Farm Focus Days for 2021
We look forward to welcoming you back to Owl Farm to catch up on the season snapshot and plan for the summer ahead.
We will be hosting smaller intimate events on the 16th and 17th December 2021.
Each day will run from 10.30 am to 1 pm.
Event registration with proof of vaccination (or exemption) will be required.
Spaces are limited for each event. Registration via our website will be available shortly. Keep an eye out for links shared via social media once ready.
Farm Focus 15 September 2021Owl Farm is pleased to present the results of our season performance against the wagon wheel KPIs.
Join Tom and Jo as they discuss results from the 20/21 season with an expanded focus on environmental, animal well-being and workplace standards alongside a high-performing financially stable business.
This will now be hosted as a Facebook live event that will be recorded and posted on YouTube 15 November Farm Focus Day.
11 am -12 pm Wednesday 15th September
Handouts containing supporting data for the presentation can be found below.
March 18 2021 Owl Farm Focus Day Flyer
Tom & Jo talk about making the most of the Autumn. Managing feed and BCS to achieve targets and set up for success next season.
What have we learnt about our reduced 6 week incalf rate?
How did the summer crops preform?
How are the calves growing on chicory? Will we do it again?
Ian Power from Ballance steps us through using My Pasture Planner to reduce total N used and gain greater efficiency at Owl Farm.
Lunch provided - everyone welcome
CHANGE OF VENUE**** DUE TO WEATHER WARNING *****FOCUS DAY 25th NOV WILL BE HELD AT BRUNTWOOD & HAUTAPU DISTRICT HALL***** 108 HAUTAPU ROAD OPPOSITE DAIRY FACTORY 10.30 START
Tom & Jo talk about managing peak milk production and feed quality at Owl Farm in a roller coaster spring. We share our strategies to get through summer with dry soils and a predicted La Nina.
Join our team of experts from PGGWrightson Seeds and Ballance Agri Nutrients as we discuss why we want more Plantain and Clover at Owl Farm, and what we are doing now to set ourselves up for success.
Practical steps to manage the hot Waikato summer and create comfort for cows and staff with Jac McGowan – DairyNZ
Lunch provided - everyone welcome
Owl Farm Nov Focus Day handout
23 September 2020 Farm Focus Day Handout
Farm Focus Day Handout 24 June 2020
The link to the recorded live stream event
Click on the link below to watch
Handout below. Please read as we will be referencing it during the presentation.
18th March Farm Focus Day Handout
All AI mating with sexed semen, Wagyu and short gestation
Pregnancy results, impacts for the farm system
Surviving summer and getting back on track
Review of crop yields and mitigating heat stress
Plan for the Autumn ahead
66 attendees heard about our 2019 season including:
Season update: Production, managing surplus and update on mating
People priority Part 2: Study of time and tasks throughout mating
Crop care: Best practice care of crops through their early days
Future Strategies: Preparing the business for investment in an emissions reduction framework
60 attendees heard about our 2019 season:
Season update: more milk from less supplements = more money in the bank
Repro plan: sexed semen and Wagyu during all AI to minimise calf wastage
Fertiliser plan: Understanding soils and their Total N to best use Nitrogen fertiliser.
Study of hours worked on tasks during spring: phase 1 of data collection to understand more about achieving a 45hour/wk/person/yr
87 attendees heard about a World Markets update from Westpac Economist Anne Boniface.
The information discussed is in the Westpac Fortnightly Agri-update. Impacts of global demand and supply, what's really happening plus the impact and potential changes in the strength of the kiwi dollar.
Maximising Summer Performance was discussed in a Workshop session sharing ideas on tactics and trigger points to hit key targets.
the topics for consideration involved:
Current Season Update
Less cows are making more milk, 94% of the herd submitted in 3 weeks of AB, 4 times last year’s spring silage made.
Holding cows over 2kgMS/cow/day has been a standout highlight of the season with less brought0in feed used to achieve this.
Having strong decision rules around how we wanted to oerate the farm was a key to seeing these results.
Key decision rules Sep - Oct
Keep pre-graze under 3,000kgDM/ha
Area grazed constant around 6.5ha/day. 17-22 day round of area available to graze
Back the farm to grow – put the surplus in the stack
Focus on next round quality – cows must work to graze to 1600 or less.
Mower fixes any allocation errors where residuals were higher
76 attendees heard about our 2019:
Season so far: People, Profit, Production
Body condition score of individual cows and the benefits of doing monthly,
Mating plans - ALL AB for the 2018 mating season and how to manage the risks.
92 attendees heard about 2018 in review:
Season Round up: People, Profit, Production
Fertiliser Focus: Feeding the engine room of our farm,
Planting Plantain: What have we learned?
Healthy Rivers: What does Variation 1 mean for us?
68 Attendees heard about:
Where we’ve been:
Seasonal update on performance and the summer of endless rain
Where we’re going:
Time to hear about the two viable Farm systems we have found for Owl Farm’s Future and how they:
Reduce our N leaching by over 20%,
Continue to improve farm operating profit, and
Keep focus on people, safety and animal welfare
Download flyer here: Open Day flyer
• Explore the ways we are working to protect the environment;
• Everyone can change water quality! Join our Community planting event,
help us grow plants to protect waterways.
• Meet our cows and some really friendly calves.
• See cows being milked throughout the day.
• See what it takes to prepare a gourmet meal for cows
Plus loads more...
Free sausage sizzle and ice-creams
Coffee available to purchase
This day promises to be fun for the whole family so chuck on your gummies andgummies and
come along for what will be an awesome day down on the farm.
Free attendance and fun for the whole family to explore our Farm Open Day Flyer
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