Tech helps Canterbury sharemilkers farm more efficiently and focus on priorities

As rising costs of production pose challenges for many dairy farmers, Rotherham sharemilkers Ben and Allie King are taking the opportunity to do things differently and farm more efficiently. They have been turning to technology for solutions and freeing up time to focus on what adds the most value to their business.  

The couple 50/50 sharemilks 650 cows on 180 hectares in the Hurunui district in Canterbury. Allie says when they arrived in June 2022, the farm was a straightforward operation with very few bells and whistles. 

“We’re lucky the farm owners have made investments in capital improvements since we arrived,” says Allie. “It’s been awesome to work alongside them to start transforming the business and make sure we are in a good position to adapt to any challenges.” 

They extended the farm’s 38 a-side Herringbone milking shed to 48 a-side and installed an in-shed feed system, which is allowing them to run more cows through the dairy.  

“The in-shed feeding system helps with better cow flow through the shed and the management of supplements for our herd,” says Allie. 

“It’s much more efficient than feeding out supplements in the paddock and we can keep a closer eye on what each cow is getting.” 

The system is complemented by a new digital feed out wagon, which allows them to accurately measure how many kilos they’re feeding out to their herd every day. 

“Many farms already have this type of technology, but with the cost of inputs rising, it’s crucial for us to accurately measure what we’re feeding out,” says Allie. 

The couple also uses their Gallagher weighing and EID system to manage and monitor the progress of young stock, weighing calves every three weeks from birth. 

“Between July and the end of November we do a lot of weighing,” says Allie. “Our calves go off for grazing once they reach 100kgs. Up until that point we are weighing them regularly to ensure they’re meeting all their targets and are healthy.”  

Ben and Allie use Gallagher’s weigh scales and a load bar set up in a cattle crush alongside their cow shed. 

“We found by weighing regularly we can move mobs around in terms of their size, so smaller calves aren’t battling against bigger calves. If there are any mobs we are worried about, we weigh them every two weeks and tweak their feed ration or get the vets in if we need to,” says Allie. 

The Kings have also looked into an automated drafting system for the milking shed which could be used in the future alongside cow neckbands or digital ear tags. 

“During mating, Ben spends every day on the stand drafting cows on heat. We wouldn’t have to do that with a digital system - we could automate that job. We’re still trying to decide the best way forward with that,” says Allie. 

Fixed grid irrigation is another farm upgrade made by the farm owners this season. Allie says the farm had sprinklers and K-Lines which took forever to shift. 

“The farm owners have put in fixed grid irrigation which saves us so much time. A lot of farmers spend hours doing runs and shifting sprinklers over summer so that’s been a massive time saver for us. 

With all the farm upgrades, Gallagher’s electric fencing solution has also come into its own creating efficiency in the King’s operation. 

With all the work going on there have been a lot of fences being moved, so they have constantly needed to be turned on and off. 

The couple installed Gallagher’s M6000i energizer. They use it in conjunction with Gallagher’s iSeries Fence Monitor, which splits the farm into two fencing zones. They use the Ag Devices App to control the entire system, which can be accessed by all staff from their phones. 

Allie says the M6000i, which pairs with Gallagher’s Ag Devices App, has been an incredible time saver. 

“It’s so easy having it paired with the M6000i. If we need to turn the fence off to let a digger through or shift a fence, we don’t have to travel all the way back to the unit. It’s such a time saver.” 

The couple is also using genetic technology to breed a more efficient herd, moving from a crossbred herd to Jerseys. Allie says recent herd testing confirmed they are on the right track. 

“Our recent herd testing results showed our Jersey herd is producing the same amount of milk solids as our crossbred herd. However, the Jerseys are 10 percent smaller, eat 10 percent less feed and produce the same quality of milk,” says Allie. 

They are choosing traits to make sure they breed a capacious Jersey cow and use Gallagher’s Animal Management App to record and track traits and breeding details against each animal’s EID tag. 

“Using the technology available to us and upgrading the technology we already have means we get the best out of every animal in our business and build an efficient sustainable operation,” says Allie. 

“Using technology doesn’t mean we need less staff. We believe farming should create jobs and build communities. By using technology, we will have more time to do jobs that create more value in the business.” 

Learn more about the iSeries system here.