NZ Dairy
DAIRY PEOPLE » Craig & Anne Boyden
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Once-a-day milking working for Craig & Anne Karen Phelps Craig and Anne Boyden, from Maharahara West, Woodhill, are firm converts of the oncea-day milking system. The couple changed to once-a-day seven years ago and haven’t looked back. This season production will increase to 180,000kg of milk solids milking a herd of 515 cows at no more cost. The previous season they achieved 172,000kg with a herd of 518 cows. Since they changed to once-a-day, the couple has been part of a DairyNZ once-a-day group, which they say has been an invaluable tool. “It’s been a good way to learn off other farmers. We have found on once-a-day we are doing nearly the same production as we were on twice-a-day but at less cost. Although we work just as hard, we have more flexibility in our day and less lame cows. In-calf rates have improved and are now 4 percent with the six week in-calf rate 85%,” says Craig, citing some of the benefits. “With improvements to the herd each year the cows seem to be going better and better on once-a-day.” Craig grew up on this farm, while Anne, also a Woodville local, grew up in town and pursued a career in administration. Craig started working on the farm when he left school and in 1991 married Anne. The couple went lower order sharemilking in 1992 for two years before progressing to 50:50 sharemilking. In 1999, they purchased a 70ha run off in conjunction with Craig’s parents Clive and Shirley and in 2003 bought half of the farm, which totalled 146ha effective. They had also been leasing Anne’s parents’ 23ha run off in Woodville and purchased this in 2006. In 2008, the 70ha run off was sold to purchase 45ha that came up for sale next to the dairy platform giving them a total of 187ha effective/208ha total. In 2013, another run off of 94ha, located 37 kilometres from the farm, was purchased. They still lease half the dairy farm from Clive and Shirley and live in the original old schoolhouse for the area, which has been converted into a lovely home for them and their four children: Sam 23, Ngaire 21, Joel 18 and Alyse 16. The Boydens milk a herd of 518 kiwicross cows through a 36 aside herringbone shed. It’s a basic system but the Boydens plan
• Silage • Hay • Maize • Direct Drilling • Balage • General Cartage • Cultivation
Craig and Anne Boyden with their four children, Sam 23, Ngaire 21, Joel 18 and Alyse 16.
to install an automatic drafting system this winter. They are also focusing their energies on improving the 94ha run off. They have their own digger and bulldozer and already around 500 hours have been put in with the digger installing two kilometres of drainage and 10 kilometres of fencing. On the home farm they are focusing on grass growth and in the spring followed the cows with Donaghys Less N and Nufarm ProGibb, which they say gave a good result. They have a tight calving pattern with half the herd calving within 10 to 11 days from the official calving date. The run offs are used for winter grazing, silage and running young stock. The farm employs two full time staff. Anne does the bookwork and relief milking and rears the calves with Clive who does most of the digger work. The Boydens aim in the next couple of years to employ a contract milker.
“It’s been a good way to learn off other farmers. We have found on once-a-day we are doing nearly the same production as we were on twice-a-day but at less cost. Although we work just as hard, we have more flexibility in our day and less lame cows”