Investing close to $250,000 to provide cover for their 360 cows under clear roofing is well worth the expense, say Monmouth Road farmers Peter and Roger Bayly.
Their standoff shed, 120 metres long and 28m wide, has been in use for close to eight weeks and Peter says they can
already see the difference in their cows' condition.
``It minimises pasture damage, there is no waste of supplements and what we feed them goes on to their backs,'' says Peter on their decision to follow the growing number of Central Taranaki dairy farmers erecting standoff shelters for their herds.
``This side of the mountain, winter and spring certainly are our biggest limiting factor. The purpose is to mitigate some of the rainfall and protect our pasture. Having dry backs is making a huge difference.'' Redpath, which erected the shelter, says demand for the shelters in Taranaki is growing rapidly with its figures doubling over the past year.
``There is a lot of applications, but pasture control is the main reason in Taranaki,'' says director Glen Williams.
