| 35 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Wilcock and Thompson A high level of focus on pasture quality Lindy Andrews A steady focus on pasture quality and continued improvement are reaping great rewards for Oxford sharemilker Bradley Wilcock and the farm’s owners, Neville and Linda Thompson. Bradley and his wife Meagan–who Bradley describes as “very important” to their farming success - spent three years contract milking before going 50/50 in 2020. “While we were contract milking we got the opportunity to buy some cows and milk them into the herd,” Bradley says. “We bought 70 in-calf LIC genetics heifers for $1100.” Getting into 50/50 sharemilking was not without its challenges. With banks unwilling to back them, the couple needed to find an equity partner. A former employer, who Bradley worked for as a farm assistant when he first left school, came to the rescue. Going from contract milking 650 cows to 800 bought new levels of responsibility. “Everything was on you really and we needed to adapt. But essentially, we kept the same systems as the owners already had in place,” says Bradley. “The big difference was wintering all cows on farm.” Concentrating on pasture management and improved herd genetics, the pair achieved record yields in their first year. “The farm record was 316,000 kgMS,” Bradley recalls. “In our first season we did 353,000 kgMS.” The introduction of Allflex collars brought greater on-farm efficiencies, detecting when cows were on heat, unwell or calving, as well as monitoring their ruminations. “It was more about making mating easier,” he says. “We have a 40-a-side herringbone shed. Usually that ties up three people over mating for six weeks. Now, it’s just down to two people. “We mate for a full 10 weeks and don’t use bulls. It’s far more efficient and cost-effective,” Bradley says. With banks unwilling to back them, getting into 50/50 sharemilking was not without it’s challenges. The farm has an intensive regrassing plan with 30-35 hectares put into kale for winter feed, then triticale used as a catch crop before resowing new grass. The rotation of paddocks is no more than nine years. “That’s important for wintering on. We are keeping all the nutrients on-farm and continually building organic matter in the soil. “With the triticale we find that we get high yields in a short amount of time. “It gets planted in early August and is harvested in early January. Currently we are getting 14-16 tonnes to the hectare, which goes to silage and is fed with kale over the winter. The farm is also part of LIC Genetics’ Sire Proving Scheme.SPS farmers help ‘prove’ the worth of bull genetics, making performance improvement of the national dairy herd possible. The arrangement pays off with discounted semen and LIC DNA testing at no cost. • Agricultural / dairy repair andmaintenance • General engineering solutions • On farmrepair service • Dairy yard alterations • Repair / refurbishing all kinds of agricultural implements Contact Blake 027 738 1896 www.forestengineering.com forestengineeringltd@gmail.com Dairy Farmrelatedwork General Engineering nexia.co.nz We’re here to take your business further. NexiaChristchurch are proud to support Wilcock andThompsonwith their accounting and business advisory needs. Bradley has noticed a distinct improvement in his herd as a result. With putting the herd together, the breeding worth has gone from 120 to 290. Better weights of heifers coming into the herd have made a big difference in driving production gains. Next on the Wilcock’s agenda is to reduce supplement use - which currently stands at 800 kilograms per cow per season - and look for opportunities to further decrease nitrogen use. MACHINERY • Dozers • Graders • Dump Trucks and Trucks • Rollers • Diggers with Power Clamp • Mole Ploughing • Land Clearing/Development TYPE OF WORK • Effluent Ponds • Ponds and Dams • Root Raking • Tree Felling • Stump Removal • Tracks and Driveways • Dairy Conversions GRAVEL SUPPLIES • AP20 • AP40 • AP60 • Boulders • Silage Pits etc • Rotten Rock • Dairy & Silage pad capping ~ SITE SPECIFIC SAFETY PLANS, INSURANCE AND PUBLIC LIABILITY AT EVERY SITE ~ P 027 295 6794 | E alexmasoncontracting@gmail.com | www.alexmasoncontracting.co.nz CONTRACTING
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