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Agricultural scientists may have slain one of dairying's most sacred cows after showing that farmers can make more profits by milking their herds just once a day instead of the usual two times.
An analysis of 22 farms around the country has revealed farmers are on average $43,000 a year better off after bucking tradition and downsizing their dairy duties, says a report presented last week at a conference in Hamilton.
The study of farms in Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Northland, West Coast, Canterbury and Taranaki concluded that the practice might reduce gross output, but this could be more than offset through improving the health of cattle - and therefore the sale price - and slashing expenses.
In the report, LIC FarmWise consultant Ryan Anderle and Dexcel scientist Dawn Dalley found that although the average milksolids yield decreased by 5.6 per cent, expenditure on wages, supplements and animal health fell by 25.5 per cent, and additional income from cattle sales increased by an average of 33.5 per cent.
Peter Gatley, general manager genetics for the Livestock Improvement Corporation, which organised the inaugural Once a Day Milking conference with Dexcel, said the study showed spending on wages fell 24 per cent; animal health 7 per cent, electricity 38 per cent, supplements 17 per cent, and vehicle running expenses 38 per cent among its practitioners.
Only 3 per cent of dairy farmers use once-a-day milking, but Gatley hoped this would increase to 10 per cent.
The report included a case study involving a Canterbury farm that showed milking twice a day delivered a farm surplus per hectare of $1307 as against $2049 for once a day.
"A lot has been learned over several years about the impact on gross production and the benefits of better cow health and condition, but what's been lacking has been analysis of the bottom-line impacts," Gatley said.
Some farmers felt it could mean a longer milking session, but Gatley said the single session could free time for tasks done by contractors.
Improvements in the "genetic merit" of cows had made wider use of the system possible, whereas in the 60s and 70s, cows might "tend to just get fat and dry off early".
