A two-stage state-of-the-art upgrade for improved milking efficiency

Makowhai Dairies, owned by Yvonne Fitzwater, recently underwent a significant upgrade to its milking system.

Yvonne returned back to Makowhai 30 years ago, where she was born and bred, to take over the family farm after her parents passed away. In 2021 she seized the opportunity to expand by acquiring 40 hectares directly across the road from the existing property - which allowed her to increase the size of the herd.

This expansion led to a two-stage upgrade beginning in 2022. Stage one involved increasing the size of the yard and upgrading the effluent system. Stage two, in the winter of 2023, was the extension of the existing milking shed and upgrading the original 20-aside herringbone to a new 30 point Waikato Milking Systems Supa4 inline system. The new milking system included SmartPULS automated pulsation technology, a cleaning system and automatic cup removers.

Last season Yvonne took on a 50/50 share milker, Thomas Meyer, and they are currently milking 265 cows.

The automatic cup removers have played a pivotal role in reducing milking time, with Yvonne emphasising the efficiency gained with a streamlined process that requires only one person to manage the entire operation. “The milking time is less with the automatic cup removers. Thomas does it by himself, so that means you don’t need to have that extra labour unit. It works well and the cows are milking exceptionally well in the new system,” says Yvonne.

Thomas says that the automatic cup removers take the pressure off him, allowing him to focus his time on other tasks. “In terms of the upgrade, the automatic cup removers is the technology that has made the most difference, and the milking plant in general is straightforward and easy to work with,’” says Thomas.

In terms of safety, the upgrade addressed concerns about the placement of equipment in their previous herringbone plant, notably the receiving can, contributing to an improved safety environment. The automatic cup removers not only reduced labour requirements but also reduced fatigue and strain on the operators, further enhancing safety.

While the farm is creating a new benchmark this season, initial observations indicate promising results in terms of milk production, udder health, and reduced mastitis issues.

Yvonne attributes the upgrade’s success is attributed to the longstanding partnership with Waikato Milking Systems, particularly Hunts Farm Services in Hawera. “We would definitely recommend Waikato Milking Systems to other farmers. They knew because this was an upgrade, with the shed alteration, we had eight weeks to get the job done and they did it.”