gadgetry and other gear....

Lots of gizmos and gadgetry is beginning to be installed in the place now - it's beginning to look more like a dairy every day.... 

 (I think this is part of the vacuum pump.... its not fully installed yet...)

 this is the first part of the actual milking apparatus .... the milking cups bit isn't attached yet!

 miles and miles of stainless steel pipes... 

some folk get the really tough jobs!

six more heifers have calved this week - and again they have been spirited off to Denny's dairy to be milked. But we are starting to talk days rather than weeks until this beastie is complete and can take in its first milking cow (oh let it be soon !) The guys installing the machines think they will have their part finished early next week - then the electrician has to hook  them up, then the feeding system has to go in, and the last of the builders things have to be completed ...oh and all the mess has to be cleaned up! I intend taking one pic of the place in pristine condition - before the cows arrive and mess it all up again!

...

snap snap... zap zap

Ah the atmosphere in the the dairy is positively electric - the electricians have started installing all the electrical cables and lights and power points and what-nots....

(see the lovely big lights swinging from the high ceiling)....

the machines are MEANT to be installed the week also - but you know how these things go sometimes..... mighty mighty S*L*O*W*L*Y

grrr - frustrating! all the metal work is coming along swimmingly though.... and the stand-in vat is supposed to arrive today/tomorrow (we have to use an outside, stand-in vat until our big vat is manufactured - about 12 weeks wait.....)


All the regulars on the site are used to the sight of me totting my BIGGO camera and pointing it at their handiwork.... so I think its only fitting that I post a rare something of myself.....

there's a glimpse of the ronster in the newly installed window .... as the electrical folk depart for now... they'll be back when the machines come.

it all can't be done soon enough - look.....

 .... its the first babies!

Yep 2 nights ago 3 calves were born - as we have no operating dairy yet, we have arranged for the young mums and bubs to go to a friendly neighbour's place until we are operational.... I got a report this morning from Denny (the neighbourly dairyman) - all are doing mighty fine - and have taken to this 'milking business' without any drama whatsoever..... yay girls!

If only everything else was as fuss free!


....

on the home straight?

We're still building, building building.....

well it is a big project

with lots and lots of concrete....

 (EJ watched 'Strawb' forming the wash room drain today)

and lots and lots of steel...

yes it's a resource-hungry build - I tell myself that we will ensure that this building and its infrastructure will be viable and utilisable for many many decades to come - so over the long term we will justify the expense and the environmental impact ...

EJ and Sass take it all in their stride (they don't get to see the size of the loan!) - right now EJ seems to think that all that steel is a giant gym set....  its impossible to keep her from swinging on the steel bits!
 

(spot the naughty monkey girlie!)

 
Believe it or not the end IS in sight....

FP seems to think that another 4-5 weeks and it will be operational. And in the next little bit all the things that will make this unmistakeably a DAIRY will start to be installed (we already have the 1000L off-peak hot water sitting in the vat room waiting to be hooked up and I think the milking machine components have all arrived as well)...

the last of the main 'floors' was poured last week for the mill room....

(mill room - sans walls right now)

the last main short wall was poured today.... we've just got yards and walkways to concrete now (we were counting up last night how many trucks-worth of concrete we've had brought to the site - so far we are at 10... It FEELS like a lot more)

at the end of this week the last of our beefy boys and girls will leave the place....

and we are getting ready for our new girls to arrive....

bring it on!


...

getting there....

It's a bit damp underfoot - that means working conditions (and especially access) are not ideal for building... but last week the vat room and wash rooms were basically complete - here's the sams creek crew peeking out from the wash room....

over head that day I spied 3 wedge tail eagles (I take it as a good sign.... I love all raptors)

today - despite rain the first half of the dairy floor was poured.... it's a great step forward....

('strawb' is laying the diamond pattern - that creates greater traction for the cows - this part is open to the elements - and links the inside to the yards outside - so it needs to provide a good 'rough' surface so we don't have slippery sliding girls!)

I just love some of john's tools! - here's his long-handled broom, to make just the right rough finish on the concrete...

but goodness - all this RAIN!


the boys had to cover the tiny bit of concrete that isn't under the roof...

I can't complain - the grass is growing, the building is going ahead, we have nothing of the floods of queensland

and it is far to my faraway north that my thoughts are turning today..... all those towns, all those farms, all those animals, all those poor people trying to make it through the devastation of flood waters. I can't imagine how dreadful it all must be right now - my thoughts are with them all in this dark time....

I'm sure that when the waters clear and the extent of the damage is understood, many farmers will be forced to undertake massive rebuilding - and in THAT sense at least I can now empathise.

I wish I could be of more help than that.....



......

taking charge

the new building is still moving ahead .....

Sass and EJ- inspect the works most days.... 

Here's how the main section is shaping up -

The pit is in (that's the 'trench' looking bit in the middle just in case you didn't know what a 'pit' is! this is where the humans stand and work - yep down below the cows) - the steel structures for the milking bays are going up - one side of the floor is going to be poured shortly.....

Today the floor is being poured in the vat room and the wash room (that's the wash room below)

The concreting is the most labour intensive (and energy and money intensive) part of the project - it would be lovely to get all the main floors in before Christmas, but I can't really see it happening.... fingers crossed - there's so many things to organise and manage right now - it's mind boggling! lucky it's all on FP and not me to manage!

 Although I think I spot a likely successor for FP.....

 Sass is always ready to explain to the builders how it should work......

ooooo I'll be pleased when this is all finished - it's worse than building a new house!

....

progress...

 Things are moving along over at 'alanbar' farm..... the main structure of the new dairy is up - the roof is on.....

 the lower section of the walls are being formed ......

 decisions are being finalised....

on the weekend FP started organising his beef herd for sale..... all the cows have to be correctly paired to their calves then have their matching ear tages attached (NOT a fun and easy task....) 

today the milking pit was formed....

maybe as early as next week the main interior slab will start to be prepared.... 




.....