Transitioning herd to once a day works

Award-winning sharemilkers Sophia Clark and Aaron Mills are enjoying more free time after transitioning their herd to once a day milking while increasing profitability as well. The couple, who won the 2024 Bay of Plenty Share Farmer of the Year title and four merit awards, have just finished their first season on a 250 hectare property near Taumarunui, where they 50:50 sharemilk 760 cows.

“Profitability is sanity and production is vanity is our mantra,” says Aaron. “It took us years to move to once-a-day milking. At the the previous farm we were always pretty much middle of the pack compared with other farms in the area for financial perfomance and we wanted to be top of the pack.”

The transition has yielded good results across multiple metrics. The six-week in-calf rate has increased by 10 per cent and empty rates have dropped by 5-6 per cent. Animal health improvements have included an over 50 per cent reduction in lameness.

Milking from a 44-a-side herringbone shed with two full-time staff and one part-time employee, the couples business has dramatically reduced costs saving $1 per cow on operation expenses. Aarons says the most significant savings have come from reduced animal health costs, directly correlating with the improved welfare outcomes.

The move to King Country represented a strategic decision to achieve scale without the prohibitive land costs of Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions. However the transition has required significant adaptation to different soil types and climate conditions. With heavier ash-pumice soils and clay areas that remain wet and cold for extended periods the lighter Jersey cows and once-a-day system have proven well-suited to managing these conditions.

“There is a fair bit of learning coming from a relatively warm climate to a relatively cold climate,” acknowledges Aaron. “We adjusted our calving date by over three weeks and need to really focus on achieving correct pasture covers before winter. We weren’t under as much pressure in the winter in terms of grass growth rates in the Bay of Plenty. But here if we don’t get the grass covers correct here we will run out of feed mid spring. We grew 10ha of maize this year for winter feed and are considering growing an additional couple of hectares this year.”

Perhaps most importantly the system has delivered the work-life balance the couple sough with their young family. Four-year-old Claire and one-year-old Jane now see Aaron home earlier for evening routines. “The work-life balance is the big difference for us,” says Aaron.

“Home earlier in the afternoon for the bed, bath, dinner routine rather than well after 5.30pm getting home to engage in family life.

For us on weekends we can do the essentials by early to mid-morning and have the rest of the day off to do what we want to do.” Staff satisfaction has also improved markedly, particularly in an industry that often struggles to attract and retain people. “Both of our staff have never been on a once-a-day farm before and they absolutely love it here. Once a day enables us to be more flexible. It’s far less stress.”

Land ownership is the couple’s immediate goal: “Everything we are doing is working towards that,” says Aaron. Sophia has a Bachelor of Commerce in agriculture, majoring in plant production science and agricultural management and her role in the business is varied: calf rearing, relief milking, admin and mum. “She’s the glue that keeps everything together. She knows what’s happening at all times and directs me into the areas that need attention. She’d love to be out there more and will be as the kids get older. She enjoys being more hands on and is very good at it as well.”

Author: Karen Phelps

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Business Rural North – Spring 2025