Project description

Mark Perry operates his dairy on the beautiful Mid North Coast of NSW, an area known for its pristine environment and dairy herds. The region also has a high annual rainfall of 2,000mL, which keeps the pastures lush but creates a headache for Mark as the laneways quickly turn to boggy mud that is made worse with the traffic of his 150 milkers. Not only was it difficult to walk in for the cattle and the workers, but it also caused problems for the health of the herd with cattle getting mastitis and poor hoof health. The solution to this issue was to pave and fence the laneways so cattle could readily move between the pastures and the milking shed. An a2 Milk� Sustainable Agriculture Landcare Grant funded the project.

Project aims

Project outcome

By mid-2020, the concreting was complete, and the majority of the lanes fenced. Despite the rainfall, the cattle laneway provides a clean walkway for the cattle, which pays off with significantly fewer cases of mastitis and fungal infection in their hooves. �With the health of our cows now improved, we don�t need to take as many cows out of the milking herd,� said Mark.