| 57 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Robbie Sherriff The new Redpath calf rearing shed, with a clear long-life roof, has capacity for 600 calves and is equipped with DeLaval automatic feeders. Benefits flow from new calf rearing shed Kim Newth Arohena farmers Robbie and Shannan Sherriff and their team are enjoying a smooth calving season this autumn, thanks to a new calf rearing shed. Robbie’s parents Alistair and Judy purchased their first farm in the late 1970s in the Western Bays area and ran sheep and beef until converting it to dairy in 1995. After selling that property in 2002, they purchased the current farm, which was converted in 2007. The home farm totals around 850 hectares, with a milking platform of 300 hectares alongside a 450 hectare drystock unit and 100 hectares retired into native bush. The family owned operation, Huirimu Farms, has a balanced, forward thinking approachthat takes care of the land and the environment while also optimising farm systems that work well for the whole team. On the dairy block, herd home investment in 2017 has paved the way to this latest new investment in a state-of-the-art calf rearing facility. “When we put in our 600-cow capacity herd homes, it completely changed our business by not only benefiting the herd but also the environment and our staff,” says Robbie. “If you can tick off all those three, it’s a fantastic result. The new calf rearing shed is adding further to that equation.” Before building the new shed, the farm only had shed capacity for 250 calves while rearing 600 to 700 calves. It meant calves were having to be put outside in paddocks on the dry stock unit from 14 days after birth. Robbie says this not only made them more susceptible to adverse weather but also put massive demand on that dry stock land through the August to October period. The new Redpath calf rearing shed, with a clear long-life roof, has capacity for 600 calves and is equipped with DeLaval automatic feeders. There are five stations in total, with four feeders on each. The feed area has concrete flooring and the calves sleep on comfortable woodchip bedding. “We’ve had one spring calving in it and are now starting our autumn calving [as of early March]. We’re leaving them in there until they are up to the 95kg to 100kg range. Mortality rates have dropped to under one per cent – the calves are in fantastic condition. Overall, they’re getting offered more milk than usual but we’re feeding them less as it takes a shorter time for them to get the weight gain.” The calf team love the new shed, which is only 50-metres from the cow shed, and are finding the work much less tiring in the new facility. Calves have two feeds of gold colostrum before being introduced to the feed machines. “Within three days, they’re going by themselves.” Having good farm infrastructure helps attract people to the industry. “That’s another bonus that we see in having this new calf rearing facility.” Call us today! Putaruru Ph 07 883 7677 Effluent & Irrigation Systems Generators - Supply & Install Water Usage Monitoring Systems Milk Monitoring Systems All Farming Installs / Maintenance Residential / Industrial Heat Pump / AC Install & Servicing Thermal Imaging Looking for electricians you can trust? putaruru@laserelectrical.co.nz Looking for an Electrician you can trust? Proud to be asso iated with Robbie Sherriff Robbie and farm manager Grace Van Groenedaalwere in the limelight last year after featuring in a CRV advertising campaign. While he’s had some ribbing from his mates, Robbie doesn’t mind being out there to promote the positives of New Zealand dairy farming. His parents have played a big part in his own farm career and are still very involved with the family farm business. “They live only 20 minutes away – Dad is out every day.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=