Embracing a new era of milking innovation and efficiency

The Walsh Enterprises farm in Morrinsville, Waikato, has been running for around 20 years.

In 2023 Mike Garrod, Operations Manager, who has overseen the operation for the past decade decided it was time to upgrade from their original Waikato Milking Systems 15-aside herringbone with the old wing-top vats. “Over the past few years we’ve been planning for an upgrade. The original system was pretty old and I’m guessing Fonterra would have at some point made us put vats outside the old shed,” says Mike.

The decision to upgrade was not only a strategic move but a necessity, considering the evolving industry standards and the need for expansion.

Through his local Waikato Milking Systems dealer Hutchies in Morrinsville, Mike decided on a 30-aside Supa4 Inline system with new SwingArms. “While there’s no guarantee of any expansion, we wanted to build it big enough that if we did want to go larger we could. We’ve actually spec’d it up enough to go to a 40-aside. And by including automatic cup removers we can still keep it as a one-person job,” says Mike.

The adoption of automatic cup removers and lightweight liners highlights the farm’s commitment to innovation. Mike emphasises the significance of these features in ensuring proper alignment, udder teat shaping, and overall milking efficiency. “The new shells seem to be a bit of a hit, a lot lighter, and have a little bit of adjustment for training the cows - they’re getting used to them.” Mike also says that the cow flow is good, and the cows seem to be milking better with the lighter shells.

Since installing the new Supa4 system their milking time has reduced significantly, enhancing overall farm productivity. “With the old 15-aside we were probably getting close to three hours at peak with 230 cows. We went up to 270 cows this season with the new system and it’s only taking about two hours. So it’s pretty easy to operate, and simple for clean-up, wash down, and things like that,” says Mike.

The new milking system’s efficiency has increased the amount of time available for the farm’s milker to focus on other jobs “It’s certainly more effective for his time, but I think it has also probably given him a bit of work-life balance. If he was spending six hours a day milking, it’s a fair chink of your working day. Cutting that down to four makes a difference on his workload.” Mike also says that the modernisation of the shed not only benefits his current milker but also makes it easier for relief milkers, and more attractive to potential future staff.

The installation of the new Supa4 system went smoothly with Mike saying that Waikato Milking Systems provided excellent support, competitive pricing, and the reliability they needed. “Our rep was brilliant, he listened to our requirements, was very informative, and he knew his stuff,” says Mike.