NZ Dairy Winter 2021

92 | nz dairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Hayden & Alecia Lawrence Smart data helps Photos: Taranaki’s Hayden and Alecia Lawrence milk a 400-cow herd through a DeLaval 24-aside parallel parlour, which has reduced labour time in the shed from 18 hours to four. Karen Phelps At Lloyd Gernhoefer agricultural contracting, we o er you a wide range of Agricultural services. Call Lloyd now for your 2021 season requirements. 027 446 0443 19a King Edward St, Eltham o ce@gernhoefercontracting.co.nz “SICK OF THE SAME OLD BULL” 06 765 6178 | WWW.CMK.CO.NZ T echnology has always played a big part in how Hayden and Alecia Lawrence farm and they are often early adopters of the latest to hit the market to improve their farm’s performance and efficiency. So it’s no surprise they have recently invested in smaXtec, which Hayden believes will revolutionise the way farmers’ farm by helping them to better understand their cows. “It sets a new standard in early detection in the areas of animal health, reproduction and feeding management,” says Hayden. “A bolus is inserted in the cow that measures inside the cows’ reticu- lum. So unlike a collar, where you get secondary information such as counting the number of bites the cow takes, the bolus actually measures true rumination by measuring contractions.” Since starting to use the system last October the data has helped improve mating accuracy, picked up 100% of mastitis cows early along with other animal health issues such as milk fever and ketosis. “It means I can be the ambulance at the top of the cliff rather than the bottom and treat any issues very early. It’s also opened up options for organic treatments to reduce antibiotic use.” The other major investment they have made in technology is to build a DeLaval 24 aside parallel parlour. Once again they were one of the first to take the plunge on the system in New Zealand and say it was half the price of other options and has reduced their labour in the shed from 18 hours per day to four hours. This has been achieved through fast throughput by ensuring cow traffic runs smoothly, milking equipment performs optimally, and that milking is fast and effective. It’s freed up time for other farm jobs and for Hayden to focus on strategic decisions to drive the business forward faster. The couple farm 151ha effective/175 total located between Eltham and Hawera milking a herd of 400 predominantly Friesian cows. Hayden grew up on this Taranaki dairy farm and will be the sec- ond generation to farm the land. He went to Massey University and completed a degree in agricultural engineering to PhD. level. As part of his studies he ended up developing the tow behind pasture meter, which has become a staple tool for many farmers around the world, eventually selling the manufac- turing rights to C-Dax. It was in 2007 he and Alecia went into an equity partnership with Hayden’s parents, Ray and Joyce, before purchasing the farm outright. They split calve to gain the Fonterra winter milk premium. A herd manager is employed. This season they are on tar- get to produce 200,000 kgMS. Their eventual target is 220,000 kgMS, which Hayden thinks is possible from further tweaking their system. Hayden also owns Spatial Solutions Limited. The business offers precision management solutions relating to agricultural and horticultural enterprises. Alecia works as a cardiology specialist nurse at New Plymouth Hospital. She also rears the calves and fills in as needed on the farm. They have three children: Fletcher, 9, Finn, 8 and Emelia, 6.