Rural News // April 23, 2013
34 machinery & products
Fencing technology brings maximum profits for a low investment GARETH GILLAt T
FENCE technology company Kiwitech systems could bring in $480/ha in extra income in areas as small as 10ha, claims Northland agent Ron McCloy. Drystock subdivision involves dividing a section of the property into smaller blocks and running smaller groups of stock on them which are shifted every one to two days. Studies show even 10ha of subdivided land will generate $40,000 a year in profits from pastures due to higher stocking rates and better control over stock rotation. However, there hasn’t been a big movement toward drystock intensification and McCloy blames initial capital livestock costs and the time needed to shift stock daily onto new pastures. McCloy
the basis of two 5ha paddocks with a pumped water supply. This was divided into 16 cells with three single-wire fiberglass rod fences and two 2-wire fiberglass rod fences. Water was provided in eight microtroughs. The fencing for the set-up cost $2037, the water an extra $1,294, bringing the total cost to $3,331 including GST before stock are put in. McCloy says setting up fence lines requires only driving in paint-coated fiberglass rods along fence lines, before attaching a plastic insulator and then running out steel wires. Wires are tensioned with a spring, which provides the fence with the ability to flex without breaking or stretching. High stress
“I was going to all the field days and raving about this gear to the point where my wife Chrissy told me to see if Kiwitech would take me on as a rep, as I was already promoting their products”. believes a Kiwitech fencing system can markedly reduce stock handling times. He runs 1000 bulls on 300ha and says he has all the stock work done in three hours. “The system has been set up to work as efficiently as it can with the least amount of input or infrastructure.” The simplicity of the system attracted and enabled him to keep at it, he says. “The creator of Kiwitech, Harry Weir, has developed hardware that is robust and durable and has been proven to withstand the test of time. If a system takes a long time to manage during winter then a farmer is most
likely to throw it away.” McCloy has used Kiwitech gear on his property since 1999 and has sold it since late 2012. His wife Chrissy suggested it after he had been talking about it at local field days. “I was going to all the field days and raving about this gear to the point where my wife Chrissy told me to see if Kiwitech would take me on as a rep, as I was already promoting their products”. He is still attending field days and was asked at a recent lower Northland Beef and Lamb field day focusing on subdivision to do a costing to subdivide 10ha. McCloy worked on
FARM
Ron and Chrissy McCloy showing off the Kiwitech system at a recent Northland field day.
points are reinforced with arrow posts, which strengthen the fence. When farmers need to shift stock from one cell to another they just need to pin down the fence, then get stock to walk over it. Getting to stock on a quad is even easier thanks to a specially-designed fender that allows the bikes to just drive over
fences without stopping. “I drive over about 50 fences a day and don’t even think about it.” Gear breakages are unusual. “You will periodically get an animal that gets spooked and goes through a fence, but it bounces back after them. So when you move the animals you don’t have the added job of repairing a
fence they have destroyed. The fiberglass rods are coated with a thick UVresistant paint coating, I have standards I bought when I started using the system 13 years ago that I can comfortably grab today and not have to worry about fiberglass splinters.” Tel. 0800 800 787 www.kiwitech.co.nz
THE HEAVYWEIGHT IN POSTDRIVERS
www.einboeck.at
POWER
☐ ✓NEW ZEALAND MADE ☐ ✓12 MTH WARRANTY ☐ ✓PROVEN FOR 35 YRS HEAVY DUTY PULLEYS
SEEDING AND RE-SEEDING
↔
PNEUMATICSTAR-PRO
Stronger tine and the parallel linkage to give more floatation.
DOUBLE SKINNED BEAM
VARIABLE RANGE WEIGHTS Hooked tine at work rejuvenating existing pasture. Tine pressure can be adjusted hydraulically.
Simple calibration and accurate seeding from central seeding unit.
Dealers Nationwide
For technology that works!
0800 88 55 624 ✆ W! O N G RIN www.tulloch.co.nz
SAFETY CAP
☎ 0800 476 868 or visit www.kinghitter.com