Turning data into dollars
If growing more feed at home adds up to $428 profit per tonne of dry matter to your bottom line, wouldn’t it be good to have a ryegrass that gets you there quicker?
Bigger and better, says Stallion chief executive Grant Allen describing the company’s largest MTF mobile calf feeder, the Mixer Tanker Feeder.
Designed to feed 60-65 calves on the 80-teat feeder, the largest MTF is for farmers wanting to save time and energy, Allen says.
“People are buying larger mobile units to raise calves in bigger mobs, saving time and reducing the number of trips”.
The MTF is easy to use for transporting and mixing colostrum, milk powder or any other calving supplement for feeding. It comes in 50, 60, 70 or 80 teat configurations and can hold 1000L.
It has a robust galvanised frame and a tandem axle layout.
Its standard single cylinder Honda four stroke engine powers the pump, and the engine can be optioned with electric start, making the process of mixing and distributing milk as easy as turning a key.
The 1000L tank is easily filled using a camlock fast fill connection. Its rear mounted hose and dispenser nozzle allow a seamless, easy switch from paddock to pen feeding.
Easy cleaning starts with a quick-fit hose connection at the rear of the unit. When the operator fills the tank to about one quarter this starts the pump which activates self cleaning that takes about three minutes. Also, the easy clean manifold design allows fast draining of residual rinse water.
Stallion has designed and manufactured calf feeders and transport gear for 30 years.
Allen has good advice for calf rearers: “Don’t skimp on the number of teats on the feeder. Calves grow rapidly so always aim to see 10-15% of the teats free to avoid overcrowding and bullying.”
DairyNZ Chair Tracy Brown has seen a lot of change since she first started out in the dairy sector, with around one-third of dairy farmers now women.
Castle Ridge Station has been named the Regional Supreme Winner at the Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
The South Island Dairy Event has announced Jessica Findlay as the recipient of the BrightSIDE Scholarship Programme, recognising her commitment to furthering her education and future career in the New Zealand dairy industry.
New Zealand and Chile have signed a new arrangement designed to boost agricultural cooperation and drive sector success.
New DairyNZ research will help farmers mitigate the impacts of heat stress on herds in high-risk regions of the country.
Budou are being picked now in Bridge Pā, the most intense and exciting time of the year for the Greencollar team – and the harvest of the finest eating grapes is weeks earlier than expected.