Calf Shed Hygiene Starts with Chemistry
Good Calf shed hygiene has always been about providing clean, dry bedding.
Bigger and better, says Stallion chief executive Grant Allen describing the company’s largest MTF mobile calf feeder, the Mixer Tanker Feeder.
Designed to feed 60-65 calves on the 80-teat feeder, the largest MTF is for farmers wanting to save time and energy, Allen says.
“People are buying larger mobile units to raise calves in bigger mobs, saving time and reducing the number of trips”.
The MTF is easy to use for transporting and mixing colostrum, milk powder or any other calving supplement for feeding. It comes in 50, 60, 70 or 80 teat configurations and can hold 1000L.
It has a robust galvanised frame and a tandem axle layout.
Its standard single cylinder Honda four stroke engine powers the pump, and the engine can be optioned with electric start, making the process of mixing and distributing milk as easy as turning a key.
The 1000L tank is easily filled using a camlock fast fill connection. Its rear mounted hose and dispenser nozzle allow a seamless, easy switch from paddock to pen feeding.
Easy cleaning starts with a quick-fit hose connection at the rear of the unit. When the operator fills the tank to about one quarter this starts the pump which activates self cleaning that takes about three minutes. Also, the easy clean manifold design allows fast draining of residual rinse water.
Stallion has designed and manufactured calf feeders and transport gear for 30 years.
Allen has good advice for calf rearers: “Don’t skimp on the number of teats on the feeder. Calves grow rapidly so always aim to see 10-15% of the teats free to avoid overcrowding and bullying.”
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (the College) and Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network are calling for investment in a proposed new training pathway for rural GPs, warning that many rural practices are struggling to recruit while a large share of the existing workforce nears retirement.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Synlait has swung to second-half profit as operations stabilise, but the dairy processor still posted a $75.4m annual loss.
LIC shareholders have elected a new North Island representative to the co-operative's Board, along with five representatives to its Shareholder Reference Group (SRG), following the company's Annual Meeting held in Invercargill.
Farmers across parts of Southland and South Otago are continuing to deal with difficult conditions after a prolonged run of wet weather, with pressure building around feed supply, stock management, pasture damage, farm infrastructure and everyday workloads.
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.
OPINION: It seems Canterbury processor Synlait is still in the doldrums.
OPINION: Get offside with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at your own peril.