A simple and reliable milking system upgrade increases farm efficiency

The Riverdale Farm Trust in Kumeroa Road, Woodville, owned by Michelle Brown, recently embarked on a journey towards modernising their dairy farm. Growing up on a farm, and with over 20 years farming experience, Michelle currently lives away from the farm while Tony Hudson runs the operation as a 50/50 sharemilker.

Riverdale Farm Trust spans 80 hectares, complemented by an additional 35 hectares of support land, for their 200-strong herd.

The farm’s original 20-aside Herringbone milking system had served the farm well but was aging and in need of replacing. When the opportunity arose to build a new milking shed on a green site to centralise it to the farm’s layout, and reduce the walking time for the cows, they decided it was time to explore new modern milking systems.

Having always used Waikato Milking Systems they decided on a 20-aside Supa4 Inline Milking Parlour System. “We liked its simplicity, reliability, robustness, and reduced maintenance costs,” says Michelle.

The installation process, which began with site work in December 2022, was managed by Dannevirke Dairy Supplies. The process went seamlessly, with Michelle praising the ease and efficiency of the plant installation. “They were good to deal with and they got the job done within the required deadlines.”

The new Supa4 system was commissioned in October 2023 and Michelle says it was up and running from day one with no teething issues. “The cow flow is great and the plant runs quieter. The cows seem happier and calmer to deal with - and quieter cows means less stress. It’s improved the overall farm efficiency and the sharemilkers are happy,” says Michelle.

The Supa4’s Swing Down Cluster Washers make it easier for staff at wash time, while the DairyHQ™ Sort system they installed allows them to quickly and accurately sort their animals. “The automatic drafting will add a streamlining benefit at key times of the year to sort cows for mating and dry-off etc,” says Michelle.

Tony emphasises the reliability of the modern milking equipment, saying that the pulsators provide peace of mind that the cows are being milked out correctly. “And a new shed makes it nicer to come to work each day,” says Tony.