Night Housing Of Cows Pays Well

Chronicle (Levin), 13 August 1949, Page 7

Night Housing Of Cows Pays Well

Not unique, but stil novel in New Zealand, -is tlie practiee of liousing cattle at night in' distriets with more rigorous elimates than the average. An excellent example is to be seen on the Kaitoke f'arm of Mr-.'L. Andrews where after six weeks-in operation the exjjeriment is paying dividends. When he took up the land 15 years ago in its virgin state' it appeared to Mr. Andrews that a new approach to millc/ production wa.s needed to combat ihe disadvantages of the prolific rainfall • experieneed in the ranges. Seldom are thr'ee consecutive flne days experieneed. Winter feed was stacked and roofed so that stock could feed at night. As against the u'sual practice of distributing feed throughout the night padloeks, this .move gave good results, both in increased yield of milk and elimination of bovine ailments. From this was bormthe idea of stall feeding in the hours of "darkness, but for some time lack of materials for building caused delay. Six weeks ago a shed, built to English specihcations, was completed to aecommodate 65 cows. Increased Yield Mr. Andrews culled out 15 of the low producers of the herd at the cost of 17 gallons of milk daily. Within a t'ew days the remaining 65 cows had increap.ed their yield to make up the deficiency. The cows leave the bails after tlie evening milking and make their way. into the adjacent byre, where they remain in comfort until morning. Each is voked into its stall, but in such a ,manner that it has complete freedoin to feed or lie and sleep. The yokes are so swivelled that the eow may turn its head in any direction. Concrete floors are adequately drained f or . cleanliness. The benetit to night paddock pastures has been very marked, and manv troubles which previouslv affected the stock are not now experieneed.

Iq charge of the sheds is Mr. Andrews 's brother, Mr. H. L. Andrews, a former wing commander in the Air Force. His cows are well trained Hn-i give their milk to the machines without any form of roping in the bails. "We get oecasionai falls of snow here and I have seen the ground covered for up to a week. . That is when the sheds will be invaluable. However, it is the constant protection from the biting southeries that is paying us dividends^" said Mr. Andrews. "Fifteen years ago this land was completelv unproductive:' now it yields 1-10 gallons of milk daily. ' '