| 19 Sheep milking ‘the right way to go’ James, Stacey and their two team members milk 800 Zealandia sheep, a mix of East Friesian and Lacaune, bred specifically for New Zealand conditions. Richard Loader RURAL PEOPLE » James & Stacey Wallace Pukekohe farmers James and Stacey Wallace are commencing their fourth season milking sheep and despite a steep learning curve at the beginning of their journey, have absolutely no regrets about the path they have chosen. James says converting 45 hectares of his parents 67 hectare sheep, cropping and beef farm to a sheep milking operation was partly because it is a sunrise industry. “We’d been watching sheep milking for quite some time and felt that was the right way for us to go. There’s also a very low carbon footprint from milking sheep and they’re a lovely animal to work with, a lovely nature, and easy to milk through the shed.” James and Stacey initially milked 650 sheep through another farmer’s shed down the road as a trial to ensure they were making the right decision. “In our first year of operation we made things a lot harder than they needed to be and had to learn so much, particularly around systems and procedures. We commenced building our own shed in April 2020 and, despite COVID, the shed was completed just in time for lambing. We initially built a 30-aside swing-over herringbone shed that had no bells or whistles. There really wasn’t much proven technology that could be utilised at that time, but technology is catching up very fast and we’re quite interested in those developments.” James, Stacey and their two team members are now milking 800 Zealandia sheep, which are a mix of East Friesian and Lacaune, bred specifically for New Zealand conditions. The Wallaces aim for 50kgMS a sheep for the season, and supply Spring Sheep Milk Co., with the majority of milk made into the company’s award winning Gentle Sheep toddler milk drink. The original shed has been extended to a 40-aside, providing significant operational efficiency benefits and James says he and Stacey are looking at ways to get the best out of the sheep through investment in technology. Halo milk systems have already been installed in the vat to measure daily milk intake, and better understand what feed works best for the sheep. “It’s such a new industry and we don’t know exactly what we should be feeding the sheep in terms of crops and grass. It’s not so much what sheep like to eat but what feed puts milk in the vat. Some feed will be better than others. The Halo milk monitoring system tells us straight away if the feed has worked for the sheep. We grow a lot of clover, chicory, lucerne and grass. So far clover and chicory are coming out with excellent results. We’re now looking at installing milk metres. “The technology has always been there but it’s now becoming quite affordable. Spring Sheep Milk Co. are working in partnership with Tauranga software company Cucumber, and Waikato’s MilkTechNZ. Between them they’re designing a system where a milk metre is only required on a sporadic sample of cups. “That will mean every girl will get read at least once a week, and allow us to choose the best sheep to breed off, and develop an elite milk producing flock.” Ultimately, James would like to grow his flock to 1200 sheep, and that will happen as more land becomes available to milk off. Performing all works in: Residential, Commercial & Industrial Sectors focusing on maintenance, fit outs, new work builds, renovations etc. EW Electrical Ltd are proud to have a good working relationship with James & Stacey Wallace Eamonn Wallbutton M 0211 366 121 E admin@ewelectricalltd.co.nz Machinery Maintenance Orchard Irrigation • Repair Relocation • Breakdown Response Ethan Parker 027 312 3985 SERVICES INCLUDING: Hedge Cutting • Roadside Mowing • Full Ground Cultivation • Effluent Spreading Fertiliser & Manure Spreading • Spraying • Under Sowing • Power Harrow Seeding • Direct Drilling • Maize and Grass Silage
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