Their 97-hectare property at Te Rore, west of Hamilton, runs along the Waipa River. It has been in their family for 130 years and Tony is the third generation to farm it.
The soils are heavy, mostly Horotiu sandy loam with some river silt and every winter 8ha goes under water. To help combat the weather the Allcocks built an Aztech cow barn, which they have dubbed the MOO-Tel, in 2013.
“Everyone else had a house on the farm except the cows and they were the ones doing the work,” Fran says.
She welcomed the barn because before it was built they had to nominate a sacrifice paddock that later went into maize. The cows would also stand on races or in the yard and lose substantial condition.
“We have 11 lifestyle blocks across the river and for them to be looking at damaged pasture, well it wasn’t a good look,” Fran says.
“The barn gets the cows off the paddocks in winter so we no longer have to worry about pasture being damaged or how paddocks look to our neighbours.”
When the barn was built they included a feed lane in the middle with 60m troughs running on each side as well as feed troughs on the outside edge of the barn.
They have since bought a mixer wagon and feed the cows in the barn twice a day year-round.
At 4am an automatic timer sends the cows to the barn where half their daily rations are waiting. The cows are fed before they begin milking at 6am.
After milking the herd heads to the paddock and during the hot summer days is back in the barn by noon to have the other half of the ration.
“Some of our biggest production gains from building the barn are through summer,” Tony says.
“Getting out of the heat and relaxing in the barn where it is nice and cool has really helped the girls both in terms of health and production.”
The herd is 280 Friesian cows. Before building the barn, they got 100,000kg MS a season but hit 163,000kg MS in their fifth season with the barn.
“They’re being fed better and are in better condition.
“The barn protects them from the elements and they’re not wasting energy trying to cool down or keep warm.”
They grow 650 tonnes of maize on 27ha and feed some palm kernel and soy meal.
Before building the barn they operated a System 2-3, feeding maize and hay or silage. Through the in-shed feed system they were feeding fed 2-3kg/day year-round but that has been reduced.
Fertiliser costs have also significantly reduced and compost from the barn goes back onto the farm along with a bit of urea.
“We are monitoring the soils. Everything seems to be holding but we will keep an eye on it and use fertiliser where required. It’s early days,” Tony says.
The composting base has many benefits and nitrogen leaching has also been reduced because it is captured in the barn and applied at a more suitable time of year.
The effluent system comprises a weeping wall and a green-water storage pond. Green water is used to clean the concrete apron in front of the barn and the yard. It is then captured again and cycled back through the system.
It has been a learning process for the Allcocks to understand how the cows respond to the barn.
Tony says that since building the barn they have had no cases of eye cancer whereas before they got one or two each year.
“We haven’t got the ups and downs now and we feel happier with the cows’ welfare,” he says.
“It’s great to head to the barn and see the cows comfortable and relaxed. There’s always the odd one we mistake for dead as she’s sound asleep and misses the call for milking.”
As well as protecting the herd from summer heat and saving pastures the barn keeps the cows toasty in the winter. The temperature under the sawdust in the barn can get up to 50C, creating an electric blanket for the cows.
In winter the cows are run in two mobs, spending nights in the barn. Nearly all the cows calve in the barn. The nursery is at the back of the barn.
“We don’t have to look for calves in drains and gullies. It’s a much easier and smoother calving now,” Fran says.
“There’s also minimal naval infection because the calves are kept warm and dry in those first few hours.”
They aim to increase production further but reduce their operating expenses. They are looking at succession options and ways to encourage their son and sharemilker Lucas.
“We are planning ahead so that the property will remain in the Allcock family for many years to come.”
