Saturday, March 30, 2024

Income boost and tracking timesheets

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An extra 200mm of rain for the season so far and a high payout has boosted income at the Southland Demonstration Farm.
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So far production is up 8% on last season and the herd average body condition score is almost at 4.5 which is the target for drying off.

The farm is also well set up for next season with 72% of the cows due to calve in the first six weeks, Minda mating reports show. The good news story is being put down to better feeding, both of grass and concentrates, and time spent on the right things.

Farm business manager Stacy McNaught said time sheet analysis of the past four seasons showed 16% of staff’s time was now spent on pasture and feed management compared with just 6.5% in the 2010-11 season. Stock work had also increased from less than .5% to almost 5%.

“We’re splitting the herds more so the lighter cows are better looked after and those mobs are constantly changing so that’s why stock work has increased,” McNaught said.

Pre-graze mowing had boosted tractor work from almost 1% to 2%.

Farm manager Barry Bethune said about a third of paddocks were mown before grazing.

“At the moment we’re usually mowing the night paddock that afternoon,” he said.

“It’s cooler at night and they seem to eat more then so it seems to work better than mowing day paddocks when they leave a lot behind.”

The farm’s time sheets are divided into 13 codes which the four staff fill in weekly, McNaught said.

“We don’t just use them for compliance but to measure what work is being done onfarm. It also lets us make sure the rosters work well and time off is given when it is not so busy.”

Total annual hours worked on the farm have remained steady at about 10,500 for each of the four seasons. Milking, which takes up almost 28% of staff hours, is usually done by one person.

The roster is eight days on and two off from June until the end of the year and then nine days on and three off for the rest results in about 84 days off as well as four weeks annual leave and statutory holidays, equalling 110 days off a season for each staff member.

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