DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2021
18 // NEWS
Barn a farming revolution IT HAS been a busy five months for the Dee
family from Macorna who turned the management of their dairy farm on its head when they built the first ever robotic compost barn in the country. Featuring eight Lely Astronaut A5 robotic milkers, six Lely Cosmix feeders, eight Luna brushes for the cows and a Lely Juno to push up the feed, the system has revolutionised the way the family farms. Partner Mark Dee said the business was reaping the benefits of increased production with the 465-cow herd peaking at 35 litres. “We installed a 32,000 litre vat and expected to be on every second day pick-up for quite some time, but just today we sent 30,000 litres so every day pick-up isn't too far away,” Mark said. He said when the cows first moved into the barn back in May of this year, they weren't breaking any records and were averaging around 24 litres. “There is no denying the fresh cows have helped push up production, but we can't underestimate the consistency of the cows' diet and the environment of the barn and how content the whole herd now is, it is amazing.” Mark said fresh cows re-entering the system were rapidly gaining production. “They are going through the system on average 2.5 times per 24 hours and the graphs show by day 20 they are really ramping up their percow production.”
The system is programmed to automatically drop 3 kg of grain every time a cow enters the robot. Mark said the data coming out of the system was enabling the family to farm better, which, at the end of the day, was increasing per-cow production, improving the overall health of the herd and, just as importantly, positively impacting the bottom line. Each cow is fitted with a Lely SCR transponder on its collar. “Our preg test results have been unbelievable,” Mark said. In August 83 per cent of the cows tested were pregnant and in October another 70 were tested with 92 per cent in calf. “The program really hits the sweet spot for AI. We have never had conception results like that before, previously we would have been happy with around 70 per cent,” Mark said. The data is also spot on for mastitis detection or sick cows. “A drop in rumination is flagged really quickly so we can pick up any animal that is off and get it treated really quickly. “Currently we have one cow sick with pneumonia, one with slight nitrate poisoning which we think came from some vetch hay not chopped up properly in the mix and one with blood in her quarter from getting stood on. There is not one single cow in the herd being treated for mastitis.”
Colin, Adam, Hannah, Adrian,Mandy and Mark Dee.
Mark said in the old dairy they always ran a sick herd and it wouldn't be uncommon to have five or six cows treated for mastitis at once. He doesn't miss the nine hours spent milking in the dairy, either. The working day now starts at 6 am instead of 4.30 am and finishes around 7 pm.
With all the cows housed in one place, time management has improved and on the day Dairy News contacted Mark, the family had got the springers in, needled heifers and sorted out the fresh cows all before 10.30 am. “The beauty of the barn is we don't have to hang around and wait for anything because the
BOBCAT TL38.70HF TELEHANDLER FROM
$130,000 READY FOR
+ GST *
QUICK DELIVERY WITH SUPER LOW
FINANCE RATES *
*Price of $130,000 + GST includes a Bobcat TL38.70HF Telehandler. Finance is available via MKP Finance Pty Ltd ABN 56 611 706 784 for Bobcat TL38.70 Telehandlers sold by Clark Equipment. Finance is subject to credit approval and is only available to approved ABN holders. Terms and conditions apply. For further details, contact Clark Equipment. Offer ends 31/12/2021, while stock lasts.
www.bobcatofaustralia.com.au
Bobcat Australia
clark@clarkequipment.com
bobcatofaustralia
1300 736 848
Bobcat Australia