Dairy tech on display

Southern Field Days exhibitors are using technology to improve cattle welfare and change the industry. Louisa Steyl reports.

Thousands of people have made their way to the soldout Southern Field Days being held at Waimumu, near Gore.

This year’s event entered its second day yesterday.

It is designed for farmers and used by businesses as an opportunity to connect with their clients, but Southern Field Days publicity officer Justine Williams said the three-day show has also become a social occasion.

‘‘You can’t go from one side of the show to the other without seeing someone you know,’’ she said.

Stretched out over four paddocks and playing host to more than 700 exhibitors, Southern Field Days has become a major rural event, second to Mystery Creek in Hamilton.

New technology to assist farmers with animal welfare is a strong theme among exhibitors this year.

The Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare was amended in late 2019 to include regulations relating to off-paddock facilities, limiting the amount of time cows are allowed to be kept on concrete.

Agritech Imports has designed Comfy Cows, air-cushioned rubber matting that was compressible and and co-owner Kyllee Henton said it was even being used for pigs and horses.

After coming up with a suitable design for her own cows, Henton said she went overseas looking for a suitable rubber manufacturer. ‘‘We’ve been using it in our own shed for three years now,’’ she said.

Livestock Improvement Corporation diagnostic product specialist Katherine McNamara said one of its most innovative tools is its DNA parentage testing.

Although the test has been around for a decade, McNamara said it had only recently taken off in New Zealand, where it was helping to eliminate mismatches and improve traceability.

Using samples from ears, the test helps farmers match calves to their mothers.

Statistically, this process had a 25 per cent failure rate when it was carried out manually, McNamara said. ‘‘You need to be really vigilant with matching because you invest a lot of money in breeding,’’ she said.

Managing the process through DNA tests meant farmers had better records of their animals, which prevented inbreeding and improved biosecurity records, McNamara said.

At the other end of the site, Allflex was showing off its collars for electronic animal monitoring. South Island monitoring specialist Jeff Hill said the motion sensors translate data they collect into reports using algorithms.

Most farmers used the collars for tracking their cows’ reproductive health and cycles, but soon discovered they worked well for treating illness early, he said.