48 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Valetta Pastures Ltd Valetta Pastures adding a neighbouring block Karen Phelps At just 26 years old, manager Thomas Coates is helping to steer Canterbury dairy farm Valetta Pastures through an expansion. The currently 370 hectare effective Mayfield based farm is adding a neighbouring block that will see it split operations across two dairy sheds. Thomas, who grew up on an 800-cow West Coast dairy farm, has many years of experience despite his young age. He has always had a hand in helping on the family farm and completed an Agricultural Science degree at Lincoln University then spending a year working on an Australian cattle station. He joined Valetta Pastures as second-in-charge before progressing to his current management position. “I’m just starting my third season here and it’s changed quite a lot in that time,” says Thomas. The farm has increased from 1050 cows last season to a peak milking herd of 1370 Kiwicross cows this season, all managed through a 60-bail rotary shed equipped with automatic cup removers and drafting systems. The farm recently installed Tru-Test Datamars Active Tag systems, monitoring technology that records individual cow behaviour 24/7. Thomas says the Active Tag system monitors multiple aspects of animal behaviour, tracking cow position - whether standing or lying down - alongside states including ruminating, feeding, resting and other activities. This comprehensive data collection enables accurate heat detection and early health warnings, with information automatically uploaded to the cloud-based Datamars Livestock platform whenever animals are within approximately 500 metres of the gateway mounted at the dairy shed. “The data will provide us with a lot more automation and information, giving us an idea of where we are sitting when it comes to health and rumination,” explains Thomas. “The system’s heat detection capabilities analyse each cow’s behaviour compared to herself and her group, providing timely alerts and optimal artificial insemination windows that should prove valuable as we focus on improving our six-week in-calf rate.” He says that technology complements rather than replaces good stockmanship. “As a crew we are picking up a lot of animal health issues before the tag does, so it’s been interesting to see our stockmanship is pretty good.” The farm is irrigated through a combination of centre pivots and sprinkler systems and is budgeting on a bit over a tonne per cow of supplement this year, mainly wheat, PKE and baleage. The feed strategy demonstrates vertical integration, with wheat sourced from the owner’s cropping block and baleage traditionally made on the dairy platform, though future baleage production will be supplemented by the cropping block to accommodate increased stocking rates. The current expansion will also address one of the operation’s primary challenges - managing a long, linear farm layout that has contributed to lameness issues within the herd. Thomas says the two-shed solution will centralise operations and reduce walking distances Thomas says the two-shed solution will centralise operations and reduce walking distances for cattle. for cattle. Last season the farm produced around 500 kilograms of milk solids per cow, with similar targets set for the current season. Under the ownership of Simon Roy and contract milked by Reuben and Jaden Christian, Thomas is taking on increasing responsibility. “It’s a collaborative working relationship and I’m enjoying the day-to-day running of the crew and farm.” For Thomas personally, the expansion represents an opportunity to further develop leadership skills. “I’m not someone who tends to have things too well planned out but I do have aspirations to progress in the industry whether by contract or sharemilking,” he says, “But I also enjoy spending time cycling and doing multisport on my days off and I’m not quite ready to do less of that just yet.” Cultivation Ploughing Ripping & Discing Levelling Discing Grassland Subsoiler Cambridge Roller Bailing Mowing Raking Round Baling Square Baling Cartage Tube Wrapping Individual Wrapping Feed Trading OUR SERVICES Drilling Roller Drilling Direct Drilling Conventional Drilling - Vaderstad Spirit Maize Drilling Precision Drilling & Precision Direct Drilling (375, 500 & 750 mm spacing available) LEWIS Agri CONTACT US: Hamish 022 107 0081 - Email Hamish@lewisagri.com YOUR LOCAL CONTRACTING SPECIALISTS SERVICING THE MID CANTERBURY / FOOTHILLS REGION Effluent & Storage Ponds, Dairy Track Lime Rock, Excavation & Site Works, Roading & Track, Irrigation & Border Dyking, Tree Removal Root Raking PROUD TO SUPPORT VALETTA PASTURES LTD Phone: 027 244 3498 Email: lindsay@lscontracting.co.nz 027 304 8837 or 03 303 6300 | o ce@loveag.nz Family-owned, proudly supporting local farms. ‘Big enough toget the jobdone, but small enough to care.
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