The Examiner

Want to save time milking and improve cow health without affecting production?

Want to save time milking and improve cow health without affecting production?
Want to save time milking and improve cow health without affecting production?

Partner Content for QCONZ.

Unsurprisingly, more than fifty per cent of staffing hours on dairy farms are spent milking cows. However, a lot of this time is often wasted.

If the process lacks structure, it can lead to inefficient practices or over milking, which negatively impacts both animal health and your bottom line.

That's why QCONZ has been working closely with Dairy NZ over the past seven years to develop and implement the "MaxT milking strategy".

MaxT is largely based on research originally conducted by Dairy Australia in the early 2000s, which found that when you milk to a strictly timed schedule each day, you could shorten milking times by 25 to 30 per cent with no affect on production or cell count.

Adoption of the strategy has also been found to lead to less cases of mastitis and it frees up farmers to focus on other important aspects of their operations.

That's why QCONZ have now partnered with InnovAg to bring their new Milking By Time system to market.

Made entirely in Australia, the system consists of two main components. The first is a colour coded timer for your rotary or herringbone, which lets you know how you're tracking for time.

The second component is an app - which can be downloaded by as many staff as is required - that allows you to set your rotations and keep track of daily results.

Since its launch, the system has proven popular. It has already been installed on more than 100 dairy farms across New Zealand and is now gaining traction in Australia too.

QCONZ Director Josh Wheeler said the feedback they had received from their customers was overwhelmingly positive.

Want to save time milking and improve cow health without affecting production?
Want to save time milking and improve cow health without affecting production?

In fact, he says, some of their customers now say that after using the system they couldn't go back to their old ways. They say it is literally "the only way to milk cows".

"Milking By Time gives a bit better structure for both the cow and for the human," Mr Wheeler explained.

"When people don't know the time, time tends to drag on and then the rows or rotations get longer than they should. So, what we're really doing is reducing the over milking of cows," he continued.

"It just makes the milking process a bit more logical and efficient. One of the big pieces of feedback we're getting from a lot of farmers is that it is making milking fun again."

The Milking By Time system is simple to install and easy to use. For more information, contact Mr Wheeler on +64 027 431 0543 or email: josh@qconz.co.nz; or visit QCONZ's website: https://milkingbytime.co.nz/

Partner Content for QCONZ.