Owl Farm case study - Water use efficiency

Owl Farm case study - Water use efficiency

Owl Farm

This page from Owl Farm, a demonstration dairy farm in the Waikato, covers where its water comes from and how it tracks and reduces use in the dairy shed. It explains the telemetered metering it uses to split out shed water from stock drinking water, and the pump and nozzle upgrades that have cut shed water use.

The page also gives the cost of water purchased under the farm's resource consent and the efficiency target it is working towards for shed use per cow.

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Have you thought about

On-farm actions

  • Owl Farm case study - Environment plan

    Whenua
    Farm environment plan
    Farm planning
    On-farm actions

    Follow how Owl Farm's environment plan guides its land, water and effluent management.

  • Owl Farm case study - Nitrogen management

    Whenua
    Fertiliser
    On-farm actions
    Soil

    Explore how Owl Farm has lowered nitrogen fertiliser use and modelled nitrogen loss.

  • Owl Farm case study - Soil health

    Whenua
    On-farm actions
    Soil
    Sustainability

    Discover how Owl Farm tests and protects its soil's physical, chemical and biological health.

Water

  • Owl Farm case study - Wetland performance

    Climate
    Biodiversity
    Regeneration
    Water

    See how Owl Farm's constructed wetland strips nitrogen and sediment from farm runoff.

  • Stock water management - The dollars and sense

    Climate
    On-farm actions
    Productivity
    Profitability
    Resilience
    Sheep and beef
    Sustainability
    Water

    An online learning module that explains everything you need to know about stock water management.

  • Owl Farm case study - Heat stress management

    Climate
    Livestock
    Water
    Wellbeing

    Read how Owl Farm cools its herd through hot Waikato summers with shade and sprinklers.

Livestock

  • Owl Farm case study - Tail audit

    Enterprise
    Livestock
    On-farm actions
    Wellbeing

    Find out how Owl Farm tracks tail damage in its herd to protect cow welfare.

  • Owl Farm case study - Lameness management

    Enterprise
    Livestock
    On-farm actions
    Wellbeing

    Learn how Owl Farm halved its lameness rate by changing yard flow and race care.

  • Owl Farm case study - Herd reproduction

    Enterprise
    Dairy
    Livestock
    Productivity

    Track how a Waikato demonstration farm lifts its 6-week in-calf rate each season.

An alternative perspective

  • Owl Farm case study - Milk quality

    Enterprise
    Compliance
    Dairy
    Productivity

    See what keeps Owl Farm's alert, grade and demerit counts falling.

  • Owl Farm case study - Feed budgets

    Enterprise
    Dairy
    Farm planning
    Productivity

    Learn how feed budgets keep pasture cover and cow condition on target.

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Owl Farm case study - Greenhouse gas performance

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Methane

Learn how Owl Farm cut biological greenhouse gas emissions over a ten year period.

Owl Farm case study - Biodiversity

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Track the native species and planting programme behind Owl Farm's biodiversity.

Owl Farm case study - Animal well-being plan

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See how Owl Farm builds a seasonal well-being plan for its dairy herd with local vets.

Owl Farm case study - Paddock performance

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Discover which paddocks grow the most feed and why some fall short.

Owl Farm case study - Milk production

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Compare season milksolids results against Owl Farm's production targets.

Owl Farm case study - Summer crops

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Find out how brassica crops are grown to fill the summer feed gap.

Owl Farm case study - Herd genetics

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Dairy
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Read how genetic selection keeps Owl Farm's herd among the nation's best.

Owl Farm case study - Youngstock rearing

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Dairy
Livestock
Productivity

Explore how replacement calves are reared and grown out to entry weight.

Owl Farm case study - Mastitis control

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Dairy
Livestock
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Discover how Owl Farm keeps mastitis cases and cell counts down in its herd.

Owl Farm case study - BCS profile

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Productivity
Wellbeing

Explore how Owl Farm scores body condition through the season to guide feeding.