42 | DAIRY PEOPLE » Kuljeet Singh Greater exposure to both risk and reward Kuljeet is cautiously predicting the empty rate could drop to 14 to 15 percent this season. Kim Bowden This season has marked Canterbury dairy farmer Kuljeet Singh’s first as a contract milker, a move that has brought greater exposure to both risk and reward. On-farm, that shift has translated into closer attention to cow body condition and fertility, backed by a more deliberate, data-led approach to day-today management. A wet winter wasn’t a great start. “That was a big challenge for us this season,” he says. “The cows were not getting to their target body condition.” Despite operating a predominantly grass-based system, Kuljeet has deliberately lifted supplement use, significantly upping the grain budget and drawing on a bank of silage saved from previous years to support cows through spring. “Normally, we have a 160-tonne budget in our system for buying grain, but this year we almost doubled that for the spring period,” he says. “We have already used 200 tonne. I think it’s a necessity.” Flexibility in the milking shed has become one of his key tools for protecting cow body condition and fertility. Rather than locking into a rigid twice-a-day routine, Kuljeet has adjusted milking frequency throughout the season in response to the herd’s needs. Early in lactation, cows were milked once a day for the first two to three weeks, allowing them time to recover from calving and rebuild condition. After that, around 200 of the lightest and noncycling cows were moved onto a three-in-two regime, easing production pressure on the most vulnerable animals. Ph: 03 687 4790 www.mainfert.co.nz Mainfert, Turning knowledge into action to build stronger farms Proud to support Kuljeet Singh with better nutrient solutions. It’s a strategy that carries risk for a contract milker who shares directly in any lost production, but Kuljeet is clear about his priorities. “My priority is always cow health first,” he says. “I make sure that I set up my herd for the next calving.” The farm, a 228-hectare effective, grass-based property milking 720 Friesian cows, has been grappling with an empty rate close to 20 percent, particularly among first and second-calvers. Kuljeet has mounted a targeted effort to turn that around, identifying younger and lighter cows early, drafting them into special mobs. By tailoring both feeding and milking frequency, he ensures these high-risk animals get the extra energy they need. “That’s how we manage our skinny girls,” he says. “We are milking her once a day, but she’ll still come up on the platform twice a day, for the meal.” Early pregnancy scanning has provided faster feedback, with approximately 80 percent of the herd in calf within seven weeks - a result that would normally take closer to 10 weeks. The data shows an overall six percent improvement in the six-week in-calf rate, which has risen from 65 percent last season to 71 percent. The results are even more significant among the younger stock he prioritised; the six-week in-calf rate for first and second-year calvers hit 75 percent, up from 68 percent. Kuljeet is cautiously predicting the empty rate could drop to 14 to 15 percent this season. With a final scan still to come, he’s not calling it a win yet. “We’ve taken a lot of small steps,” he says. “I can’t say we’ve got the final result yet - but I’m pretty happy with where we’re at.” Technology like CowManager, Easy ID and Easy Draft, has played a key supporting role in producing data-driven decisions. But Kuljeet says strong data is only the first step. “Once you have the data, the big thing is - are you taking action on it?” he says. He is also clear that tech can’t replace old-school stockmanship: “Observation is still one of the key things,” he says. • Baled & Fine Chop Silage • Loader Wagon Silage • Straw Baling • Silage & Straw Trading • Maize Planting & Harvesting • Transport Andrew Harris 027 318 8798 andrew@harriscontracting.co.nz Jake Garrett 027 432 4031 Logan Wall 022 140 6059
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