| 7 nzdairy SHEEP MILK » Innesbrooke Farm Sheep milking solution for Innesbrooke Farm Ewes feeding while being milked. Russell Fredric Having no previous farming experience was no barrier to a former Melbourne couple who took on on a sheep milking operation three seasons ago. Matthew and Katherine Spataro previously worked in project management and business marketing respectively and are running a sheep milking venture on a property owned by Katherine’s parents, Grant and Barbara Rushbrooke. The change of career came about because the farm’s manager was wanting to retire, Matthew says. “They had stopped milking cows for a couple of years, it was really a question to both Katherine and her brother as to ‘what are we going to do with the farm now’?” “Somehow Katherine and I said we’ll come up with something to do and we came up with sheep milking.” The 95 hectare Te Awamutu property comprises about 60ha for sheep milking and 35ha for beef cattle and cropping. The sheep platform supports 900 milking ewes which produce about 1800 lambs each season, about half of which are rams. The sheep are milked through a 30 a-side system installed in an existing shed ready for the start of the 2020 season with 650 in-lamb Zealandia ewes acquired from Spring Sheep. For Matthew and Katherine, having technology such as automatic cup removers and milk meters was vital “because sheep milking is a bit unknown still.” “It was really cool actually. Between our vet and Spring Sheep they were a massive help, they were on our farm every week for the rst few months.” “What do sheep give you every day, what’s their peak and how many days in milk are they, all those kind of questions.” “We love [the technology], we don’t know how we would do it without it.” The conversion, including fencing work cost about $600,000. Fortunately the farm’s previous manager had been diligent in maintaining pastures and infrastructure and stayed on during the conversion period. Although Matthew and Katherine took on a very steep learning curve, they were also very well supported by Spring Sheep the company they supply to, as well as others who took a close interest. “It was really cool actually. Between our vet and Spring Sheep they were a massive help, they were on our farm every week for the rst few months, there was really a lot of support. One of the reasons we signed up with Spring Sheep was they had that support ready to go.” “We could call them anytime and ask them any questions.” Because of their work backgrounds Matthew and Katherine are very process oriented and when their rst season started everything, especially in the lamb rearing shed, was undertaken in a structured and organised way. However, Matthew admits that when the lambs started arriving en masse, the transition from being a project manager for the conversion to an instant farmer was a bit of a shock. The rst season’s per sheep production averaged 250 litres. Last season this increased to close to 300 litres per sheep. “We’re seeing good genetic gain and our systems are getting better. “Production’s good, it’s tracking to where we thought it would go, we’re really happy about that, and we can only see it going up to be honest, we’re really excited about that.” PROUD TO BE THE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS BEHIND Innesbrooke Farm Ph: 07 957 0188 Email: info@initiom.co.nz www.initiom.co.nz • • Every great business runs on timely information and great relationships YOUR PARTNER IN CONSTRUCTION We professionally deliver new-build and refurbishment construction projects for rural use, commercial use and residential use across the Waikato. Whether you’re expanding your farming infrastructure, building your dream home, renovating or refurbishing a commercial property, our approach to working ensures you receive individual solutions rather than standard processes. We know communication is key and keep you informed throughout the build process, which complements our high-quality work to achieve the best possible results. www.taconstruction.co.nz 021 247 3414 pat@taconstruction.co.nz • RESIDENTIAL • RURAL • COMMERCIAL
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