Dairy News june 24, 2014
56 // machinery & products
‘Humbled’ guy bags the boot WAIKATO FARM manager Jeff Peek is the best rural bloke in New Zealand, say the organisers of the Waikato field days. The 30-year old topped the 2014 field day rural bachelor contest finals, winning $23,000 in prizes and the Golden Gumboot Award. At the award ceremony Peek thanked all involved, including those who came along and supported him: “The Facebook campaign, friends who’ve come
Jeff Peek
to say hello, randoms who’ve come to say hello, and most of all the family and friends who’ve turned up. It’s humbling.” He plans first to go visit his dad, who lives in a Hamilton rest home, to show him the Golden Gumboot. During the week-long event eight finalists, including an Australian, contested heats for best rural bloke. It began with an ‘amazing race’ challenge from a mystery location to the
field days venue. Then came speed fencing, lamb boning and gundog trials. Not all heats were to do with farming. For example, ‘high tea’ had the men wearing aprons and serving eight “lucky ladies”. They assembled trays of tasty treats and made tea. “It was a bit of a challenge,” said Tirau bachelor Brett Steeghs. “It’s all about presentation [but] I’m more of a practical man. As long as it tastes good
then I’m into it.” The men also took a challenge at Barkers Westfield Chartwell, to try their eye for fashion. Runner-up to the title was Fraser Laird (26) who won $1000 from Swanndri, a $500 voucher from Stihl and a $500 voucher from Skellerup. Peek won a Suzuki KingQuad bike, a $2000 Swanndri voucher, a $2000 Stihl voucher and a $1000 voucher from Skellerup.
Sales rep, Jo McLchlan with soy hull pellets.
EVOLUTION IS REVOLUTION
UNLIMITED
Soy hull pellets now well-priced feed
Introducing the all new X5000
gareth gillatt
The Hustler tradition of finding new ways to make everyday farming tasks easier continues with the release of the X5000 chainless bale feeder.
The husTler Balefeeder range >
Chainless 2000
Chainless 4000
Call us on 0800 487 853 Global Headquarters + 646 879 7926 or visit www.hustlerequipment.co.nz
SL700X
SL350
SL450X
SOY HULL pellets, a new high-fibre, high-energy feed from J. Swap Stockfeeds, are said to be a good complement for palm kernel. The pellets are a by-product of South Australian soy crops: the hulls are extracted from the beans and turned into pellets high in fibre and energy and low in starch, the producer says. About 11MJ/kg energy are contained in kilogram fed, says Newtrition Solutions nutritionist Grant Richards. The supplement is 90% dry matter and the soy fibre is said to be very digestible. Most of the dry matter can go to production - milk or weight gain. Richards says soy hulls have low starch content, making them a safe rumen feed. Cows can eat lots without major risk of bloating or grain acidosis. “Soya hulls degrade slowly in the rumen but are still very digestible with better total utilisation by the cow. They combine well with fast-fermenting starch, making the feed safer when fed.” In the rumen, hulls are said to break down slower than starchy foods but faster than other more fibrous feeds. This allows cows to eat and eat more and potentially produce better on the supplement. Richards says the pellets offer good value for money when compared to other low-cost supplements. Farmers should find them especially valuable in the spring and autumn flush to balance out high levels of protein in grasses at that time. Soy hulls are claimed familiar to farmers in Australia and Europe, but are new to New Zealand. Richards describes them as a good balancing feed in a herd’s ration. “It provides farmers flexibility when trying to balance feed quality with price and milk responses.” Tel. 0800 457 927 www.swapstockfoods.co.nz