Shed automation frees farmer

"It's about working smarter, not harder, and future proofing your business," says Frost.

With technology investment over the past few years, the Frosts aim to make their 77.8ha Tauhei farm easier to run, and manageable for one person.

This year they installed an LIC Protrack Vector unit, which provides automatic animal identification and drafting, and a touch screen in the shed that allows access to all their herd and animal information in MINDA.

Combined with the new automatic cup removers and in-shed feeding system, Frost says Protrack enables the farm to be a one-person operation.

"Milking 340 cows is a reasonably long job for one person, so our aim over these last few years is to upgrade the facilities where we can and make the farm manageable for one person. If it saves us that one labour unit, or even half, then it has paid for itself.

"Technology in farming is advancing so quickly, you have to do these things in certain years when you have surplus money otherwise you don't keep up, your business technology becomes outdated and you’re just going backwards all the time.”

Frost looked at all three farm automation systems on offer from LIC, but settled on the Vector because it was the best investment for their farm's future.

"It was an affordable option for us, but you've got to make sure you put something in that's not just for you but for the next person too.

"We're all competing for good staff, and the farms with good facilities and technology are more attractive than those with basic gear. Having this automation system will help attract a really switched on manager in the future."

The combination of benefits in drafting and recording was also appealing. Previously they'd needed an extra person in the shed to identify and cut-out cows for treatment or mating, but now Protrack does it all for them, Brian says.

"Our old system for drafting was probably like most other farms, all by hand and a nightmare, especially when you've got 34 or 40 cows to get out and you still got to milk. Now we'll be able to do it with ease – I just tap in the numbers and Protrack will do the rest, while we get on with milking.

"Having MINDA in the shed makes it a tool for more than milking, it means we can do all the records down there too.

"I can enter details in Protrack immediately like when cows calve, treatments and mastitis, immediately, whereas normally I'd have to write that down in the book and then it's just something I have to remember for later.

"It makes running the place a lot easier."

LIC farm automation manager Garth Anderson, says Frost is one of 1000 farmers who have bought a Protrack since it was launched in 2003.

"Dairy farming is a volatile business in New Zealand. You are at the mercy of a number of factors that cannot be controlled - from the annual payout to the weather, and then there are the normal business worries like the need for good staff.

"But a one-off investment in a Protrack system provides an extra pair of hands that they can rely on, making those stressful times of the year easier," Anderson says.