| 95 nzdairy Healthy, comfortable cows are the foundation of every successful dairy business. Anne Boswell In today’s dairy industry, farmers must balance profitability, sustainability, animal welfare, staff management, environmental requirements and ever-changing market conditions. Having the right systems in place – and calling on an expert for advice - can make all the difference between simply getting by and building a resilient, high-performing business. Dairy Production Systems Ltd (DPSL) works alongside farmers to develop practical, profitable and sustainable farming systems, tailored to suit their individual circumstances – whether a farm operates a traditional pasture-based system, a housed operation, or anything in between. “There may be many reasons why your farm fails to perform better,” DPSL principal consultant Bryan McKay says. “Very often the farm system being operated doesn’t match the environmental and individual circumstances of that farm. For example, trying to farm large Holsteins on a pasture-only farm is like running a vehicle designed to run on super-grade fuel on regular-grade fuel. Underperformance is guaranteed.” A key part of DPSL’s work is analysing the interaction between cows, feed, facilities and people. Consultants spend time on-farm assessing factors such as herd suitability, feed availability, labour resources, infrastructure and financial objectives. By understanding these elements, they can help farmers build robust systems that remain productive and profitable, even during difficult seasons. Cow management sits at the heart of the DPSL philosophy. The team believes that healthy, comfortable cows are the foundation of every successful dairy business. Through on-farm consultancy and training, farmers learn how cow behaviour, comfort and handling directly influence feed conversion efficiency, milk production, reproduction and overall herd health. From managing transition cows and replacement stock to improving stockmanship skills and mob management, DPSL helps farmers identify and prevent issues before they become costly problems. Their expertise in reproduction, nutrition and herd health allows them to tackle challenges such as poor fertility, metabolic disorders and production losses with practical, science-based solutions. Facility design, and re-design, is another specialist area for DPSL. Its consultants understand that dairy infrastructure must be designed from the cow’s perspective, not the human’s. They provide advice on feed pads, dairy yards, cow housing and Helping build better dairy businesses overall farm layouts to improve cow flow, comfort and productivity. DPSL also provides detailed farm analysis and benchmarking programmes. Using real-time production and financial data, consultants can assess farm performance, identify limiting factors and model future opportunities, helping evaluate likely outcomes before major decisions are made. Education and training are also an important part of DPSL’s mission. DPSL runs workshops, seminars and field days for farmers, veterinarians and dairy professionals throughout New Zealand and internationally, combining classroom learning with practical on-farm demonstrations and covering topics such as nutrition, pasture management, cow comfort, reproduction, genetics and disease prevention. Ultimately, the value of a dairy consultant lies in helping farmers make informed decisions. By combining technical expertise with practical farming RURAL SERVICES » Dairy Production Systems WHAT IS MILK FEVER COSTING YOUR FARM? DCADMADE SIMPLE Animate: the palatable solution for transition cows. HEALTHY ANIMALS. HEALTHY FOOD. HEALTHY WORLD® SMART NUTRITION FOR A HEALTHY TRANSITION™ Contact us: 0800 488 254 knowledge, DPSL helps dairy businesses improve productivity, manage risk, increase profitability and build systems capable of thriving in an increasingly complex farming environment. For farmers looking to strengthen the performance and sustainability of their operation, the right advice can be one of the most valuable investments they make.
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