New Zealand work boost for young West Cork duo
One of the highlights for Esther Walsh, and her colleague Linda O’Neill from Castletownbere in West Cork, was probably a three months world tour returning from New Zealand.
Esther and Linda, classmates from Clonakilty Agricultural College and the Farm Apprenticeship Board, spent an enjoyable and educational stint down under as assistant dairy herd managers for Fisken Farms in New Zealand’s North Island. They’d already seen all of New Zealand, during the generous time off allowed by the Fisken Farms management.
Linda and Esther worked in the Waikato Valley near Rotorua, at the centre of New Zealand’s North Island.
Rotorua is known as Sulphur City, and it is a popular tourist destination due to its volcanic attractions and is Maori culture. The local volcano erupted 100 meters into the air at the end of January 2001, but its long-term effect over 140,000 years has been the formation of about 4,000 square kilometres of volcanic soil.
The Fisken family manage 670 cows, but their job is made easier by the free-draining nature of their soil, which is derived from pumice, the “frothy” volcanic rock familiar to most people for its use in soaps, abrasive cleansers, and polishes.
On these soils, all stock are out-wintered on the land, making much of the dairy farm work easier than in Ireland. Large herds are managed with ease when there is no cleaning out of sheds, and calving is at grass.
Calves are collected by ATV and trailer and taken to the calf house, and the quad bike, and dogs, make herding easier. Four tonne trailed spreaders for fertiliser application, and rotary parlours are essential equipment for big herds.
The Fisken Farms cows, 80% Friesian and the rest Jersey crosses, were put in calf to Friesian bulls mainly, and some Jerseys to boost milk solids and for easy calving.
