Bayriver Pastoral's new 60-unit dairy and feed-pad on 2.5ha at Curdievale in the Western Districts of Victoria is saving the family four hours a day at the dairy, milking 80 more cows.
PROJECT MANAGER THE RIGHT DECISION
Standing at the summit of their new $3.8 million dairy investment covering 2.5 hectares, it’s easy to be impressed with self-made couple Brett Nutting and Jodi Probert.
Brett Nutting and Jodi Probert made a conscious decision to include Daviesway DASCO's project manager, Nico Polato, with Jodi saying: “It took a lot of pressure off. I’d be in Ward Nine, I think, if we hadn’t decided to do that.”
Born and bred in Tasmania, the pair left the Apple Isle aged in their mid-20s, intent on farm ownership from a standing start. They chased jobs along the coast where water conversations were a little easier – even though winter workloads were tougher – and they worked shoulder-to-shoulder taking the good with the bad.
When they began sharefarming in Victoria, they had done their time in Tasmania, where they’d sharefarmed for that state’s biggest farm, Rushy Lagoon, before moving through Victoria’s Gippsland region, then heading to Victoria’s west to Mepunga and Warrnambool, gathering financial momentum.
The couple’s last stop was Curdievale, in Victoria’s Western Districts, where they bought 214 hectares (530 acres) and initially leased another 47ha (117 acres). With an annual rainfall of 1000mm, they can irrigate 30ha of the property, which is 2.5km long and 1km wide.
Chasing the coastline led to them settling just 15 minutes from the spectacular Great Ocean Road & Port Campbell township.
The sea breeze has been something Brett and Jodi have enjoyed throughout their career.
Brett, 48, said, “I’m a pasture man. I grew up on a Kiwi-run farm. We apply the same principals here.”
Jodi, 47, agreed, “We always have a sea breeze, and once we were in this area we just thought we wouldn’t change it. We’d moved the kids three times; they were settled, and land in Tasmania was a lot dearer by then. In Victoria we have more choice of milk factories and concentrates. Have a look how green we are! We get sprinkles of rain here all the time. This is God’s country.”
The couple had 29% equity when they took possession of the property, and they lifted that to 70% within the decade. Within a few years of establishing Bayriver Pastoral, they bought 47ha (117 acres) more land, adjoining theirs. Covered in pine stumps, it took a lot of work to pull the land into production, but it is now worth an extra $7000 per hectare than they paid for it.
Brett and Jodi have deliberately calved out-of-season to take advantage of the higher milk prices, and their 700-cow herd – which is run as one – averages 670kg milk solids with a 9500-litre average. The heifers calve two months ahead of the mixed-age cows to ease the younger cows into the dairy.
DAIRY WAS A HANDBRAKE
Holding labour in their outdated and dark dairy was part of Brett and Jodi's drive to change it.
Once they got on top of farm ownership, they both started looking at their dark and outdated 40-unit rotary dairy. Getting labour was tough enough without asking staff to milk four hours at both ends of the day. From April 2022, Brett and Jodi had slogged it out with only one permanent staff member.
The greenfield site necessitated a four-metre additional gradient climb to the farm’s top and centre to allow for drainage.
They decided to build on a greenfield site. It would necessitate a four-metre additional gradient climb to the farm’s top and centre to allow for drainage. The 60-unit rotary is flanked by a 140m long feed-pad, which has a 100m long feed face, that’s 30m wide and with six feed faces (separated by 8m) and cleaned by a 60,000-litre automated washdown.
The soil to achieve the gradient left a cavernous 130 megalitre turkey’s nest adjacent to the dairy. This was purposed for recycled effluent, which took 100-tonne crane to position the flush pump and irrigation pump pontoon.
The soil needed to achieve the gradient left a cavernous 130 megalitre turkey’s nest adjacent to the dairy. It was purposed for recycled effluent, which took a 100-tonne crane to position the flush pump and irrigation pump pontoon.
The 60-unit rotary formed the centre piece of the operation at this early stage. In this photo, shed footings have been poured in the foreground and underground electrical conduits are being positioned.
CRITICAL DECISION MADE EARLY
They made the decision to build at an unsteady time for the economy. COVID-19 was still in the mix, and getting material was sometimes unpredictable, while prices were prone to rising without warning – and they added more concrete than they originally planned for. But they didn’t cut corners, and, as they look proudly at the finished article, they say they made one decision early that stands out as one of their smartest.
Brett and Jodi chose Daviesway’s Nico Polato to be their project manager. Nico came with his established contacts and the rest of the Daviesway DASCO team, which have become a popular group on-farm.
Daviesway’s connections included their own in-house technical team, in addition to a group of trusted local technicians who collectively spent a lot of time in this imposing facility. Brett Nutting (right) was glad of the support of Daviesway DASCO's project manager Nico Polato (centre) who facilitated site meetings between all trades, including David Parfrey (Parfrey Plumbing) and Scott McCallion (Rural Build).
Talented Daviesway Tech's in action – (Left) Tim Rolling, (Top Right) Nicole Rolling and (Bottom Right) Sam McMahon.
Jodi said, “Hell yes, it took a lot of pressure off. I’d be in Ward Nine, I think, if we hadn’t decided to do that.” Brett agreed.
“Before we started, I spoke to another farmer who had project-managed their own build to see how they found it. His father had run it, and he said there was no way known he could have managed his build and run his farm at the same time if he had been on his own."
“So, taking on Nico saved me from sourcing outside labour to cover off on my work on-farm, if I had been busy with building decisions."
The true scale of the project is clear from this bird's eye view. The 130 megalitre recycle dam dwarfs the 30m x 24m shed, the 17m radius round yard, and the 140m long feed pad.
With all the services in place, the platform centre can be poured, before the ring drains are formed.
With the concrete now poured, the platform team can start building the backbone of the rotary – the rollers and main beams. Work continues on the rest of the facility, with all the handrails now installed, and the walls being lined.
The split round yard keeps cows comfortably moving towards cups on, and it also allows for a second herd to follow the main herd with ease.
In the foreground (to the left of the dairy) is the cattle handling area and glycol chiller system. In the background (right) are the silos which formed part of the batch feeding system, which was still to be completed.
“I honestly didn’t want to oversee it. I’m not a builder and I don’t know where everything goes. Nico knows exactly what he’s doing, and it gave us a lot of peace of mind.” Jodi agreed that it changed their approach.
“We’d just go for a sticky beak with a couple of beers at the end of the day. It took all the worry out of it for us. We made some tweaks here and there for the cow flow we wanted, but it was good. We were very ‘present’ within this build, but it was good to have that additional support.”
MILKING UP TO 280 COWS AN HOUR
Staff now have a safe and efficient work environment. Operator mats are located a few bails from the cow entry area to make sure the cows are fed, settled, and given time to achieve let down before they are cupped up - optimising milking times.
Tech-Line HV claws with Milkrite Impulse Air triangular shells and liners are lighter for staff to handle.
The hub of the rotary. The rotary gland is manufactured at Daviesway Warragul and it carries vacuum, milk delivery and multiple electrical tracks. There is also a wash water and compressed air gland. All power supplies and pneumatic controls are mounted in the area - well away from possible wash-down water.
Gentle and consistent milk-flow helps deliver the best possible product to the vat. From the plant's vacuum stability (for complete milking) to improved milk cooling and filtering – consistency is the key.
The build was completed inside 12 months, and the new rotary milks 270-280 (fresh) cows an hour. Milking is a two-and-a-half-hour exercise for 700 cows, instead of four-and-a-half hours for 620 cows.
The MilktechNZ® CR-1 Automatic Cup Removers include a “lift to start”, rapid venting for ease of cluster attachment and an adjustable retraction speed for softer cluster removal.
The MilktechNZ® CR-1 Interface switch has a bright multi-colour LED light to clearly show the status of the unit. In this photo the blue light confirms it is in wash mode.
The LE30 pulsator comes with inline filters to protect its internal components from foreign matter. The unit is centrally controlled with almost infinite adjustment.
Some of their internal choices in the dairy included MilktechNZ®’s CR-1 Automatic Cup Removers (ACRs). They allow farmers to monitor and adjust their preferred milking parameters from any smart device. The technology also includes a “lift to start”, rapid venting for softer pull-down and an adjustable retraction speed. The large LED lights have been a hit for clarity during milking without having to run around to check on cows. The green light indicates trouble-free milking, red shows the cups are off prematurely, blue is the wash mode, and yellow is manual.
Ready for milking. The cow locators are also the teat spray system, making sure teats are coated as soon as possible after the cluster is removed. The deflector plates on the outside of the platform help with rubber control and cluster alignment.
They also added leg locators with in-built automatic teat spray, an automated feed system and auto drafting. They opted for a claw drop/claw lift so that cups weren’t travelling across the top of the bridge, and the cups-on person no longer had to bend over to reach for each cluster.
Left: The CR-1 high flow sensor provides positive vacuum shut-off while allowing for high flow rates. Right: Tech-Line HV claws with Milkrite Impulse Air triangular shells and liners have been a welcome “light-weight” addition.
They also chose Tech-Line HV claws with Milkrite Impulse Air triangular shells and liners.
Brett said, “They are so light, and they milk the cows out better. I’m not sure if it’s the CR-1 or the Milkrite, that’s made the biggest difference, but whichever it is, it’s working.”
The automation has included cow collars, which has added another layer of simplicity for their team: Ervin Supan, Beverly Ibe and Jess Rowe (who holds a Certificate III in Agriculture).
‘WE HOPE YOU’RE FINISHED BEFORE MIDNIGHT’
The 60-unit rotary is flanked by a 140m long feed-pad (with a 100m x 30m feed face - separated by 8m) and cleaned by a 60,000-litre automated washdown.
Milking is a two-and-a-half-hour exercise for 700 cows, instead of four-and-a-half hours for 620 cows in the old dairy. The herd is run as one, and averages 670kg milk solids (9500-litres).
A folddown platform allows operators easy access to the cows, without closing in the work area when it's not needed. The ID screen can also be swung around so it can be referenced/updated from the work platform.
A comfortable exit makes cow flow easy. Rubber mats reduce wear on the cows' hooves, and gives them sure footing when they are backing off and pivoting.
An addition to the bridge area allows operators to tend or treat cows before they get to the exit.
Jodi said just before their first milking in the new dairy, they got a text from their friends, who had recently finished their own new dairy, wishing them luck for their first milking.
“She said, ‘I hope you’re not there until midnight like us’. Luckily, it went pretty easily and we were finished by 8pm without any dramas."
“It is pretty special to look at where we started from to where we are today, and what we’ve achieved."
Milk is pumped into the 30,000 litre vat at under 4°C supported by the correctly sized glycol system. Calf milk can also be easily drawn from this system.
The Guardian II automated wash system adds another layer of consistency to the operation. The dual jumbo filters have been manifolded together with butterfly valves to allow filters to be changed during milking if it's needed, or to isolate one filter in times of low flow, or if there are contamination challenges.
Bayriver Pastorial's detergents are all manufactured at DASCO's Melbourne headquarters. Rev Wash is a heavy duty and low foaming liquid alkali detergent. Ultra Acid (right) is a Phosphoric acid which is appropriate for all water conditions. Imposing hot water services (pictured left) make achieving and sustaining hot water temperatures for the wash systems easy.
“Our friends come up here to see completed project, and they were just blown away. One of them had put a new dairy 15 years ago, and he can’t believe how the technology has changed from then to now.”
Daviesway’s connections have included their own in-house technical team, in addition to a group of trusted local technicians who have now collectively spent a lot of time in this imposing facility. They included: Scott McCallion, Rural Build (primary building and construction contractor); Eamon Maher, Maher Refrigeration and Electrical Pty (electrical and refrigeration contractor); Parfrey Plumbing (plumbing and hydraulics contractor); Tim Clingan, Earth and Water Technologies (earth moving contractor); and Shane Wheeler, Wheeler Irrigation and Pumps (pipeline and pumping specialist).
In addition to driving the dairy build, Nico was involved in the feed-pad layout, including its flush and wash systems, together with Rural Build, Wheeler Irrigation and Pumps, and Parfrey Plumbing.
“They’ve all been fantastic,” Jodi said. “It’s not only their workmanship, it’s how pleasant and professional they were.
“They don’t just knock off at the end of the day, and we’d often have a beer together. Afterall, it will be the Daviesway guys and the same electricians that will be coming back for servicing and/or breakdowns. They know our dairy inside and out, and it’s important to have a good relationship with those guys.”
Nico Polato said Daviesway is lucky in that it attracts a certain type of client, and Brett and Jodi were no different.
“People work with people they like working with, and both Brett and Jodi were exceptional,” Nico said.
“Both Brett and Jodi are smart business people, and they considered all their decisions carefully, worked through what we put in front of them, and sometimes came back and negotiated on a few things. Honestly, they were a pleasure to work with and the result proves that.”
With the cows positioned well in the bail, it allows for easy operator access for cluster attachment and removal.
FUTURE EASY RUNNING
The future looks bright for Brett and Jodi, and whether the operation includes their sons, Reagan, 23, a qualified boiler maker, or Toby, 20, an apprentice diesel mechanic, is yet to be determined.
What is clear, is that if they do choose to pursue dairying, they will have an exciting facility to do it in.
“This project has put us back to where we were 10 years ago financially – because the debt we’d paid off our mortgage was almost the cost of this project,” Brett said. “In the next 10 years we might slow down…who knows?
“We could also sell it, or if the kids want it – they will have to buy it.”
Their key advice for anyone considering undertaking a new dairy build is summed up by Jodi in three words.
“Get a Nico.”.
“The liner is the most important thing in the dairy – next to the cow and operator,” Nico said. “All the rest of the equipment is simply milk-path transport equipment. “We’ve seen the net results of this technology on so many farms in Australia, and around the world, and they speak for themselves. The improved teat condition, lowered SCC [somatic cell count] results, calm cows, less cup slippages … and the list goes on.”
NICO POLATO
DAVIESWAY SPECIAL DAIRY PROJECT MANAGER
Mobile: 0428 517 363
Email: nico.polato@daviesway.com.au
FREE CALL DAVIESWAY – 1800 600 269
See more Daviesway Dairy project information below
Daviesway – Build Your Dairy Your WayMilkrite Triangular Vented Liners – Why are they so good?
Dairy needs updating – Renovate or build?
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