flood control dam, a natural feature that has been significantly modified to function as a dam and a canal but does

not include a stopbank designed to control floodwaters.

Large dams are not covered by this exemption.

A large dam is defined in section 7 of the Building Act as meaning a dam that has a height of 4 or more metres and holds 20,000 cubic metres volume of water or other fluid.

If the dam is across a stream, the height of the dam is the vertical distance from the dam crest to the natural bed of the stream at the lowest downstream outside limit of the dam.

If the dam is not a across a stream, the height of the dam is the vertical distance from the dam crest to the lowest elevation at the outside limit of the dam.

If the dam is a canal, the height of the dam is the vertical distance from the dam crest to the invert of the canal.

The dam crest is defined in section 7 of the Building Act as the uppermost surface of the dam, not taking into account any camber allowed for settlement, or any curbs, parapets, guard rails or other structures that are not part of the water-retaining structure.

Note that any freeboard is part of the water-retaining structure.

An example where this exemption could apply A farmer constructs a water reservoir for crop irrigation.

The height of the dam is

This is about the capacity of eight Olympic-sized swimming pools, or a rugby field with water approximately 3 metres deep (ie up to the crossbars of the goal posts).

How the height of the dam is measured differs slightly based on whether the dam is across a stream or not, or if the dam is a canal.

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BUILDING FEATURE

17

not always require a consent 3.5 metres and it retains a depth of 2.5 metres over an area of 5000 square metres (approximately 12,500 cubic metres of water). This is exempt work as the height of the dam is less than 4 metres and the volume of the water that is held back is less than 20,000 cubic metres.

An example where building consent is required The height of a proposed dam on a river is 20 metres and it will hold back more than 250,000 cubic metres of water. This work will require a building consent because the dam height is greater than 4 metres and the reservoir volume is greater than 20,000 cubic metres.

Tanks Building work in connection with a tank and any structure in support of the tank, including any tank that is part of any other building for which a building consent is required, that: (a) does not exceed 500 litres capacity and is supported not more than 4 metres above the supporting ground; or

(b) does not exceed 1000 litres capacity and is supported not more than three metres above the supporting ground; or (c) does not exceed 2000 litres capacity and is supported not more than two metres above the supporting ground; or

(d) does not exceed 4000 litres capacity and is supported not more than one metre above the supporting ground; or (e) does not exceed 8000 litres capacity and is supported not more than 0.5 metres above the supporting ground; or

(f) does not exceed 16,000 litres capacity and is supported not more than 0.25 metres above the supporting ground; or (g) does not exceed 35,000 litres capacity and is supported directly by ground.

A building consent is not

required for the construction of any tank or its structural support.

This is as long as various requirements are met relating to its capacity and height above the ground, as listed in subclauses (a) to (g) above.

Examples where this exemption could apply A rural property owner wants to install a 20,000 litre, pre-cast concrete tank to collect and store rainwater from the house roof. They propose to place the tank directly on the ground in a corner of the front garden.

A rural homeowner wants to install a 2000 litre water storage tank supported two metres above the supporting ground.

Examples where building consent is required A rural homeowner wants to install a 1000 litre water storage tank. To improve the water pressure, the owner intends to mount the tank on a steel tank stand.

The tank will be supported more than three metres above the ground, so a building consent is required.

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18

Dairy Focus

BUILDING FEATURE

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Innovative farming solutions HerdHomes® Systems was originally invented by Northland dairy farmers Tom and Kathy Pow to address the ever present issue of animal welfare.

The Pow’s have a dairy farm in Northland and weren’t satisfied with recommended wintering facilities. Having used cubicle barns, concrete, metal, wood chips, sawdust stand-off areas and sacrifice paddocks, there was frustration that all systems failed before weather extremes ended and staff workloads significantly increased.

The issues with traditional cubicle barns, stand-off pads and sacrifice paddocks include: • Stock health and welfare • Complicated effluent systems • Ongoing maintenance • Staff problems • Pugging of pasture These problems had to be solved while increasing the profitability of the farm.

The Pows started with HerdHomes® Shelters on their Northland dairy farms.

Over the past few years, several design changes have occurred following feedback from users and research work.

The business has rapidly grown and HerdHomes® Shelters are now located all over the country. Considerable benefits are being gained throughout the season with huge gains to be made from summer, winter and between.

The introduction of shade cloth and a vented roof option has significantly reduced summer heat stress on cows.

The clever airflow design ensures that during cold periods of the year, the cows’ own body heat is fully utilised to help maintain warmth of the animals in the shelter.

When this heat combines with trapped solar energy it assists with drying of the floor.

This patented technology means the stock are not only naturally keeping their shelter clean, they are keeping themselves warm in winter and cool in summer.

HerdHomes® Systems provide a profitable innovative farming solutions even at reduced payouts. Their shelters have the added advantage of protecting farmers from the effects of weather extremes and its associated negative effect on production, something that can be crippling in reduced payout years.

Contented cows, happy staff, reduced fertiliser costs, better pasture and profits. Talk with HerdHomes® today to find out more about how together we can devise the best solution

for your herd and farm.

The original HerdHomes® shelter includes a very low maintenance slatted floor over effluent bunkers (either 1.2m or 1.5m deep).

There is no on-going maintenance requirements with effluent deposited within the shelter, because it simply falls through the slats into the storage bunkers below.

During low light, damp periods, straw or rubber matting can be placed on the slats to help cow comfort. If straw is used, it will gradually work its way through the slats without human intervention.

Bunkers are designed to be

cleaned out either through a dry dig out, or through a wet slurry removal once or twice a year, depending on the farming system.

Having a large open sheltered area means there is maximum flexibility of potential uses, such as a feed pad, stand-off pad, calving and splitting herds.

Shelters can be either two or three bunkers wide. Three bunker options have the benefit of increased effluent storage capacity and cleaner stock due to the reduction of solid concrete areas.

HerdHomes® patented roof design harnesses natural

light, wind flow, solar energy and the heat radiated from the animals themselves. This creates a markedly different environment from that of traditional animal housing.

The rubber matting placed on our free stall barns does not need to be specifically cleaned. Over the years they will acquire a small layer of dried crushed manure which in itself is a great surface. The rubber mattresses are able to remain dry and clean due to a clever patented design that encompasses sunlight, airflow, moisture control and flooring.

As HerdHomes® has developed its own industrial

grade roof there is now the option to cover existing infrastructure such as feed pads/stand-off areas or can be constructed on a new site.

As HerdHomes® natural airflow technology creates a dry, warm environment, lower cost flooring options can be used. Compressed materials such as limestone or rotten rock or combinations of these with concrete can be installed.

For more information, contact us info@herdhomes. co.nz or 0800 HERD HOMES.

Advertising feature

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Increases of up to 40% have been gained meaning lower cost wintering, greater weight gain or an increase in production

Calving with shelter means greater survival rate and less stress for staff

 Flexibility Lactation can be extended, giving greater production and profits

 Simple Every farmer whose built agrees, a HerdHomes® shelter gives more control, makes decision making simpler and increases staff satisfaction.

See the new and improved design. More loafing space, increased effluent storage and a stronger roof. Ask farmers why they picked HerdHomes® shelters and see for yourself how it is working out.

Make your own mind up.

Contact us about an on farm visit in your area

Winter HerdHomes® shelters users throughout New Zealand enjoy control over their winter grazing without the damage associated with wintering on farm. Feed costs are down due to far higher utilisation and lower maintenance requirements plus calving is in a warm dry environment.

Make the decision, build a HerdHomes® shelter and take control of your winter.

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20

Dairy Focus

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Sorting good effluent from bad Effluent is an inevitable part of any dairy farm system, but few farmers stop to think about whether their effluent is “good” or “bad” – and what makes it so in the first place.

So, what is good effluent, and what does it look like?

A healthy effluent pond is clear and free from crust.

When irrigated to pasture, the effluent is light coloured to clear with very little odour.

In contrast, an effluent pond with any form of crust on top demonstrates that the effluent within is tending towards poor. Underneath the crust is a section of “dead water”, and at the bottom of the pond, a sludgy build-up.

Poor effluent, which contains elevated levels of methane and nitric oxide as unprocessed solids, is dark and strong smelling when irrigated to pasture.

A pond sitting at rest with no stirring displays the true physical characteristics of the effluent. However, it may be difficult to ‘read’ an effluent pond that uses a solids separator or a weeping wall system; in these cases, a pH

David Law

FORWARD FARMING

test will tell you if your pond is dominated by aerobic (good) or anaerobic (bad) bacteria.

Why is a healthy effluent pond free from crust and sludge?

The physical condition of the pond is dictated by the biological condition of the pond.

The crust on a pond is feed that has not been digested by the cow.

In a healthy pond, aerobic bacteria thrive. They naturally digest these solids, or undigested feed, creating clear, processed effluent that is ready for soil to absorb.

Raw or anaerobic effluent contains solids which still need to break down before the effluent can be utilised by the soil, using valuable energy

Left – David Law walking on the effluent pond at Wairango Farm, which has a 1m-thick crust.

Right – The same pond, clear and crust-free after Law increased the pH and introduced aerobic bacteria to digest the crust and PHOTOS SUPPLIED sludge.

from the soil to break down.

What conditions determine the health of the pond?

The health of the pond is determined by its pH levels, and which bacteria is thriving under those conditions; a pond with a pH of 7.4 is ideal, creating a crust-free pond dominated by aerobic bacteria.

In these ideal conditions, the aerobic bacteria digest the undigested feed presenting as

SLURRY SPREADING

crust and sludge.

“Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria have competitive exclusion - the further the pH drops below the equilibrium of pH 7, the thicker the crust and the higher the percentage of anaerobic bacteria,” Law said.

“In fact, you can calculate the pH of the pond by measuring the thickness of the crust.”

Law said contrary to popular belief, stirring does not change the biological makeup of the pond; it only temporarily breaks up the crust.

“If your pond is anaerobic and you aerate it, it is a waste of effort as there is no aerobic bacteria present to breathe the air,” he said.

“Stirring a pond, even for eight hours a day, will not change the pond from an anaerobic state to an aerobic state; it simply disrupts the job of the aerobic bacteria to eat the crust and later, the sludge.

“If the aerobic bugs are not present, in the case of a very low pH, you must change the pH to support the introduction of them in the short term, and follow up with a review of farm biology and systems.

“Research from Lancaster University has shown that an aerobic, crust-free pond produces 67 per cent less greenhouse gases than a crusted pond; with this information available, farmers have to start thinking biologically.”

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www.guardianonline.co.nz

21

Getting your systems right first time Installing or upgrading your irrigation or dairy effluent system is a major investment.

So you’ll want to be sure to get the right system for your property and be confident that the system will continue to perform well into the future.

There are a range of things that need to be considered when installing either system.

A good starting place is to talk with your staff and clearly identify what your needs are.

If you’re expanding your irrigated area, then consider how you will use the expanded area, and whether that will mean any changes to your farm – for example will you need to add new gates or accessways?

Talk with other farmers about the process they went through to install irrigation or improve their effluent management. Find out what worked well and what they would do differently if they had to repeat the process. It’s not just about the choice of system it’s also about how they use and operate it. If you have a farm adviser, talk to

Make sure your irrigation system is suitable to meet your needs.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

them and get their advice.

Consider operating costs as well as up-front costs.

Consider how much power and water the systems will use over the longer term. Make sure you focus on parts of the system that can’t easily be changed as they need to be correct first time – like pipe sizing.

You don’t want to have to

install new pipes down the track if you start using more water.

Alongside providing training for irrigators and advocating for our members, IrrigationNZ also accredits farm dairy effluent design companies and irrigation design companies. Being accredited means that a company has a quality

assurance system in place and they have demonstrated they consistently meet the Design Code of Practice and Standards. As a customer this gives you confidence that your system has been designed to meet your needs over the long-term as well as meeting regulatory rules.

There are currently six accredited irrigation design companies in New Zealand – Carrfields Irrigation, Grafton Irrigation, PGG Wrightson Water, Plains Irrigators, Rainer Irrigation and WaterForce.

There are 20 accredited dairy effluent design companies. A list of accredited companies is available online at www. effluentaccreditation.co.nz and www.irrigationaccreditation. co.nz. Accredited companies will display a tick logo with the words ‘Irrigation Design Accredited’ or ‘Farm Dairy Effluent System Accredited’.

When talking with companies you’ll also need to consider after sale service and ask what you can expect.

What training is provided to

staff ? Do they have enough staff to provide cover over holidays? How quickly would they respond in an urgent situation? Put any specific requirements you have into the contract and check that everything you want is included.

As part of the contract require your design company to provide the information you need to make the system work for you.

For example, what information do you need to monitor in your farm environment plan? If the installer can provide you with this data at handover it will make life much easier down the track.

While installing or upgrading a new irrigation or effluent management system can seem daunting, you can make the process manageable by knowing what you need and breaking the project into smaller steps.

Developing and commissioning irrigation guides are available free to INZ members through our website.

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SPIDERS, RODENTS, FLIES Call Mike Ward

027 2968 234 0800 556 778 Can a white-tail bite be fatal?

It’s 3 o’clock in the morning and you have to take a trip to the toilet, you switch on the light and in the corner is a spider. On closer inspection (not too close) you see it’s a white-tail spider.

You have heard about the white-tail spider and you have seen pictures on the internet and you have been to the A&P show and seen the live white-tails that have been on display in the Spiderban marquee. This is the last straw.

It’s time to have your house spider-proofed.

The answer to the question is no. There have been no fatalities from the bite of this spider, but a lot of bites that are controversial and not been able to be put down to anything have been blamed on this spider.

Mike Ward owner of Spiderban has displayed the live spiders at A&P shows for a number of years and is surprised at the growth of bites each year (people show him the scars of where they have been bitten), his main business is controlling this spider and others including flies in the interior plus the exterior treatment of webbing spiders.

Cluster Flies Don’t forget to treat for cluster flies in February.

Cluster flies are large, slow moving, hairy, flies around 10-15mm with a dark gray to black nonmetallic abdomen. They lay eggs on grass lawns and pasture in spring.

The larvae of the flies feed on earthworms in grass pasture or lawn areas.

Then in autumn and early winter the adult flies will move into homes and other buildings to survive the winter.

We can help control these flies in roof spaces or throughout your home.

Dairy shed inside roof

wwwdairyshedwashing.co.nz At the end of autumn his business changes to dairy shed washing (drying off time). The inside of the roof of a dairy shed gets really dirty from the dust (grain feeding) and this service has been operating for four seasons now with over 200 sheds cleaned now, using a chemical free system to wash the roof and a specialised system to reach the height of a roof. After the wash the sheds are treated to spider proofing keeping them cobweb free for a year.

This treatment helps sheds pass their shed inspections as this area is normally very difficult to clean.

• Spiders, rodents, flies professionally eliminated • Experienced technicians

Before

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23

Manage heat to avoid lameness It has been a dry hot summer for most of the country so far this year, and it doesn’t look like letting up any time soon.

There has been less lameness because of it but that doesn’t mean that it will stay that way.

If you don’t manage this hot period properly you may experience a lot of lameness in the autumn.

The reasons for this is that underfeeding and heat stress are both contributors to lameness at a later stage.

In New Zealand there is already a tendency for underfeeding even at the best of times, although there will be many people disagreeing with me on that one, but how many farmers have experienced an increase in milk production when they milk fewer cows?

So, when we are in a drought, underfeeding is even more prevalent - especially if there is a shortage of silage or other feeds available.

The other issue is heat stress. Not much research has been done on the effects of heat stress on lameness, but

Fred Hoekstra

VEEHOF DAIRY SERVICES

there is evidence of a link.

When a cow is heat stressed her first response is to decrease DMI. This makes sense because as the rumen processes the food it creates a lot of heat. This reduction in food intake has a direct impact on milk production.

A cow will also spend more time standing. Often on hot days you can see herds of cows just congregating around the water trough. This is a classic sign of heat stress.

The temperature in which heat stress occurs depends on humidity and wind speed.

The higher the humidity and the lower the wind speed, the lower the heat stress threshold will be.

It is believed that the op-

timum ambient temperature for a cow is between 5 to15 degrees, so heat stress could kick in as low as 20 degrees.

That puts it into perspective a little, especially when you look at how hot it can get in the holding yard and in the cow shed. If you are finding it hot, the cow is probably boiling.

Exactly what it is about heat stress that causes an increase of lameness is a question that needs more research.

It could be the prolonged period of standing, it could be the reduced DMI, and it

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could be the stress hormones released at the time of heat stress. I am inclined to think they all have a part to play.

I guess the important question is how we manage it.

Fortunately, in New Zealand the nights are not as hot compared to Australia, North America and other places in the world where the temperatures are well in the 20s day and night for weeks on end.

Some practical things you can do to combat heat stress are: put misters in the cow shed and maybe sprinklers in the yard.

With the sprinkler, make sure the water is not too cold, as it is not nice to get hosed down with ice cold water when you are very hot - that would induce a different stress!

Another thing that would help is to reduce or take minerals out of the water all together on hot days. You may be nervous about that but water is much more important than copper or any other mineral you put in it.

Adding minerals to the water makes it horrible to drink and therefore decreases the water intake. It’s also important to ensure your water troughs are cleaned regularly. You don’t clean your dishes once a month (hopefully), and neither should you clean water troughs infrequently.

It may also be necessary to consider improving accessibility to water for all cows through installing additional water troughs to counter the effects of herd hierarchy.

As always I welcome your comments and observations fred@veehof.co.nz.

24

Dairy Focus

www.guardianonline.co.nz

The world’s coming to New Zealand More than 1000 delegates from around the world will travel to New Zealand to take part in three prestigious animal recording and genetics conferences in February.

It is the first time the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (WCGALP) has held its four yearly congress in New Zealand, and only the second time in the Southern Hemisphere.

The congress will be combined with the annual conferences for the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) and Interbull – the leading event for research and development in animal improvement, milk testing, DNA parentage analysis, genomics and genetics.

With agendas covering everything from parentage verification, breeding and genetic evaluation to ear tags, technology and herd testing, the three events attract a wide range of national and international experts.

LIC chief scientist and ICAR conference co-chair, Bevin Harris, said the events –

Left – Jeremy Bryant. Centre – Bevan Harris. Right – Holstein Friesians make up more than a third of the dairy cows in New Zealand PHOTOS SUPPLIED and have long been involved in breeding and recording programmes.

which are mainly attended by researchers, scientists and other professionals – are something for the Kiwi animal industry to be proud of.

“It’s like the Olympics of the animal genetics world coming to New Zealand. These are the biggest events on the industry’s event calendar.”

“This represents a huge recognition of our country’s animal genetics industry and is a

great opportunity to showcase our animal recording and technological developments.

New Zealand is a leader in this space, so what better way to show this than by hosting these conferences.”

Previous WCGALP events have been held in Spain, UK, Canada, France, Brazil, Germany and the United States.

NZAEL manager and ICAR conference co-chair, Jeremy

Bryant, said the organisers are looking forward to welcoming such a vast crowd of international visitors to New Zealand.

“For many of the delegates, this will be their first time to New Zealand. We want to not only showcase the latest and greatest of animal recording and genetics but also give visitors a hands-on insight into the New Zealand agricultural scene.”

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The taste of New Zealand’s wide-ranging primary industries is offered to delegates through several field trips, including a trip to a Waiheke Island oyster farm and a day in the Waikato visiting artificial breeding facilities and local dairy farms. All three events are to be held at the Aotea Centre in Auckland, with the first event starting on Wednesday, February 7.

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Must we kill the good guys to get the bad guys?

CHLORINE Pathogens: Bacteria Bad Guys Pathogen

BUG

They’re called Pathogens, microscopic organisms that cause animal disease by direct invasion of body tissue.

These bad guys produce toxins that poison the cells they invade.

Dangerous in the Dairy Shed Because these pathogens are present in the milking system, farmers diligently sanitise their sheds.

The way farmers destroy these dangerous microorganisms is with chlorine. And it works – chlorine is an effective sanitizer.

2. Converting volatile effluent nutrients into stable forms that are readily available to plants.

3. Reducing leaching and soil run-off.

4. Reducing pond odour by capturing the ammonia within the urine.

Slurry Bugs are the good guys that can save farmers thousands of dollars (and time) in effluent management .

Green Death in the Pond In March this year, something strange happened at a Waikato pond we were treating with Slurry Bugs.

CHLORINE A bomb that kills everything

The problem with standard chlorine is that it doesn’t differentiate between Bad Bacteria and Good Bacteria. It is a bomb blast that kills all microorganisms indiscrimiately.

The Bacteria Good Guys Good bacteria are Nature’s allies. For a farm to thrive, good bacteria need to be present and active.

In the soil, these good guys do the following:

After initially seeing the solids eaten away, the condition of the pond began to go backwards.

We also noticed a green colouration in areas of the pond where Slurry Bug activity had been dynamic. On closer inspection, it was clear that the Slurry Bugs were no longer active.

Something had killed the Good Guys.

Mineralise nutrients into plant-available forms Release nitrogen and nutrients for plants to use Increase nutrient retention Suppress disease-causing pathogens Detoxify the soil by degrading toxic materials Improve the accumulation of organic matter Produce plant-growth hormones Ensure root architecture is correct and extensive Enhance soil structure to improve water flow and reduce erosion

Could it be Chlorine?

Good microbes in your POND

Further confirmation came in the form of phone calls from other farmers informing us that they had somehow ‘killed the bugs’.

One type of beneficial microbe is the Slurry Bug. When these aerobic bacteria are in an effluent pond, they help the farmer by: 1. Eating pond crust and sludge and giving the farmer liquified, spreadable effluent.

Upon asking the farmer about his activties, we learned he had recently washed Chlorine into the pond after cleaning down the yard.

But what’s the alternative to the Chlorine Bomb?

Chlorine is the accepted germ killer. So before farmers will consider using another sanitiser, the alternative must tick two big boxes: It must kill bad bacteria as effectively as chlorine.

It must be as easy to use and as cost-effective as chlorine.

So what’s the effective alternative to chlorine?

DX50: a powerful, new eco-friendly sanitiser DX50TMis Chlorine Dioxide, an eco-friendly chemical engineered to be highly selective in its bacteria killing.

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To confirm the presence of chlorine, we took pond samples from the affected area to a laboratory.

Tests showed that the green colouration was the killing reaction of Chlorine with the Slurry Bugs.

All of them had recently washed chlorine into their effluent ponds.

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27

Growing NZ pride in dairy DairyNZ is currently encouraging farmer leaders to apply for two available associate director roles that provide an opportunity to see governance in action on its board of directors. Colin Glass, who was recently voted in by farmers as a director on the board, talks about where he sees the dairy sector and some of the challenges ahead. Applications for the roles close on February 5.

BY COLIN GLASS It’s an exciting time in the dairy sector. There is so much change happening. We have a new strategy, Dairy Tomorrow, and changes to the DairyNZ board, to name a few.

I’ve seen a real change in dairy farmers over the past year too.

People outside the sector may think I’m referring to the extensive work farmers are doing to make their farms more environmentally sustainable. But as you all know, this isn’t new. Farmers have been doing this for a long time.

What has changed is farmers stepping up and telling their story. This has been a challenge for many who are naturally humble and have struggled with accepting they need to engage more with their communities and take

them on their journey.

I believe your efforts are paying off. How the public feels about dairy is changing. I hope you are all starting to see that. The public are starting to see your hard work and investment to look after the environment. I think many now realise that dairy farmers really do care about the land, the waterways and their cows.

I believe we need to continue opening people’s eyes to what the sector is doing and what’s really happening on-farm.

Helping change the public’s perception of dairy farming is just one of the things that motivated me to put my name forward to become a director on the DairyNZ board.

I want New Zealanders to be proud of dairy, like I am, like you are, and like our ancestors were.

Globally, New Zealand dairy is highly regarded. Wouldn’t it be nice if New Zealanders felt the same way? I believe if we keep doing what we’re doing this is achievable.

My father always said that when you get up in the morning, if you haven’t got a couple of problems to solve to give you some passion or drive in your day, then you need to find some pretty quick. I’ve always embraced this motto, and believe the past few years show farmers do too.

We’ve faced our fair share of challenges, but we’ve stood up and taken responsibility to address them.

I’ve never known anyone on farm, or in the industry, that doesn’t wake up not wanting to do the best they can. For many of us, dairy isn’t just a job, it’s our home, it’s what we live and breathe, and we’re all trying to make a difference to leave it better than when we found it.

I’m excited to be a part of this new chapter for the sector, and help New Zealand dairy go from strength to strength.

Colin Glass owns and operates a 650-cow dairy farm, and two further irrigated properties that rear and finish bull beef at Methven in Mid Canterbury with his wife Paula, and their two daughters. He is a chartered accountant and has a commerce degree in farm management and a post-graduate diploma in accountancy and finance from Lincoln University.

He is chief executive of Dairy Holdings Limited, which has extensive operations throughout the South Island, is a director of a number of agri-business companies and is currently chairman of Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Limited.

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HEALTH & SAFETY FEATURE

29

Health & Safety Get the best If you’re going to hire staff there are certain responsibilities you have for their health and safety.

Under New Zealand law responsibility rests with what’s referred to as the PCBU - a ‘person conducting a business or undertaking’.

The PCBU has the primary duty of care – the primary responsibility for people’s health and safety at work. In general this means it must ensure the health and safety of its workers; any other workers it influences or directs; and other people who could be put at risk by the work carried out, for example, customers, visitors or the general public.

Risks must be managed so far as is reasonably practicable. This involves balancing a risk with the resources (time and cost) needed to manage it.

The primary duty of care is a broad, over-arching duty.

It includes having effective practices in place for:  Providing and maintaining: a) A work environment that is without risk to health and safety b) Safe plant and structures c) Safe systems of work d) Adequate facilities for the welfare of workers at work  Safe use, handling and storage of plant, substances and

PHOTO

structures  The provision of information, training, instruction or supervision that is necessary to protect people from risks to health and safety arising from the work carried out  Monitoring the health of workers and the conditions at the workplace to prevent illness or injury to workers arising from the work carried out.

WorkSafe New Zealand’s website (www.worksafe.govt.nz) provides further details on a PCBU’s primary duty of care and what this covers.

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Compliance Partners provide upto-date solutions for all things people, health and safety by offering customised programmes and plans while partnering with you to provide useful, ongoing support.

We offer support for all HR, employment or people-related management matters, development of any health and safety policies and procedures and all occupational health, or drug testing requirements.

Anything you might need to help you get the best from your people! We are about working with you to make sure that you understand, and have the correct processes in place, to meet HR and Health & Safety legislative requirements and to focus on getting everyone home safe and well.

We are about keeping it super simple.

We’re local – we have offices in Christchurch, Ashburton and

Timaru and service Mid and South Canterbury.

Jane is based in Ashburton and has been working in health and safety for over 10 years. She has spent a great deal of time helping farmers and rural contractors with their HR and health and safety needs.

Gill has been based in Geraldine for the last 11 years on a rural property.

Her career began as a Glacier/ Alpine Trekking Guide in the alpine environments of South Westland.

Managing extremely significant daily risks in a realistic fashion became a way of life for Gill to get the job done.

For more information on how Compliance Partners can assist you contact us on 0800 BIZSAFE or visit our website www.cp.org.nz.

Remember, think smart before you start!

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30

Dairy Focus

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HEALTH & SAFETY FEATURE

Operator Protection Devices (OPD) The purpose of a roll bar or OPD is to hold the quad up off the ground if it rolls over, giving space for the rider, who could get trapped underneath, and to prevent them from being crushed, asphyxiated or injured by the force and weight of the quad.

However, it is possible in the case of a roll over or crash for the roll bar itself to impact on the rider after being thrown off.

This emphasises the importance of having a crush protection device that is not hard or rigid, but something flexible that can deform and even mould around a person’s body or limbs if it comes into contact with them.

It is also vital for the crush protection to be able to do this while still being able to hold the quad up, providing crush protection space.

The LifeGuard® is the only OPD that will do exactly this. It is made of individual segments like a spine. It can flex and move but cannot collapse and will always hold a quad up, however big or heavy, giving space underneath.

Left - Provides plenty of space under an upturned quad.

Below - There is still space for your dogs.

Being flexible it also gives the ability to get out even if it is across the rider’s body or limbs as it will not pin you down like a solid bar.

Holding the back of the quad up also raises the quad’s centre of gravity, making it a lot easier to roll the quad off your body and back onto its wheels. These capabilities make the ATV LifeGuard® the safest OPD in the world.

It also has patent protection in five different countries, and is made right here in New Zealand!

The LifeGuard® has won

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If your quad bike hasn’t got a LifeGuard® fitted, and one of your family, friends, staff or even yourself roll, what are the possible outcomes?

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HEALTH & SAFETY FEATURE

Expert training

Managing H&S

Pro+Med (NZ) Ltd is a multidisciplinary training company offering training in health and safety and first aid.

The company vision is to provide reliable and quality training to improve individual knowledge and efficiency.

The company is solutions orientated, we want to understand the client’s industry to provide the best possible training experience for all workers, on any given site, whilst meeting current legislative requirements.

Training can be offered on site to fit the context of the business to ensure the learners get the best possible outcomes that can be applied to the environment in which they work.

The company has accreditation with New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) to deliver unit standards in both health and safety and first aid.

We are committed to ensuring that all of our learners receive high quality training and are assessed fairly and consistently against the standards.

The benefits of unit standards training are proven as it gives the worker a recognised unit of learning and a clear understanding of best practice.

The returns to the workplace are numerous including a positive

Workplace Health & Safety is the “Hot Topic” of discussion across all workplaces.

The new Health & Safety at Work Act 2015 requires that all businesses put in place a compliant workplace Safety Management System that covers the day-to-day ‘risks’ of any of the work being undertaken, and to ensure all people get home safely from a one-man-band to a corporate.

Rural Safe was started by Debbie Robertson, who saw the need for a ‘simple but compliant’ Safety Management System for her family’s farm, contracting and fencing businesses.

Rural Safe produces robust, personalised and compliant Safety Management Systems and relevant support workbooks. Every business is different, and ‘one size system does not fit all’. Rural Safe can assist people understand what is required under the new legislation and tailor a system that meets the legislative requirements, and just as importantly makes it work for the client.

Our staff are rural-based, they have a practical approach to Health and Safety, and can explain it in plain language.

Qualified consultants are available to ensure PCBU and Officer support to ensure understanding

influence on culture and attitudes towards health and safety.

Ultimately the knowledge gained from any training will lead to greater reliability, reduced downtime due to less errors and more productive workers.

Pro+Med (NZ) Ltd is based in Washdyke in Timaru and has health and safety and first aid trainers across New Zealand.

Our clients come from a range of backgrounds including agriculture, dairy, electrical, oil and gas, government mining and construction industries.

Advertising feature

31

of compliance duties, business audits, lodging pre-qualifications for business and councils. Staff inductions, training, and support in understanding their responsibilities.

We cover a wide range of industries from, farming and associated contractors through to civil, equestrian and tradies.

Website resources as a member include, tool box, safe working procedures, SSSP templates and helpful information.

Ruralsafe is always on hand to support you in the unfortunate time of an incident and give guidance on following correct notification process.

Rural Safe is one of the preferred Health & Safety consultants for FMG clients throughout New Zealand and a bronze sponsor to FCANZ – Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand.

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