Cool cows go cattle class

Cows in Katikati take advantage of John Munns' Xcocky Mobile Shade. Picture / Alan Gibson

If Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen has his way, the Kiwi flair for inventing things from No 8 wire and a piece of four-by-two will become old hat.

But out in the heartland they're still going about the business of putting practical ideas into action.

Take John Munns, of Katikati. The former dairy farmer, now orchardist, has long felt pity for stock exposed to the heat of the sun with few trees for shelter.

"People think cows are only animals so they don't need shade. But they do, and our summers are getting hotter and hotter." he said.

The 53-year-old put on his John Deere thinking cap and came up with his prototype Xcocky Mobile Shade.

On trial at a Katikati farm, the shelter was popular with dairy cows jostling to escape yesterday's blazing Bay of Plenty sunshine.

Mr Munns had toyed with the idea for about five years, when he was farming at Reporoa, where peak temperatures hit 40C.

"I must have drawn it [the mobile shelter] thousands of times over the years but it didn't seem to come into shape until I began building it," he said.

With some help from friends, the amateur designer took three months to construct the prototype.

Basically, it is a steel frame with a shadecloth roof 8.5m long by 6m wide. Set on wheels, it can be towed from one site to another by tractor, ute or farm bike.

The structure is anchored by 200-litre drums full of water. Side flaps are bolted into position and can be angled for more shade or lowered against prevailing winds.

Mr Munns has seen up to 30 in-milk cows crowded under the roof.

"But it takes a while for them to get the hang of it."

A farmer for 30 years who has also turned his hand to engineering, he said the apparatus could easily be adapted for other animals.

"And I think I could probably make it up to 100sq m [to accommodate more stock]."

Mr Munns is still refining his invention, which is being patented.

"More suggestions are coming up all the time. There's nothing better than a cocky's ideas."

Dr Cullen, speaking last month on the knowledge economy, declared: "One thing that has to go is the cherished myth of the amateur, the individual who retreats to the garden shed, constructs an unlikely piece of sophisticated equipment and produces something world-beating. It is time to put this little romance to bed."

It may be time for Dr Cullen to eat his hat.