MORE than 160 years after his great-grandfather first bought land at Moculta, the dairy operation of Murray and Margaret Klemm, run in partnership with son and daughter-in-law Ben and Bec Klemm, is still going strong.
The family began operating the dairy in the 1970s to make the most of grazing land available.
They milk about 240 cows in a herringbone rapid release design dairy.
Murray said they decided on the herringbone design to ensure one person could operate it, freeing up people for other on-farm tasks.
“If it’s seeding or haymaking time, one person can do all the milking,” he said.
He said this system worked for the size of their operation.
While milking, the cows are fed an 8-kilogram ration of wheat and lupins in pellets, made at Laucke Mills, with the same amount fed through the lactation period.
“We don’t lighten up on feed to avoid losing condition,” Murray said.
They grow their feed on-farm, growing crops at properties at Koonunga and Truro, as well as at Moculta.
Murray said the farm’s silage was typically produced at the Moculta property to minimise the need for its transport to the herd.
They grow forage crops such as outback oats or barley, mixed with ryegrass.
“It’s got cereal for good early feed and the ryegrass will continue on,” he said.
He said in years where they did not have enough grain, they tried to source it locally, buying it at harvest time.
“We find that’s the best price,” he said.
They are also in the process of fencing off their paddocks closest to the dairy to allow cell grazing.
The Klemms use artificial insemination on their cows, selecting semen for high butterfat and high protein.
“We may have lost a little on the litres but components are what we get paid for,” Murray said.
Replacement heifers are sent to Meningie to be grown out, and while there, are joined with a Jersey bull to help with ease of calving.
Murray said with the multitude of other jobs required, having smaller calves meant they minimised management stress at calving time.
“It does mean we lose one generation of replacement heifers,” he said.
He said the Jersey-Friesian heifers and all bull calves are sold, either privately or through the local market at Kapunda, to others who grow them out.
From this month the Klemms will supply milk to Murray Bridge processor Beston Pure Dairies.
“We felt we wanted to have a processing company in SA and since they need milk, we’d better put our money where our mouth is and support them,” Murray said.
“It’s a local company and we find that’s a plus.”
Elizabeth Anderson
Editor of Stock Journal.
Editor of Stock Journal.
