New website … and a wee project
Technology moves on and we need to keep up so we have a new website. Go in and have a look at www.tulloch.co.nz.
The original site was very basic in design and function to cater for rural customers on dial-up.
The new site is more attractive, more interactive and far easier to navigate, view video clips and download brochures and newsletters.
The project
We will be documenting the history of silage making in New Zealand as a live article that will be added to as and when we get more information. So if you have anything that is relevant or know of someone who has, please let us know.
Pictures of early silage making and the tools involved would be appreciated - with a date if possible.
Season’s Greetings
I would like to reaffirm our commitment to our customers, especially for parts and service support, through these difficult times.
The experts tell us we are coming out of the recession; the price of milk has increased to a more respectable level but the weather is not being kind to us.
But our glass is half full, at least. The Krone Agricultural division has finished 5% up on turnover from last year
which is a truly remarkable result reflecting the focus of that business on product development and quality. Their report noted that Tulloch Farm Machines has either increased or maintained market share in all Krone product groups. We can attribute this to the professionalism of our dealers and our staff who are offering premium quality service for our premium quality equipment. Other product groups, notably Supreme and Einbock, have fared well despite the season.
I thank all our customers for their loyalty and wish you all a wonderful festive season and a prosperous 2010.
- John Tulloch
Paul Gee at left with Ian Pilcher
THE complete contractor who can do almost any job for his wide range of clients - that’s Paul Gee.
Gee has been contracting for the last 13 years and has a large range of cultivation and harvesting equipment, and sundry gear to cater for all farmer needs. Ninety percent of his customers are within 30km of his base at Dalbeth Rd, Ngongotaha, 5km north of Rotorua. Paul is chief organiser and his manager and 2IC is Rod McKinley. There are four permanent staff and up to eight part-timers for seasonal work.
Gee Contracting has six tractors to 220 hp - one on duals with a front-end loader.
The business has a comprehensive range of equipment to do a complete job from cultivation to hay and silage. In amongst Paul’s range of equipment he has a Krone AM 283S mower and a Krone VP 1500MC baler
His most recent purchase was a Krone Big X 650 self-propelled harvester. It was bought from Piako Tractors, Rotorua. Dealer principal Ian Pilcher says that while Piako Tractors has sold Krone gear for some years this is the first machine they have sold since being appointed a Big Line Dealer for Tulloch Farm Machines.
“With its increased capacity and throughput, this machine will replace three of my loader wagons, help with the staffing and, I believe, give an improved product,” said Paul.
The machine boasts some impressive statistics. Power unit is a Mercedes Benz developing 653hp and with a 960-litre fuel tank enabling longer work periods between refills. The grass head has a camless pickup and remotely retractable guide wheels.
The Big X 650 has an infinitely variable cut length from 2.5mm to 31mm depending on the drum configuration.
“The machine is going very well,” says Paul. “It has certainly exceeded my expectations. Output has been a consistent 5ha/hr average with peaks easily of 10ha/hr. The Big X was to replace three loader wagons but in the event only two were traded to allow one wagon for smaller jobs in awkward-to-get-at and steep contour.
“Having seen what can be achieved with the Big X to date we are now confident that the third wagon is not needed and has not been used to date. A good saving in labour. “The Big X has coped very easily with the very tight work pressure this particularly difficult season has presented. The Big X has managed steep terrain that we did not expect it to manage. It might look big but it is very manoeuvrable and has adequately managed the small raceways and paddocks that were reserved for the backup loader wagon”.
Paul’s operator Glen Davidson says “… the Big X has so much power; it is a real pleasure to drive and is very comfortable with a nice spacious cab. We do some real rough paddocks and this season has been exceptionally bad because of the persistent rain. The rear guide wheel behind the grass front is a great feature as it has prevented a huge amount of possible damage, helping the front over the contour.”
Glen says it is easy to get around for routine maintenance and the head is so easy to remove that he does so just to get in and clean around and under the cab each day.
“The tractor with trailers and the trucks now have no standing time and in spite of the output the fuel consumption average of 50 litres/hr is very impressive” says Glen.
Article courtesy of Rural News
by Trish Lewis, Consultant Nutritionist
Trish Lewis - Nutritionist
There seems to be some debate as to whether feeding supplements to dairy cows is profitable. The answer isn’t as simple as yes or no.
Some farmers have used supplements strategically to maintain good profitability even when the milk payout has been at its lowest, and others are still not getting a good return from using supplements with the improved payout.
Key factors affecting the profitable use of supplements are the effect of supplementation on pasture utilisation and the feed efficiency of converting supplements to milk.
Fully utilising pasture - leaving the correct residuals and maintaining pasture quality - are critical to profitable pasture-based dairying. Supplements which substitute for pasture, causing residuals to increase and pasture quality to fall, will not give a good return in the long term. However, where stocking rate has been increased or pasture growth restricted by excessively wet or dry conditions, supplements can help to fill the gap in dry matter (DM) intake and keep cows milking or maintain body condition.
How efficiently supplements are converted to milk has a big influence on the profitability of supplementation. Dairy NZ gives a range of 3 - 12g milk solids (MS) per megajoule (MJ) energy fed. At the bottom of this range supplementation is not profitable even at a supplement cost of 20 cents/kgDM and a payout of $6/kgMS, but at the top of the range supplementation is profitable even when the supplement costs 40 cents/kgDM and the payout is $4.50/kgMS.
Achieving good feed efficiency is therefore key to the profitable use of supplements.
Minimising wastage of supplements (which can range from under 5% to over 30%) is important for good feed efficiency. This is an area where farmers have seen benefits from feed processors and feed-pads or in-shed feeders rather than feeding out in the paddock, even when factoring in the capital costs involved.
Good rumen health is another important factor and this is where using high-quality feeds and a well balanced diet can help whereas poor feed management leading to rumen acidosis will reduce feed efficiency.
Mycotoxins can reduce feed efficiency, another reason to pay more for a high quality supplement and avoid using mouldy or contaminated feeds. Stress, infections and metabolic issues all reduce feed efficiency, so well handled, healthy, happy cows will give a better return.
We can sum up by saying supplements can significantly improve profitability when their use has a positive effect on pasture utilisation and quality, wastage is kept to a minimum and feed efficiency is high through selective feeding of high-quality supplements that enhance the balance of the diet and are efficiently converted into milk.
Using a feed processor and a feed-pad can help reduce wastage and allow a wide range of supplements to be used for good feed efficiency.
Mycotoxins can reduce feed efficiency, another reason to pay more for a high quality supplement and avoid using mouldy or contaminated feeds. Stress, infections and metabolic issues all reduce feed efficiency, so well handled, healthy, happy cows will give a better return.
We can sum up by saying supplements can significantly improve profitability when their use has a positive effect on pasture utilisation and quality, wastage is kept to a minimum and feed efficiency is high through selective feeding of high-quality supplements that enhance the balance of the diet and are efficiently converted into milk.
Using a feed processor and a feed-pad can help reduce wastage and allow a wide range of supplements to be used for good feed efficiency.
Supreme 600T Feed Processor. These can help minimise supplement wastage, writes Trish Lewis.
Supreme 600T delivers another load