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Patrick ‘Paddy’ Hunt’s strategy of keeping cows happy is paying off.
Cambridge sharemilker Patrick ‘Paddy’ Hunt has a simple mantra; happy cows equal happy results.
His job is to keep the 380 Holstein Friesian on the 125ha family farm well fed, stress-free and shielded from bugs and diseases.
Paddy’s strategy is paying off, last season his cows produced on average 600/kgMS or 2.6kgMS/day.
The farm is owned by Hunt’s grandfather, Sir Patrick Hogan, the famous breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses. For eight years Paddy managed the farm and he took over as the sharemilker this season.
“There is no silver bullet to getting cows produce 600kgMS a season, it’s all about farm management,” he told Dairy News.
“Our bottom line is that cows must be happy, the less stress they encounter the better their milk production.”
Standing out on the system 3 farm are two SmartShelters composting barns; 90m long by 17m wide and each capable of housing 190 cows.
Paddy says the multi-million dollar investment is a major factor in keeping cows stress free and happy. Milk production has soared 12% since the shelters were erected,
“I would say the farm sheds play a big role in our milk yield, they are not the only reason but they have certainly helped us a great deal with our goal of keeping cows happier and healthier.”
In 2016 the farm encountered a very wet winter.
“The big animals in muck didn’t go down well with us,” Paddy says.
“We also had some animal health issues….we have always struggled with milk fever issues in the past and the shelter has now helped with monitoring grass intake to our springer mobs.”
Since the first SmartShelter barn came up two seasons ago, there have been less milk fever-related issues and lameness has also disappeared as cows don’t stand on a concrete feed pad for hours.
There are also environmental benefits. In winter the barns are used to stand cows of wet pastures and there is no need now for sacrifice paddocks.
Cows can be kept in the barn for the entire winter period: concrete scraper lanes along the sides catch the effluent during this period.
Paddy says it’s also easier calving cows in the barn and calf mortality rate drops.
In spring, the barns allow on/off grazing to get cows out of mud and wet paddocks during weather events. In summer, the barns provide heat stress relief.
The barns have a sawdust or woodchip bedding nearly a metre deep.
He says they are aerated daily with a ripper; the bedding begins to ‘compost’, the temp heats up evaporating the urine keeping the bedding lovely and dry for the cows.
“Bedding lasts 12-24 months depending on usage, once it’s finished the composting process the organic matter is fantastic fertiliser and can be spread on the farm.”
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