Teats help calves growth from day one
Calves that suckle on Peach Teats have higher growth rates than those which don’t, according to trials commissioned by its maker Skellerup.
CalfSMART was inspired by a European farming system, but built with an understanding that New Zealand farms are different, says designer Ben Neal.
Neal, who is also CalfSMART’s general manager, spent five years working with dairy farmers to develop New Zealand’s first purpose-built automated calf feeding system.
Raised on a dairy farm near Dannevirke, he completed a BEng (Automation) from Massey University and an NZCE Mechanical. He worked as a field engineer in the UK and in business development in the offshore oil and gas sector.
“I saw what was happening in Europe. I knew, having grown up on a dairy farm, that their products weren’t strong enough for Kiwi farms and they were built for smaller cohorts of calves. If New Zealand dairy farmers are to benefit from the cost savings and improved calf rearing that you can achieve through an automated system then we needed a Kiwi solution - something that is tough enough and also intelligent enough to fix itself.”
The CalfSMART system can feed up to 200 calves in a standard four stall unit and can be scaled up to 20 stalls which will feed 1000 calves.
The entire CalfSMART is made with high-grade stainless steel - the stalls, the hopper, the tanks and the control panels. “It’s a locally built product that we’ll install for you, we offer local support, training and advice. This is our sole product, our technicians have one job, one area of expertise - no other supplier offers that,” says Neal.
The CalfSMART is self-cleaning, it has a built-in redundancy functionality to self-diagnose blockages and perform automatic pressure wash processes. It automatically detects feed line leakages, blown pump hoses, low water pressure and system wiring breaks (shorts) etc - sending you an alert.
Neal presented his idea to the BCC, business development organisation, which helped him refine his product and find investors, including Rural Fuel founder Larry Ellison, New Zealand Venture Investment Fund and MIG Angles.
The product was launched at the Central District Field Days with the first run of autumn systems sold and installed prior. CalfSmart is currently building product for the spring 2015 rearing season.
New Zealand has nearly 12,000 dairy herds that rear cohorts of calves ranging in size from less than 100 to over 250. The largest 15% of New Zealand’s dairy farms rear 35% of the entire country’s replacement heifers. Traditionally, calf rearing has been carried out by farming families, however in recent years, as farms grow in size, this work has increasingly been carried out by a migratory workforce.
Neal says CalfSMART uses the latest intuitive technology to provide a reliable, consistent feed, it uses RFID tags to identify and weigh each calf at each feed, allowing you to monitor and benchmark progress.
The webserver interface provides the ability to operate the system remotely, monitor calf feeding and weight data and benchmark progress against other farmers.
“Interestingly, the automated system is closer to how nature intended. In the natural environment, a calf will feed sporadically throughout the day. In a shed, calves feed twice a day, this can have implications given the calf’s stomach is only so big and the little ones have to compete. CalfSMART allows the calf to pick and choose - just like nature intended. However, unlike in the natural environment all calves have the chance at feeding - even the little ones.
“Anyone who has raised calves knows that inconsistent feeding, cold milk, and environmental stress can lead to nutritional scours making calves weak and susceptible to infectious scours. Healthy calves put on weight faster, allowing them to reach their full potential earlier.”
Neal says the farmers his team have spoken to are always nervous about new staff and their standards regarding calf rearing. “The time it takes to get staff up to speed, there’s always the nagging thought of what your staff are up to when you’re away, and nearly every season they move on and you have to start again. CalfSMART reduces labour costs and provides reassurance, taking some of the stress out of calf rearing.
“Another bonus of CalfSMART is that having developed it alongside Kiwi dairy farmers our team has built up a wealth of knowledge on calf rearing and we’re only too happy to share our learnings,” Neal says.
