| 15 Steady increase of responsibility from 650 to 800 cows The focus for Bradley in 2025 is primarily maintaining a herd of high producing cows. Randall Johnston A consistent emphasis on pasture quality and management has yielded significant benefits for Oxford sharemilkers Bradley and Meagan Wilcock and the farm’s owners, Neville and Linda Thompson. Bradley and his wife Meagan dedicated three years to contract milking before transitioning to a 50/50 partnership in June 2020. This shift involved increasing their responsibility from managing 650 cows under contract to herd owning sharemilking 800 Friesian x Jersey cows on a property between Cust and Oxford in North Canterbury. “This position was advertised in 2018, but I didn’t get it. Then I saw it advertised again and DAIRY PEOPLE » Wilcock and Thompson had another crack and with some thinking outside the box was successful,” Bradley says. Farming on 270ha effective irrigated land, but wintering on 35ha of kale, the focus for Bradley in 2025 is primarily maintaining a herd of high producing cows, while being as efficient as possible. By focusing on pasture management and advancing herd genetics, they achieved record production levels in their inaugural year, surpassing the farm’s previous season by 50,000 kg MS. “Then last season we did 393,000 kg MS and the target this season is 400,000. The dairy payout is fairly good at the moment, but it’s all about keeping a lid on expenses and finding cost effective solutions. We use grain and a blend in the shed, on • Agricultural / dairy repair andmaintenance • General engineering solutions • On farmrepair service • Dairy yard alterations • Repair / refurbishing all kinds of agricultural implements Contact Blake 027 738 1896 www.forestengineering.com forestengineeringltd@gmail.com Dairy Farmrelatedwork General Engineering average about 200 tonnes a season.” Staff-wise, things are going well on farm. “Two of the guys have been with us for the last four years, so they know the system really well and we had a new worker start in November and that’s working out well too.” The implementation of Allflex collars has enhanced operational efficiency on the farm, allowing for the detection of cows in heat, those that are unwell, or those that are calving, in addition to monitoring their rumination patterns. The farm operates a 40-a-side herringbone milking shed, staffed by two individuals. They conduct a full 10-week mating period without the use of bulls, which proves to be more efficient and cost-effective. An intensive re-grassing strategy is in place, with 30-35 hectares allocated for kale as winter feed, followed by triticale as a catch crop - before reseeding with new grass. Paddock rotation is limited to a maximum of nine years, which aids in retaining nutrients and continuously enhancing soil organic matter. The 20ha of triticale is then converted into silage and is fed alongside kale during the winter months. “That’s what Neville had been doing for many seasons prior and we have continued doing. We get high yields off that in a short space of time, so it works very well in the wintering on farm,” Bradley explains. The farm participates in LIC Genetics’ Sire Proving Scheme, where SPS farmers contribute to validating the value of bull genetics, facilitating performance improvements within the national dairy herd. Bradley has observed a notable enhancement in the breeding worth of his herd as a result. The improved weights of heifers entering the herd have significantly contributed to production gains. “At first we joined the scheme because it reduced out breeding expenses by about a third, but we are gaining about 45 BW points every season on average, so it has been very worthwhile.”
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