| 21 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Darrell Trumper Angus bulls waiting to go to work early December. Roles outside the farm gates • from page 20 Milking less cows for greater pro tability Karen Phelps The Trumper family farm at Waikite Valley near Rotorua is on track to reach its full potential. The family has streamlined the business, milking fewer cows but for greater pro tability, says Darrel Trumper who owns the 350ha total/170ha effective farm in an equity partnership with wife Jasmine and his parents Steve and Shirley. Last season the farm achieved 170,000kgsMS and is on track to produce similar this season. The overall goal is 180,000kgsMS. It was switching to winter milking in 2017 that proved the turning point. They have signed a contract with Fonterra to produce 215 kilograms of milk solids per day. Cow condition has improved by putting the herd on once a day milking and this in turn has reduced their empty rates. A tighter calving pattern means they can start milking later than most in the region – 10 August and 10 March. This has helped ensure continuity of feed, especially in dryer seasons. Last year the family used sexed semen through Ambreed to see if the result was more replacements but only had a 50% conception rate. They have now gone back to their tried and true method: for the spring herd they use AB to a Friesian bull for three weeks and then do a week of AB to a Hereford then put out naturally mated Angus bulls for ve weeks. In autumn they simply put bulls out for six weeks. The remainder of land on the farm is used for beef and young stock along with the 100ha farm his parents live on. Winter milking has given them more exibility and enabled them to make better use of the stock as rather than sell their empties instead they just put the bull onto them in June. They stock the run-off up with beef stock so all the autumn calvers go to beef bulls enabling them to rear more beef stock, which they start selling the next autumn/ spring. With current rising prices the family’s decision to be virtually self-contained has proven a good one. They winter 250 cows on his parents’ 100ha farm and take two cuts of grass silage back to the dairy platform. They also grow around 8ha of maize and average 21-22 tonnes to the hectare meaning it’s proven a higher yielding crop than barley for them. They grow rape and graze it with the heifers and, then when it regrows, in winter the R2 beef steers head there, which enables Darrell to get them off the hills. Other crops grown include summer turnips for summer and swedes for winter. They only buy in around 30 tonnes of TopCow pallets for winter milking. A concrete feed pad capable of holding 200 cows helps them get the most from their feed. As growing grass is the main aim, protecting pasture is imperative. It is only in spring there is the potential for cows to damage pasture so feeding grass silage on the feed pad for the springers helps mitigate this. This is followed with a break of grass in the paddock and a few bales of hay in the afternoon. Darrell says they are more content and as a result don’t need to walk around as much. They have a dry sacri ce paddock on the run offs or shift mobs as needed. The farm will peak milk 470 cows this season and winter milk 200. WE AREMORE THAN JUSTMILKING SPECIALISTS with 24/7 Service Feel free to call in, visit our shop and discuss any requirements you have in regards to your dairy shed. DeLaval Service and Support milking solutions Ph 07 348 3628 19 White Street, Rotorua www.abcmilkingsolutions.co.nz Milking Machines Dairy Consumables Machine Tests Davey Supplier Trenching DeLaval InService (Preventative Maintenance) McConnel Backing Gates Water Pumps & Fittings E uent Systems Bore Lifts Irrigation Services Reid & Harrison AGRICULTURAL CONTRACTORS Miers Contractors(1995) Ltd • Harvesting • Cultivation • Supplements for sale & supply • Undersowing (all pastures & crops) • Earth moving • Truck cartage • Balage & Hay • Effluent Management 198 Butcher Road, RD2, Reporoa Gordy 021 593 163 | Reece 021 240 5090 | Mark 021 948 472 E mierscontractors@farmside.co.nz which employs a very competent farm consultant, Greg O’Byrne from High Performance Farming. “I only report to Greg and that makes things so easy for everyone,” Manpreet says. “We make a great team, we are achieving very good results, and everyone is happy.” Manpreet and his wife Jaspreet are now into their third season contract milking at Jenkins Road Dairies, and Manpreet and the team put signi cant time into training in order to be ready for the next challenge. The couple is working towards farm ownership with their own property portfolio, and they have both immersed themselves in the small local community of Tuatapere, lling integral roles outside the farm gates. Manpreet is part of the local Tuatapere Volunteer Fire Brigade, and Jaspreet has just been elected to the Southland District Council. She is keen to do her bit not only for Southland farmers, but also for the community as a whole. “We make a good team, we are achieving very good results, everyone is happy.” Proudly supporting Jenkins Road Dairies 027 231 9708 artscontracting@xtra.co.nz
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