“If your people are happy, your cows will be too.”

That’s the philosophy of Culverden dairy farmer Stuart Neill—and it’s one that’s clearly paying off for the Canterbury Ballance Farm Awards supreme winner.

Neill and wife Tracey farm in an equity partnership on Pukatea Dairy Farms, a 221-hectare (200 hectares effective) property located in Canterbury’s Amuri Basin.

There, they run a flexible, hybrid milking system—ten milkings per week—that supports both their team and their herd.

“It sounds complicated,” Neill says, “but it’s simple.

“We milk twice a day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The other four days are once-a-day milkings.”

This schedule provides an appealing work-life balance.

“I’ve got three staff, and this setup means they work five days and have two days off,” he explains.

“They do one 4 a.m. start every week.

“Compare that with some other farms where staff might work eight days straight before getting a break.”

The goal is to build a business they’d want to work in themselves, and Neill has noticed a big difference in team morale and performance.

“Our people are happier and less stressed.

“They’re more focused, which leads to fewer mistakes—and that has reduced some of our machinery maintenance costs by half.”

The benefits extend beyond people.

The flexible milking schedule has only led to a 3-4% reduction in milk production—an intentional trade-off.

“We want cows to use a bit less energy on milk production and a bit more on looking after themselves.

“They’re walking less, conserving energy, and maintaining better body condition.”

That shift has led to healthier cows and a dramatic drop in empty rates (cows that fail to get pregnant).

While the regional average in Canterbury is around 20%, Pukatea’s empty rate has dropped from 18% to just 9%.

“More cows getting pregnant means more money.

“That’s 60–70 cows that are now productive, which weren’t before.”

Neill pushes back against the belief that flexible milking isn’t viable for all operations.

“It costs you nothing—no new gear, no capital investment.

“Just less work.”

Animal welfare is also a core value- and that extends to pain relief.

“Four or five years ago, local anaesthetic was the only pain relief for cows.

“Now we use KetoMax—a ketamine-based product.

“It’s incredible pain relief.”

Pukatea uses five times more pain relief than the average local farm, spending around $6,000 annually.

“We don’t give it to every cow—just those with sore feet, mastitis, or difficult calvings. “But it changes their whole demeanour.

“I don’t understand why more farmers don’t use it.”

Neill also supplements his cows with Vitalise, a pelletised mineral product he prefers over powder-based alternatives.

“Vitalise doesn’t block the machines, it does what it says on the label, and the company is good to deal with.”

His core philosophy is simple:

“People and cows are connected. If you look after both, the whole system improves.”

One unexpected benefit of the ten-in-seven milking schedule has been how much more social and relaxed the cows have become.

“They don’t graze all day.

“The rest of the time, they’re lying down, hanging out with their mates, drinking, wandering. They have a life. They’re not machines.”

Reduced stress improves cow health.

Elevated cortisol levels can lead to lost pregnancies, lower milk yields, and an increased risk of mastitis.

Neill is equally committed to improving water quality.

Surrounded by dairy farms and located in an area with historic tile drainage, the waterways on their property once had nitrate levels he describes as “glow in the dark high.”

With the help of Jamie McFadden from Hurunui Natives and a lot of trial and error, Neill has seen major improvements through riparian planting and redirecting water into planted creeks and ponds.

Through monthly testing with Amuri Irrigation, they’ve confirmed that water entering the farm with high nitrate levels leaves the property clean.

“We’re seeing nitrate levels go in high and come out at close to zero.”

Neill spends between $10,000 and $20,000 annually on planting.

“It’s peanuts when you look at the bigger picture of profitability and environmental responsibility.

“Part of our business plan is making sure we don’t negatively affect our downstream neighbours.”

On the controversial topic of “dirty dairying,” Neill doesn’t mince words.

“That campaign gained traction because it was mostly true.

“It’s not that dairy farmers are bad people.

“But if you look at the nitrates in rivers, you have to admit—we have some responsibility.

“So we have to fix it.”

By Claire Inkson