Eases Farmers Burden

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31975, 30 April 1969, Page 9

Eases Farmers Burden

The “Waikato” Weight and Rate Milk Meter, developed, produced and launched in 1967 by Plastic Products, Ltd, remains a source of pride to the company and of relief to farmers throughout New Zealand and overseas.

Used for herd-testing, the meter reduces what was once a strenuous and prolonged operation to a fairly simple task. Under the old system, the fanner had to carry a heavy bucketful of milk from the cow-bail, lift it on and

off the scales, take a butterfat! sample, and pour the contents into a vat. He repeated the procedure for every cow in the herd, at both morning and evening milkings. On the basis of a gallon and a half of milk from each cow for both milkings with a 200-cow herd, the total weight lifted daily was three tons of milk—not counting the weight of the buckets, which amounted to another two tons.

Plastic Products' “Waikato' milk meters have reduced the weight of milk to be carried by 97) per cent, and eliminated the heavy buckets. Incorporated in the automatic milking line in the cow shed, the meter reveals at a glance the milk-yield of each animal. It divides a fortieth of a cow's milk yield into a transparent flask which provides a proportional sample for fat evaluation, as well as an accurate measure of total yield.