Cooling of milk on dairy farms: an application of a novel ice encapsulated storage system in New Zealand

2022 ◽  
pp. 207-228
Author(s):  
Refat Al-Shannaq ◽  
Amar Auckaili ◽  
Mohammed Farid
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Dairy Farms

Automatic Milking Systems: an option to address the labour shortage on New Zealand dairy farms?

2002 ◽  
pp. 39-43
Author(s):  
J.G. Jago ◽  
M.W. Woolford
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Industry ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Labour Shortage ◽  
Commercial Farms ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Automatic Milking Systems

There is a growing shortage of labour within the dairy industry. To address this the industry needs to attract more people and/or reduce the labour requirements on dairy farms. Current milk harvesting techniques contribute to both the labour requirements and the current labour shortage within the industry as the process is labour-intensive and necessitates long and unsociable working hours. Automated milking systems (AMS) have been in operation, albeit on a small scale, on commercial farms in Europe for a decade and may have the potential to address labour issues within the New Zealand dairy industry. A research programme has been established (The Greenfield Project) which aims to determine the feasibility of automated milking under New Zealand dairying conditions. A Fullwoods MERLIN AMS has been installed on a protoype farmlet and is successfully milking a small herd of 41 cows. Progress from the prototype Greenfields system offers considerable potential for implementing AMS in extensive grazing systems. Keywords: automated milking systems, dairy cattle, grazing, labour

An evaluation of a strategic de-stocking regime for dairying to improve nitrogen efficiency and reduce nitrate leaching from dairy farms in nitrate-sensitive areas

2000 ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
Cecile De Klein ◽  
Jim Paton ◽  
Stewart Ledgard
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Nitrogen Efficiency ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Leaching Losses ◽  
Sensitive Areas

Strategic de-stocking in winter is a common management practice on dairy farms in Southland, New Zealand, to protect the soil against pugging damage. This paper examines whether this practice can also be used to reduce nitrate leaching losses. Model analyses and field measurements were used to estimate nitrate leaching losses and pasture production under two strategic de-stocking regimes: 3 months off-farm or 5 months on a feed pad with effluent collected and applied back to the land. The model analyses, based on the results of a long-term farmlet study under conventional grazing and on information for an average New Zealand farm, suggested that the 3- or 5-month de-stocking could reduce nitrate leaching losses by about 20% or 35-50%, respectively compared to a conventional grazing system. Field measurements on the Taieri Plain in Otago support these findings, although the results to date are confounded by drought conditions during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. The average nitrate concentration of the drainage water of a 5-month strategic de-stocking treatment was about 60% lower than under conventional grazing. Pasture production of the 5-month strategic de-stocking regime with effluent return was estimated based on data for apparent N efficiency of excreta patches versus uniformlyspread farm dairy effluent N. The results suggested that a strategic de-stocking regime could increase pasture production by about 2 to 8%. A cost/ benefit analysis of the 5-month de-stocking system using a feed pad, comparing additional capital and operational costs with additional income from a 5% increase in DM production, show a positive return on capital for an average New Zealand dairy farm. This suggests that a strategic destocking system has good potential as a management tool to reduce nitrate leaching losses in nitrate sensitive areas whilst being economically viable, particularly on farms where an effluent application system or a feed pad are already in place. Keywords: dairying, feed pads, nitrate leaching, nitrogen efficiency, productivity, strategic de-stocking

Characterisation of AmpC and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing E. coli from New Zealand dairy farms

2021 ◽  
Vol 117 ◽  
pp. 104998
Author(s):  
Sara A. Burgess ◽  
Jacinda Aplin ◽  
Patrick J. Biggs ◽  
Georgia Breckell ◽  
Jackie Benschop ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Beta Lactamase ◽  
Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Extended Spectrum

scholarly journals Estimation of dairy pastures - the need for standardisation

1997 ◽  
pp. 221-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.A. Thomson ◽  
D.A. Mccallum ◽  
S. Howse ◽  
C.W. Holmes ◽  
P.N.P. Matthews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Common System ◽  
Standard Observer ◽  
Standard Calibration ◽  
Standard Set ◽  
Research Centres ◽  
Calibration Equations

A study was undertaken to determine the reason for the differences in the estimation of pasture mass between dairying research centres in New Zealand and to define a common system of estimation that would overcome these differences and be able to describe the pasture situation on commercial dairy farms in different parts of New Zealand. Differences in the visual estimation of pasture between a standard observer and a local observer at the different dairying research centres in the order of 900 kg DM/ha were identified. This was attributed to a lack of regular visual calibration of persons who regularly assessed pasture, as differences between centres in the actual harvested DM yields of the visually assessed plots varied less (200-400 kg DM/ha). To achieve uniformity it is recommended that all centres measure total herbage mass (the amount of herbage above ground level) to regularly calibrate pasture assessment in dairy grazing management studies and on dairy farms. A reasonably consistent estimation of average farm cover, the ranking of paddocks (r2 > 0.9) for the purposes of determining grazing order and the estimation of pre- and post-grazing herbage mass was achieved using the rising plate meter and L'Huillier & Thomson's standard set of calibration equations published in 1988. With these recommendations, estimation of pasture will be more uniform. Standard calibration of the plate meter for the determination of rate of DM disappearance (pre-post grazing) achieved less consistency. Keywords: herbage mass, pasture assessment, pasture height, rising plate meter, visual pasture estimation

scholarly journals ECONOMICS OF NITROGEN USE IN DAIRYING

1982 ◽  
pp. 70-75
Author(s):  
D.A.L. Buxton
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
The Other ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Nitrogen Use

During the last 10 to 15 years, the use of fertiliser N at low rates on New Zealand dairy farms has become more popular. There are many ways in which fertiliser N can be used to increase pasture and milkfat production. Five of those options are analysed, viz. I. High rates of N. 2. Bridging a spring feed deficit. 3. Increasing stocking rate. 4. Earlier calving. 5. More cow condition. Research work is finding the best times and rates of application of N. The extra pasture produced must then be utilised to maximise milkfat responses. Trials have shown that the use of high rates of fertiliser N ( > 80 kg N/ha) is unlikely to be profitable on N.Z. dairy farms. N used to enable more cows to be wintered, and then milked in early spring, appears to be very profitable, due to better utilisation of later spring-autumn pasture growth. The other three options are also profitable, but the increase in total farm milkfat production is only 3 to 4%. The options need to be tested more thoroughly with models and grazing experiments.

The Phytoremediation Potential of Native Plants on New Zealand Dairy Farms

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 719-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason L. Hahner ◽  
Brett H. Robinson ◽  
Zhong Hong-Tao ◽  
Nicholas M. Dickinson
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Native Plants ◽  
Dairy Farms

New Zealand dairy farmers preference investments in automation technology over decision-support technology

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 133 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. T. Dela Rue ◽  
C. R. Eastwood ◽  
J. P. Edwards ◽  
S. Cuthbert
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Data Capture ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Future Technology ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Animal Identification ◽  
Automatic Heat ◽  
Adoption Level ◽  
Automation Technology

Dairy farmers are adopting precision technologies to assist with milking and managing their cows due to increased herd sizes and a desire to improve labour efficiency, productivity and sustainability. In the present study, we evaluated the adoption of technologies installed at or near the dairy, and milking practices, on New Zealand dairy farms. These data quantify current use of technology for milking and labour efficiency, and decision-making, and provide insight into future technology adoption. A telephone survey of 500 farmers, randomly selected from a database of New Zealand dairy farms, was conducted in 2018. Adoption for all farms is indicated for six automation technologies, including automatic cup removers (39%), automatic drafting (24%), automatic teat spraying (29%), computer-controlled in-shed feeding (29%), automatic plant wash (18%) and automatic yard wash systems (27%). Five data-capture technologies also included in the survey were electronic milk meters (8%), automatic animal weighing (7%), in-line mastitis detection (7%), automatic heat detection (3%) and electronic animal-identification readers (23%). Analysis by dairy type indicated an adoption level for the automation technologies in rotary dairies of 36–77%, and 7–49% for data-capture technologies, with 10% having none of these 11 technologies installed. This compares with herringbone dairies at 4–21% and 2–11% for automation and data-capture technologies respectively, with 56% having none of these technologies. Rotary dairies, with a combination of automatic cup removers, automatic teat spraying, and automatic drafting, were associated with 43% higher labour efficiency (cows milked/h.person) and 14% higher milking efficiency (cows milked/h) than were rotary dairies without all three technologies. Dairy farmers will increasingly use technologies that deliver value, and the present study has provided information to guide investment decisions, product development and research in areas such as applying technology in new workplaces.

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