48 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Murray and Rachel Perks Murray and Rachel Perks (inset) are in their second season sharemilking at Kaponga. Mating programme tweaks successful Murray and Rachel Perks are in their second season 50:50 sharemilking on a 94.4- hectare property in Kaponga, between Stratford and Hawera, Southern Taranaki. Currently peak milking 325 crossbred cow’s twice-a-day for most of the season, Murray typically changes to once-a-day (OAD) from around Waitangi weekend, depending on the season. The couple had previously farmed in the Kaponga area and Murray says the spring has been very slow over the last two seasons, with more supplement fed out than usual. “Consequently we’re looking at lowering the stocking rate next season from 3.3 to 3.1, hopefully enabling us to make more grass silage or balage and providing a bit of a buffer and feed options if there’s a feed deficit in the spring. It also costs less to make your own silage, than buying it in.” This season, refinements have been made to the farm’s mating programme to address last season’s 13% empty rate, and a 74% 6 week in-calf after 10.5 weeks, all by AB and without the benefit of wearable technology to detect heat cycles. “Our conception percentage averaged mid-fifties and we used about 70 CIDRS (Controlled Intravaginal Drug Release). This season we started our pre-mating heat detection two weeks earlier and did six weeks in total. “Cow’s that hadn’t cycled 3 weeks before the planned start of mating were put on OAD to put them on a better energy balance and more likely to cycle on their own. Consequently we used under 20 CIDRs this season. We then scanned five weeks after our CIDR cows were inseminated. Any cows not in calf were injected with progesterone (PG), to give them another chance to get in calf.” The refinements have reduced the empty rate to 7% after 10 weeks and because less CIDRs were used with OAD, the conception rate was 64%, with a six week in calf rate of 83%. Richard Loader “So great improvements on last season, with a bit more hard work with running a separate OAD herd, and two more weeks pre-mating heats.” Before pursuing dairy farming as a career over ten years ago, Murray was consulting for Dairy NZ in the Waikato where he met many passionate, highly motivated and successful young share milkers, which he found a strong motivator to take up the challenge himself. “When I started sharemilking, what got me the most was that I could walk out my backdoor and I was at work and that was really nice. Since then, it has definitely evolved and having kids has changed the dynamic as well. “The up-bringing Rachel and I can give our three children on farm provides a practical base of knowledge that will hold them in good stead for later on in life, no matter what they end up doing.” Murray says having children involved in what he and Rachel are doing on farm is one of the strong motivators now, but he acknowledges that finding that balance between family and farm isn’t always easy. “We book in a week away camping at the beach with friends in January, and most years try and go away for a week in winter. We also try to alternate who has Christmas and New Year’s off between us and our full time employee.” 027 446 0443 19a King Edward St, Eltham o ce@gernhoefercontracting.co.nz At Lloyd Gernhoefer agricultural contracting, we o er you a wide range of Agricultural services. Call Lloyd now for your 2024 season requirements. Specialising in rural services with over 25 years in the trade means you are choosing an Electrician you can trust. Available 24 hours a day 7 days a week Call Chris for all your electrical needs. (06) 272 8210 027 515 5442
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