LIMESTONE DOWNS
Page 40
Trusting good tradies The milk is first cooled with an energy efficient doublebanked plate cooler using chilled water to below 10 degrees Celsius, then five degrees Celsius, and finally to 4.5 degrees Celsius which is below the industry standard. Dave has 20 years’ experience in the refrigeration industry and says there is lots of enquiry for refrigeration especially with Fonterra tightening up on milk temperature regulations. Collett Electrical Limited has been providing rural, commercial and domestic services to the Franklin area for more than 30 years. They were responsible for the electrical work at Limestone Downs’ new rotary dairy. They provide a full back-up service to all customers. Welding for the backing gate, yard and feed pad rails and gates was done by Leask Engineering, based at Tatuanui near Morrinsville. They’ve been building dairy sheds for 50 years and rely on the builder to have the layout organised so they can come along and install the rails. “We can do any modifications on-site when needed. This dairy shed has rails at standard height and strength. The corners have been rounded off on the pressure side for cow comfort, and to stop any injuries. Every dairy shed is individual and we fit in with the farmer’s requirements,” says Leask Engineering’s design and construction manager Rom Stellingwerf. They are proficient in constructing herringbone dairy sheds as well as rotaries, and Rom says “there is still a lot of inquiry out there”.
Coast & Country
Limestone Downs’ dairy farm manager Aaron Frazer and operations manager Alf Harwood.
Tru Test’s Dairy Technology Services’ Waikato area manager Dave Gray.
Drafting during milking
The Protrack system by LIC is a stand-alone automated drafting unit which is easy to use by any staff member and they don’t have to be computer literate. The Protrack Drafter allows drafting to take place during milking. A single touch screen close to the milker controls the system. Animal EIDs are preloaded into the touch screen and the cow is identified at the drafting gate and drafted into the appropriate pen where she can be attended to after milking. The Protrack Drafter can be installed in herringbone or rotary dairy sheds, with equal efficiency.
The dairy construction team: Limestone Downs’ operations manager Alf Harwood, dairy farm manager Aaron Frazer, builder Don Chapman, Tru-Test’s Dairy Technology Services’ Waikato area manager Dave Gray, Waikato Milking Systems’ Josh Norquay, Rural Supplies Pukekohe owner Robert Morrow, Leask Engineering’s design and construction manager Rom Stellingwerf, and Don Chapman Builders’ Geoff Booth.
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