4 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Waikeria Prison Farm Farm not your typical dairy operation The season has been extraordinary for silage at the Waikeria Prison Farm. Typically, about 15 prisoners work on the farm. Russell Fredric Weather aside, it’s business as usual at the Waikeria Prison farm,although it is not your typical dairy operation. Stretching in length in the order of 10 kilometres from end to end and covering 1100 hectares, the farm is run as two units, milking 1800 cows through two rotary sheds. Principal instructor industries Stewart Morgansays the qualifying prisoners who are selected to work on the farm through an advisory panel process are usually within six months of parole eligibility. Due to being run within the prison system, the staff and prisoners who run the farm start milking at the leisurely time of 7:00am and although it used to run a high production, high input system, for practical reasons cows are now milked once a day (OAD). “Our labour situation’s a little bit unique; that’s the sort of time when we can get our work parties out from the units. A lot of farmers are finishing by seven o’clock but we’re just starting.” Typically, about 15 prisoners work on the farm. In addition to gaining practical experience, they have the opportunity to study towards Primary ITO qualifications. “Everybody gets started on level two agriculture general skills. How far through they get depends on the length of time they we have them for which varies a lot. Almost all of them have the opportunity to do the unit standards related to the operation of an LUV [side-by-side] and a wheeled tractor and obviously to assist with milking.” In addition to the Kiwicross milking cows, the farm rears 280 white-faced Kiwicross/Herefords with 20% of the heifer calves being kept for replacements while the balance are steer calves raised for the beef market. Natural mating runs over nine weeks, finished off with Hereford bulls, and calving starts on July 19 and runs until late September. “In general [the inmates] love the opportunity to work with the calves; in fact, the guys that are doing it often adopt one as a pet that follows them around. That’s quite a common thing.” The herd has a respectable empty rate of 9% to 13% and the sires are specifically selected with OAD milking in mind. “Bulls are selected for their progeny being good once a day milkers. I guess some specific cows don’t cope well under a once a day milking system in terms of their udder conformation; their udders will blow out if they’re not milked twice a day.” Annually, the farm grows about 30 to 40ha of maize for silage, grass silage as conditions allows and 30ha turnips as a summer crop, and although it comprises two separate units, it has the benefit of being able to move stock around the full 1000ha around as needed. This season has been extraordinary, Stewart says. “In the Waikato we’ve had a lot of rain, it’s raining now which is quite unusual for February. We are potentially in a feed surplus situation now which is almost unheard of in February.” The season started off favourably despite being wet, but “we haven’t had a dry period”, he says. “The grass is still actively growing; in fact, we’ll probably end up making some more silage later this month [February].” “Our labour situation’s a little bit unique; that’s the sort of time when we can get our work parties out from the units. A lot of farmers are finishing by seven o’clock but we’re just starting.” Murray Barclay Dealer Principal 0274 753 690 Mike Whitburn Sales Manager 0274 824 614 TE AWAMUTU 200 Benson Road 07 870 2411 We keep you growing Proud to support Waikeria Prison Where quality and service count For all your contracting requirements Phone 07 872 0000 .nz www.johnaustinltd.co 2023
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