This season they are milking their 700-cow herd in a new state-of-the-art, 54-bail rotary shed.
It is about nine years since our son Cameron and daughter-in-law Marion built their shed of similar design and size, but the computer technology installed in the Murray’s shed is so much more advanced, and fascinating in what it can do.
In Cameron’s shed there is a computer screen with numbers and a little data handy to the milker, so if cow 246 needs drafting out, the number is pressed into the computer and she will be automatically drafted.
The Murray’s cows have collars and an electronic ear tag which carries information about the cow, and their computer screen is also by the operator.
It pictures the cows revolving around the shed, pinpointing a cow that needs attention, and drafts her out or tags her to be milked again, and she goes round again.
Tail paint is a thing of the past.
When a cow is coming in heat, it is detected, and the exact time to be inseminated is relayed and the cow can then be drafted accordingly.
They feed grain in the bails, and the computer knows how much each cow produces, so she gets her calculated ration.
Now and again, it will increase the amount, and if the cow’s production increases it will maintain that level, but if it does not, she will be returned to the original amount — and vice versa if the feed amount is lowered.
If the person bringing in the cows detects a lame or bloated cow, they just press the numbers on their phone to the shed computer; she goes through the milking routine and gets drafted to be dealt with after milking.
After milking the washing down is all computer-controlled as well, and the shed is spotless.
Alister pointed to another major advancement if you are so inclined.
From the comfort of your bed at 5am, it is possible to tell the computer to release the electric tapes across the gateway of the paddock the cows are in.
They will start going to the shed, and the person responsible can roll over for another 20 minutes of shut-eye.
Computerisation has taken many of the laborious jobs out of the shed.
