HerdAbout?
GEA Farm Technologies is now at Stoneleigh Park GEA Farm Technologies - The right choice.
Issue 14
GEA Farm Technologies
Welcome... ...to the 14th edition of “HerdAbout?” Since our last issue, much has happened at GEA Farm Technologies, including the relocation of our head office to Stoneleigh Park, the home of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. This move now allows us to service the dairy industry in a number of new and exciting ways, including our Dairy Design Centre, which is a free service available to all farmers with a current or future project, allowing them access to all the facilities they should need to discuss their plans and wishes with our team of advisers. Our company has continued on the acquisition trail with two new additions to the product portfolio in Mullerup automatic feeding systems from Denmark, and the FIL marker range from New Zealand, both of which will be launched into the UK market during 2012. More to follow. We are now officially a main player in the robotic milking sector, and there is a full report on the first UK MIone (Milking Intelligence) robot installation on page 2 of this issue. The long-awaited WestfaliaSurge milking robot has been attracting enormous interest since its UK launch at the Dairy Event last year, which has encouraged us to action our recruitment drive for robotic engineers, the first phase of which has now been completed with great success. MIone will be a main focus for GEA Farm Technologies in the years ahead. The new distribution centre at Stoneleigh Park has been nominated ELC status, (Emergency Logistics Centre), which will allow the distribution of emergency parts around the clock. This will create the 1 | GEA Farm Technologies
Above: Our logistic operations include roundthe-clock shipping of key emergency spares - particularly important with larger rotaries and MIone robotic milking systems.
highest level supply chain for our dealer network and farming customers. Two new product ranges launched recently are going from strength to strength and have already become established as industry ‘best practice’ innovations. The TCool range of bulk milk tanks now account for more than 20% of the UK market, whilst the Prince Philip Award winning IQ Cluster is producing outstanding results on farms across the UK, particularly in areas of animal health, milk quality and operator productivity. We very much hope you enjoy this latest issue – as always, any feedback is most welcome and helps us tailor future publications more closely to your needs.
Above: Stoneleigh Park will become a recognised centre of excellence for farmers, dealers and their staff. Our training academy is now underway with the exceptional facilities being used to train field and office staff to the very highest levels of best practice in milking , housing, slurry management, dairy hygiene, customer service and support. Training is given by industry-recognised providers as well as in-house specialists for the very best delivery of “expert care” on your farm.
Above: Our display area includes some of the products that are key to GEA Farm Technologies’ success in the dairy farming industry as well as information on the range of products and services available from us and our dealer partners.
I take this opportunity to thank you for helping GEA Farm Technologies remain the UK’s leading dairy supplier and we look forward to seeing you on farm very soon. In the meantime, my very best wishes to all.
Paul Paul Gerrard, Managing Director
Above: A warm welcome awaits! We would like to give all our visitors to Stoneleigh Park the very best in courtesy and care. Whether you call us by phone, email or visit our premises. We want your visit to be of real value to you and your business.
Feature: Robotic milking system
New robot system makes its UK debut and transforms the lives of Richard and Roger Tucker
Above: Cows wait to be milked in the robots at Praunsley Farm where the herd has adapted well to the new system
The best investment they’ve ever made by far: that’s how Richard Tucker and his son Roger sum-up their decision to invest in a new robot system – the GEA Farm Technologies MIone. They are the first farmers in the UK to install the technology, and describe it as being everything they want in an automated milking system, and everything they wanted for their business. Third generation farmers of the Bendle herd of 170 high yielding cows at Praunsley farm, South Molton, Devon, Richard has been milking for 40 years. However, after last year’s Big Freeze he’d had enough
of standing in the old and cold 22:22 Herringbone and was determined not to do another winter milking. It was a question of either getting robots or selling the cows. But with a passion for dairy cows, a son interested in the business and a farm geared up for dairying, quitting wasn’t an option. “We first started looking at robots three years ago and travelled extensively across Europe to assess different makes and models,” says Richard. “Last winter hastened our decision to invest.” During their investigations they drewup a short-list of what they would
like, and were particularly attracted to the guided entry and exit principle that is at the heart of the MIone system. Under this system cows that are due to be milked are allowed into the robot area, while those that have recently milked, and aren’t due to be milked again for a while, are sent through the race system into the feeding area. It means cows spend more time at the feed trough than those in other robot systems. This reduces the reliance on concentrates and improves milk from forage. The Tuckers also liked the fact that one robotic arm on the MIone can service up to five robot boxes each, The right choice. | 2
Feature: Robotic milking system
Above: The robots - and the cows - can be monitored behind the milking boxes
making future expansion that much more affordable. They could have chosen a 4 box system (four cow boxes, served by one robot arm) but instead opted for two separate 2 box robots (two sets of two boxes, with one arm serving both boxes) in a row, so one robot is always working in the event of the other being cleaned or serviced. There is also space for a further box to convert one of the 2 boxes into a 3 box when the time is right to expand. Each box can handle around 55-60 cows each depending on yield. Building work started in 2011 to demolish the old dairy building and erect a new one in its place with new cubicles, mattresses and scraper system. In 2011 our local GEA dealer Phil Squires and his team from South West Dairy Services - duly installed the robots. They were finally commissioned and started milking on the 18th October after the building work above the robots (for offices) had been completed. Getting the cows used to the new robots started the week before commissioning, when the robots were 3 | GEA Farm Technologies
used as feed stations to start training the cows. The cows quickly learned that entering the big new silver boxes meant a nice, tasty reward. “GEA set-up the machines, measured each cow’s belly height in order to aid attachment of the robot and to generally help us,” adds Richard. “Within four days milk volumes were back up to previous levels, and after a week 92% of the cows were using the robots without us having to fetch them.” And the farm hasn’t had to cull any cows due to incompatibility with the
robot either, Richard explains. In the event that the robot cannot attach the cluster, for whatever reason (and it is usually to do with errors in the belly height, which the 3-D camera uses to locate the teats) the robot will have one or two additional attempts. If it is still not successful the cow is released from the box, and is allowed to go around again so as to not cause undue stress to her. If a cow has a particularly misaligned teat, or there is a mastitis issue, the clusters can also be put on manually. In fact the MIone is the only robot to easily facilitate this, and again, was a major influence in the Tucker’s decision to opt for the system. “We always like to manually milk fresh calved cows to make sure there is no mastitis or any other problems,” says Richard. “Unlike some robots we are always in complete control of the milking. The ability to over-ride the robot is an excellent feature, and I wouldn’t dream of having a system that couldn’t do it. “Milk quality concerns and the way that the MIone washes and dries the teats before milking was another deal-winner for this system over its rivals,” adds Richard. While some
Above: Richard and Roger Tucker say robotic milking has changed their lives
Feature: Robotic milking system
robots use a brush system to clean the teats this can only ever clean two sides of the teat, and not all around it. The MIone, uniquely again, has a washing, drying and pre-stripping mechanism inside each teat cup. “We are fastidious about milk quality, our routine on our old parlour was 100% geared to good milk quality, with rigorous wiping, pre-stripping and post dipping procedures. Another of the criteria for choosing the robot was for it to have as good a preparation routine as we had.” It works too - bactoscans are consistently between 19 and 28 now, with cell counts around the 120 mark. Yields are currently around 9,500 litres, which are being achieved on an impressive feeding rate of 0.22kg of concentrates through the robots. Maintenance plus 20 litres is fed via a high specification TMR diet, with the cows fed to yield to a maximum of 8kg of cake in the MIones. The aim is to increase yields going forward, with the ultimate target being for the tanker to collect a minimum of 6,000 litres of milk every day. “We could go to M+30 in the TMR because the guided system allows us to reduce our concentrates, but what we are doing now works well,” adds Richard. “The guided system is brilliant, unbelievably good. The cows are a lot less stressed than they were, and are very placid.” And the cows are quick to learn how it works too. “If we put a heifer in the building in the morning most will understand how the gate system works by the evening.” To facilitate servicing of the MIone we have trained technicians at South West Dairy Services, who are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So far they haven’t been called out
Above: One robot serves these two boxes - but a third box could be added later
on many emergency calls, as some of the issues they have had to deal with could be dealt with remotely, via the internet and telephone. We have also strengthened our robot team by employing two new specialists to support dealers in other parts of the country, thus giving extensive technical coverage for the MIone. “We’ve had great support from GEA in the UK especially Kevin Preece, and from its experts abroad and from the dealer,” says Richard. “We couldn’t have asked for more.” The Tuckers won’t say how much the overall investment has cost, suffice it to say it was “sizeable”. As for Richard and Roger, they never had any doubts it would be worthwhile. “I knew it was going to work from day one,” says Richard. “I had seen it in Europe, and I knew we could do what other farmers had done. Some people do not leave the end of their drive before installing a robot system, but we had done our homework and knew what
we wanted, and what would work and what wouldn’t work.” As for the effect the robots have had on the quality of life and themselves… well they have changed it, and them, beyond all recognition, he insists. “Before the robots we would work from 4.30am to 7.30pm seven days a week, and were always tired. Now we work from 5.30am to around 7.00am with MIone and associated feeding and cleaning, and come back again at 4.00pm for an hour’s evening shift. Someone who hadn’t seen us for a while saw us not long ago, and said we looked like completely different people. It just sums-up how good the decision was to go robot milking.”
Above L to R: Phil Squires, Lee Lovegrove and Andrew Weinstein from South West Dairy Services The right choice. | 4
Feature: TCool tank / ExtraHeat
TCool – the intelligent tank goes to University
John Cameron, the Farm Manager at Woodpark Farm, University of Liverpool, chose the 10,000-litre capacity TCool tank from GEA Farm Technologies when looking to increase cooling capacity by replacing two smaller 3,000-litre tanks. Featuring the energy efficient STIL plates, which transfer heat from the milk, and including a digital dipstick, the tank is linked to the farm office computer, allowing tank cooling and cleaning performance to be monitored on a continuous and easily viewable display. Milk is collected every day from the 3 phase TCool operating with two 4 HP compressors.
In addition John saw the benefit of the ExtraHeat heat recovery system which captures otherwise wasted heat from the compressors and uses it to preheat water for parlour washing. Heating the water to 50 - 55ºC this system is becoming a popular choice both for its simplicity and cost saving benefits (see below). The ExtraHeat system can be fitted on most tank installations, subject to space available, and interested farmers should also check with their DEFRA contacts, as in many areas of the country such systems usually attract grant funding, making the investment payback even quicker.
Above: John Cameron with the TCool bulk tank
ExtraHeat - a brilliantly simple way to save money!
Cold water supply Heat recovery water holding tank 50ºC
Reduce your parlour water heating costs by up to 50%*
Brazed plate heat exchanger
Water heater 90ºC
To wash trough
Condensing unit can also be floor-mounted circulation pump
In order to recover energy from the compressor (that would otherwise be wasted), a heat exchanger containing refrigerant/water is installed in the cooling circuit between the compressor and a heat recovery water-holding tank. The water in the 5 | GEA Farm Technologies
holding tank is heated by gas during the milk cooling process, to reach a temperature of 50-55ºC. This water then passes into a conventional water heater where it is heated further to 90º ready for circulation cleaning.
*Cost savings will vary according to prevailing energy prices, individual consumption profiles and compressor running times, but can amount to 50% of the cost of heating water to clean the parlour.
Feature: AutoRotor milking parlour
“If you gave us our money back in a big heap we wouldn’t return to our old parlour!”
Above: The 60-point AutoRotor parlour at Longford Farm is designed for future expansion to 850 cows
When the Hartt family, from Longford Farm, Clunderwen, Pembrokeshire do anything they don’t do it by halves. That’s more than obvious from the fantastic new dairy facility they have built for their 700 Friesians there. It has clearly cost a few bob, yes, but it has taken the farm onto a whole new level of scale and professionalism, and has been worth every penny, insists Charlie Hartt, who has farmed at Longford for the best part of 40 years. Consisting of a brand new 240-foot long shed, the new facility houses the parlour, collecting yard, handling system and some dry cow housing adjacent to it. Taking centre stage of it all is a GEA 60-point rotary. It’s about as far removed from the tired, dark, 35 year-old 32:32 Westfalia
herringbone as it is possible to get. Compare the new with the old, and it’s little wonder that Charlie won’t have his old milking life back.
to see Henry and Edward through their farming careers in the same way that the old one had for Charlie any investment had to be right first time.
That parlour passed its sell by date from a working environment point of view some years ago, thanks to steady expansion in cow numbers. Although it was still technically sound, the milking was taking an unsustainable seven hours a day, and something had to give. The family was faced with either abandoning milking altogether or stumping-up for a complete new milking set-up. With farming in their blood, Charlie’s brother Henry and son Edward keen on dairying, and being situated in one of the UK’s best milk fields it was a natural choice to reinvest and carry on. But with any new parlour having
The decision on what system to opt for took the best part of two years, during which time the Hartts visited numerous different systems and parlours all over Europe. With ambitions to increase cow numbers to 800 or 850 a rotary was top of the hit list. “There would be too much walking up and down on a herringbone or fast exit for that many cows,” says Charlie. Having had a lifetime of good experience with Westfalia (now GEA Farm Technologies) products, and of the local dealer, RMS, Charlie saw no reason to change makes, although The right choice. | 6
Feature: AutoRotor milking parlour
investment,” adds Charlie. “I first saw them in Germany and thought they looked good. I had the IQs on trial in the old parlour with silicon liners, and liked them. Hardly any of them drop off as it is, but if they do they just cut out and there’s no contamination of the milk. They are definitely the way forward.” Holding and cooling the milk is a new energy saving 21,000 litre silo, which caters for Every Other Day Collection. Other energy saving technologies include VOD (Vacuum On Demand), which saves energy and makes the parlour quieter. Above: Charlie and Edward Hartt
there were, and are, cheaper rotaries on the market. “You get what you pay for and the quality of the GEA equipment is second to none,” he says. “My old Westfalia parlour had been very reliable, and my dealer had given us excellent service for over 25 years. You can’t just ignore that,” he adds. Building of the new facility started in August 2010, with the parlour being completed and milked in on 8 March 2011. Paying credit to RMS, Charlie says the installation was “fantastic”. Following their move into their new milking parlour the cows took only about two weeks to become fully accustomed to it. Coming with the parlour came the associated DairyPlan computerised management system to ensure all necessary management information about the cows’ yields and performance was collated, and pedometers were also fitted to aid heat detection. But the Hartts also opted for a range of other bells and whistles too. 7 | GEA Farm Technologies
In-parlour feeding was chosen to allow a more precise feed to yield system, over and above the out of parlour TMR regime. “Parlour feeding was a no brainer because it is relatively cheap to install on a rotary, and it does entice the cows to come on the platform quickly,” he adds. Another option to increase milking speed was retention bars, which allow high yielding or slow milking cows to be locked in on the platform for another circuit, rather than having to stop the parlour in its entirety to wait for them to finish. Both contribute to getting milking times to around 350 cows per hour with three people milking – one preparing the udders, one putting on the clusters and one person spraying the teats after milking.
Away from the parlour a new segregation and handling system has been installed to make management tasks simple and straight forward. This includes our PediCuRx selfemptying and filling footbath to help reduce digital dermatitis. “Emptying the bath and refilling it is one of those jobs that gets forgotten or left, so having an automatic system means the job gets done every time. It wasn’t cheap, but we’ve seen less
To help ensure the highest quality milk, our award winning IQ Clusters were also chosen. These are the only four way milking cluster on the market, and improve milk quality as well as simplifying management as the vacuum on the IQ cuts out if the cluster falls off. “The IQ Clusters have been a great
“The IQ Clusters have been a great investment,”
Feature: AutoRotor / UVPure
dermatitis, so it has been a good investment,” he adds. Now the investment is complete and the Hartt’s are up and running with their new unit the next stage is to maximise yields and cow numbers. Currently average yields are around 7,600 litres, and on the up in the new premises. On cow numbers, the new facility could go to 850 cows or so, and a new cubicle shed is being built to house the increasing number of animals adjacent to the new dairy building. However, sourcing those animals is currently easier said than done as Friesian cows are hard to come by at the moment, and the TB restrictions don’t make it any easier. When they do get hold of them, though, the final chapter of the farm’s impressive reinvestment and expansion project will be complete. And who knows where they’ll take
Above: Mounting the milk lines, receiver vessels and other equipment on the inside of the carousel protects it from becoming splashed and soiled during milking and washing down
the business from there. “We are set up now, and the business will continue to move forward,” concludes Charlie. “It has cost us a lot of money, but we
wouldn’t go back now to how we were. If you offered us all the money we have spent on it back in a nice big heap we wouldn’t take it and return to the old parlour. We just love what we have here now.”
Tune in to the wavelength for the new generation with the innovative
UVPure calf milk purifier UVPure uses ultraviolet light to eliminate harmful bacteria in milk and colostrum without affecting valuable nutrients. The UV light penetrates any bacterial cells within the milk, destroying the DNA and eliminating their ability to reproduce and grow. In the meantime all the vitamins, proteins and protective immunoglobulin remain intact to provide the best nourishment for your calves. It is completely automatic and integrates seamlessly into your calf feeding system. UVPure requires very little energy to run, enabling you to keep down electricity bills and support the environment.
Benefits of UVPure •
Less time and cost than traditional heat pasteurisation
•
Uses up to 92 percent less energy
•
Nutrients and immunoglobulin are not affected
•
Flexible and modular design for operations of any size
•
Easy to use with automated operation The right choice. | 8
GEA Farm Services
Have you got the green stuff? Get yours with our new range of lactic acid based teat disinfectants!
SalvoSpray and SalvoDip B are the latest stars in the world of teat dipping and spraying. The spray and barrier dip ensure that the teat skin stays smooth and supple so your cows can enjoy superb udder condition. The new formula makes use of the natural effect of lactic acid, which helps protect the teat and udder from pathogens.
Dairy Hygiene News
Clancourt herd achieve excellent m with the help of GEA Farm Techno For Brian Bosson herd manager of the Clancourt Herd, Broomsgrove Farm, Wiltshire, a change of the dairy hygiene products used led to a marked improvement in milk quality and herd health. With somatic cell counts now averaging 130,000/ml, down from over 200,000/ml, a low bactoscan average 10-12,000/ml and, in the last ten-week period, only one clinical case of mastitis detected, Brian has every reason to be satisfied. The herd of 120 cows, calved all year round with milk production just below 10,000 litres/cow, were already following the recognised mastitis control 5 point plan, with cows being dipped with Silkidip, a veterinary licensed iodine teat dip, and dry cow therapy with teat sealant administered on all cows
Both SalvoSpray and SalvoDip B offer: • Excellent disinfection performance thanks to the “LaXplosion” complex, whose powerful disinfection qualities will destroy mastitis-causing bacteria such as Staph aureus, E. coli and Strep uberis ; • Top quality six-fold care complex, including lactic acid, glycerine, allantoin, lanolin, polypropylene glycol and aloe vera, for smooth and supple teats; • Ready-to-use - no unnecessary mixing; • Available as 20, 200 and 1,000kg pack sizes.
SalvoDip B is a barrier teat dip for use post-milking. Its high viscosity ensures low drip to minimise wastage and maximise efficiency. It forms a viscous film that provides protection between milkings, remaining effective and visible several hours after treatment.
9 | GEA Farm Technologies
The change success was r prepare cows OxiCidePré, a GEA Farm Te automated fo thorough, fas happily recom “absolutely O control in our
Set in an idyllic of Warminster Farm Technolog manufacturing celebrated its 40t
SalvoSpray can be used pre- and post-milking and is suitable for use as a spray, foam or dip.
Free samples are available. For further details please visit our website or call your local GEA Farm Technologies dealer.
The milking m is serviced tw same time, is CircoPower A rinse.
Top: GEA Farm Technologies dairy hygiene manufacturing unit stands beside the picturesque River Wylye in Wiltshire Bottom: GEA Farm Technologies trucks deliver products to dealers all over the UK and to depots across Europe
Following its GEA Group in 2 investments, th factory is now dedicated dairy h plant in the UK. the highest qualit biocides and teat disinfectan and surpassing standards and r site at Warmins European centre Development i
GEA Farm Services
Sponsorship for Milk Hygiene Awards
s
milk quality ologies.
machine, a WestfaliaSurge 16:16 that wice a year with a liner change at the s hot washed twice a day using the AF/SFN system with PE5 for a final
to which Brian attributes most replacing the wet wipes he used to s teats before milking with the new a rapid acting sanitising pre-dip from echnologies. This is applied via an oaming dip cup making application st and efficient. Brian would now mmend this to others, commenting OxiCidePré is the key to mastitis r herd”
location south west Wiltshire the GEA gies dairy hygiene unit has recently th anniversary.
acquisition by the 2005 and subsequent he former Agroserve w the largest wholly hygiene manufacturing The factory produces ty circulation cleaners, veterinary licensed nts both meeting recognised industry regulation. With the ster now the GEA e of Research and into dairy hygiene
Above: Back L to R - Steve Taylor, GEA Farm Technologies; Ronnie Bell, Milk Link; Neil Kennedy, Milk Link. Front L to R - Mary Cook and Herdsman from M/S MW Nash & Partners, Richard Harvey
Above: Brian Bosson in the WestfaliaSurge 16:16 milking parlour
products and a new generation of advanced technology products is being produced alongside existing proven industry leading formulations. These new products are produced under state of the art manufacturing and packaging systems ready for efficient distribution via dedicated company own delivery lorries. With increasing legislation a major aspect of chemical manufacture and distribution the company is well equipped for the future both at the factory and in the field. With optimum dairy hygiene and mastitis control a key component of dairy farm profitability the GEA Farm technologies management and staff are committed to continued excellence in servicing dairy farmer needs to the very highest levels.
For six years now Milk Link has presented Milk Hygiene Awards to its members who attain the highest standards of milk quality. GEA Farm Technologies was delighted to be cosponsors of the 2011 Awards, which saw the first prize in the “producing less than 500,00 litres per year” category awarded to RA & GE Harvey from Devon. First prize in the category for “producing more than 500,000 litres per year” went to M/S MW Nash & Partners from Somerset, and winners of the Most Improvements in Hygienic Milk Quality prize were M/S MJ & C Stacey from Devon.
Meet the Farm Services Team
Above: Back L to R - Jenny Bowes, Chris Bisdee, Steve Taylor. Front: Sue Heath, Melanie Heath The right choice. | 10
Open day / Cow brushes
GEA Farm Technologies host open day at the Agricultural Buildings Show 27th March 2012 saw an early start for staff at the GEA Farm Technologies headquarters at Stoneleigh Park. The company was preparing to welcome dairy farmers who were visiting the Agricultural Buildings Show that was being held at the neighbouring exhibition halls.
the Houle slurry handling equipment part of GEA Farm Technologies’ Total Solutions package and take a more detailed look of some of the Houle range of equipment that was on view.
This was the very first opportunity that had presented itself for GEA Farm Technologies to open its doors publicly and welcome a group of visiting dairy farmers. On display at the event was the Royal De Boer livestock housing systems,
Above: Open Day for GEA Farm Technologies at the Agricultural Buildings Show
cubicle mattresses, together with the new Mullerup cow brushes. A short walk up to the GEA Farm Technologies’ headquarters enabled farmers to enjoy a free hog roast lunch. They could watch videos of
Those farmers planning on new building and dairy investments were also given a demonstration of the companies design and planning facilities with the CAD computer skills of Sarah Lawrie a dairy farmers daughter and recent recruit to the Technical Support team at GEA Farm Technologies. Find out more about our Dairy Design Centre on page 12.
New brushes improve cow comfort and welfare The E-Brush Rotating horizontal cow brush
Features of both brushes: • Long and short bristles maximise brushing efficiency; •
Bristles made of wear-resistant nylon to improve the longevity of the brush;
•
Automatically reversed start-up direction maximises brush life;
• The plastic shaft that holds the brush will break when overloaded to prevent damage to the brush and cow; Compact pendulum style enables easy integration into most livestock buildings.
11 | GEA Farm Technologies
•
Safety further ensured through guards for the motor and gear box and insulation to all components;
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Robust gear box, galvanised main frame and shock absorbers at the swing limit aid longevity;
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Optional clamps and fasteners enable clamping onto cubicle frames as well as wall-mounting.
The M-Brush Rotating angled cow brush
Angled construction allows cows to groom their sides and flanks as well as their backs.
Livestock housing solutions
Contact Sarah for building design services Our Technical Design Consultant Sarah Lawrie is heading up the Dairy Design Service, a free service which allows farmers to visit our facilities here at Stoneleigh Park and discuss their layout proposals in an interactive manner.
Royal De Boer brings housing benefits for your cows The Royal De Boer range of livestock housing equipment is part of the Total Solutions for dairy farmers from GEA Farm Technologies. The Royal de Boer product line together with Houle slurry equipment offers you superior livestock housing and slurry management systems. With many years of accumulated experience in planning, design, installation and support you your cows and your farm staff can expect improvements in labour productivity, profitability and above all peace of mind in making the right choice.
Cow comfort
Above: Sarah Lawrie at work on some building designs for a GEA Farm Technologies customer
Changes and alterations can be made as discussions progress throughout the meeting leaving a result that the farmer is happy with. It’s an excellent opportunity to get input from all parties involved and ensures that the end result is a successful one.
Feeding
Climate control
Cow handling
Hygiene Above: A design for a parlour building
Sarah, who studied architecture at university, was brought up on the family farm in Kinross-shire, Scotland. The family farm has a herd of 200 Pedigree Ayrshires that is milked in a WestfaliaSurge parlour. To book your visit to the Dairy Design Centre call 02476 692 333 or email sarah.lawrie@gea.com. The right choice. | 12
Feature: Slurry pump
New pump solves sand laden lagoon problems A new slurry pump from the United States is helping some UK contractors deal with large lagoons filled with difficult mix of sand and slurry. around the lagoon to get it in, and they generally create sand ridges within the lagoon beyond which nothing much will move anywhere. “These ridges then have to be dug out with a large Hi-Mac digger. But even then these diggers do not have the range that the Super Pump has. Houle has designed the pump to be the perfect solution for farms with sand and large lagoons.” One specialist muck and slurry contractor who invested in such a system last year is Jason Croft, of Above: The new pump can effectively agitate large lagoons and save money on diesel. DN Crofts and Sons at Wincanton, It also speeds up the process of emptying slurry. Somerset. Instead of sending a Sand - isn’t it just great for cows. It’s life has just got a whole lot easier for tractor and normal agitator a day or so before he has fantastic stuff. those who bed their cows been booked to on sand. The Houle Super empty a lagoon Sand - isn’t it just a nightmare. A Pump with adjustable Jason now nightmare for lagoons, for pumps, “gun” that fires out the sends his new for virtually everything once it has slurry with tremendous Super Pump in been kicked off the cubicle beds and force has been designed an hour or two mixed with slurry. The combination with the abrasive effect of in front of the eats metal, ruins pumps, clogs up sand and slurry in mind, slurry spreading lagoons, and makes agitation of and to cater for these ever tankers. Half of them virtually impossible. larger lagoons. Simply back the lagoon is the pump to the lagoon, stirred before With slurry lagoons becoming much crank up the PTO, and the they arrive, bigger as herd sizes increase, and gun will shoot the sand Above: Jason Croft so there is no with a requirement to fence them and slurry mix up to 120 “dead” time on all the way around, it is becoming feet. their arrival. virtually impossible to be able to gain sufficient access to adequately “A conventional propeller agitator is agitate them with conventional effectively useless in a heavily sand So effective is the Super Pump at equipment. Storage capacity, and laden slurry lagoon,” says Anthony agitating, and so fast at filling the top very expensive storage capacity Andrew, of Houle Farm equipment, loading tankers - around one and a given NVZ regulations, is being much now owned and sold in the UK by half minutes per 2,500 gallon tanker - that his record output is 175 loads reduced as a result. GEA Farm Technologies. in one day with five tankers, hauling Thanks to the introduction of a new “They don’t have the agitation range, the slurry a typical range of three to Super Pump from the US, though, there aren’t enough access points four miles. 13 | GEA Farm Technologies
Feature: Slurry pump / Scrapers
His most challenging task for the Super Pump was to empty a 500,000 gallon lagoon, which was eight foot deep in solid sand at one end and five foot deep at the other. “It was a tough job, and we had to add water, but eventually we did it. Our previous machine would not have moved the sand at all, it would have just drawnoff the water.” He was also asked to empty the lake at the Royal Bath and West Showground with the machine. Normally a Hi-Mac is hired to tackle that job. Another contractor, Dorset-based Ben Stretton, is also pleased with his Super Pump. He has been a muck and slurry contractor for seven years and previously had a conventional slurry pump, but this fell apart because of the abrasive nature of the sand. “I’ve had to replace the blades on the Super Pump because of sand wear, but they are designed to be easily replaceable,” he explains. His record is moving 190 Above: Ben Stretton loads in a single day, and 360 loads in two days using 2,000 gallon tankers. In a three and a half week period he emptied a staggering 18 lagoons. “I would have been doing these for ever with a conventional agitator and pump, and it would have cost a fortune stirring it,” he said. “I have never spread so much slurry in such a short space of time in my life,” he adds.
Cross-gutter scrapers - the answer to cleaning underground slurry channels Cross-gutter scrapers are used to clean underground channels of slurry, sand and foreign objects by positively displacing the slurry to one end of the channel. There are three kinds of cross-gutter scraper: •
Hydraulic systems work on a ram mounted in the bottom of the channel which uses ‘flaps’ that move the slurry in increments along the gutter.
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Chain systems move the slurry continuously along the channel with a ‘loop’ designed chain system.
•
Cable systems use a drive unit mounted above the channel in a dry, clean and accessible area. A cable is looped down and back up the channel and this pulls one or more cross-gutter scraper ‘boxes’ along the gutter.
In the cable system the box or boxes (up to five per drive unit) are of a very heavy construction and slide on 3/4 inch hardened steel runners. These runners are a replaceable wear item that, after many years of use, can be simply unbolted and refitted.
Above: a cross-gutter scraper box in a cable system
The forward motion of the box draws the slurry to the end, and on the reverse stroke a large ‘flap door’ is opened to allow slurry to pass through the box as it reverses. Then the process starts again with the flap door closed. Each box can move slurry from approximately 200 animals, so a 5-box system on a single drive unit could handle slurry from up to 1,000 cows. The drive units come in various sizes with the smallest able to move one box 235 feet and the largest able to move 5 boxes up to 600 feet. In the event of a failure, a box or boxes can be simply lifted out of the gutter for servicing or repair. The ½” galvanised steel cable is suspended in mid air all its life and so the wear on this is absolutely minimal. Of the three systems the cable scrapers undoubtedly offer the best longevity and lowest maintenance, although the capital cost is higher. Where sand -laden slurries are an issue a cable cross gutter scraper is by far the best solution. The right choice. | 14
New range of slurry spreaders
Introducing the range of EL 44 Spreaders Slurry tankers that are exceptional for strength, stability, flexibility and durability
Above: The EL44-4D fitted with a 7-metre shallow injection tool bar
GEA Farm Technologies is pleased to introduce their new high capacity Houle® slurry spreaders and injecting equipment to UK farming. The two “Steerable Series Spreaders” in the EL44 range include the twin axle EL44-4D with a capacity of 14,350 litres or 16,150 litres, and the EL44-6D range of four tankers, with capacities ranging from 19,750 litres to 25,100 litres. Both can be top filled in just a few minutes using a high capacity pump such as the GEA Houle® Super Pump, or can be vacuum filled. While this is slower than top filling, the vacuum pump only vacuumises a small front section of the tank and once this section has been filled the discharge pump takes over to fill rest of the tank. This is far quicker than ‘standard’ vacuum systems. The tank is manufactured in ¼ inch
thick steel, and the sides of the tanker are also fully welded both inside and out, meaning there are no places for the manure to lodge and attack the steel. We estimate that the build quality of the tankers should result in a life expectancy at least 12 years for heavy contractor use and at least 17 years for a farmer. A wide selection of spreading and injecting tools are available for fitting to the machines, and the discharge pump can be ordered with ‘Hard-Ox’ steel to cope with sand laden slurries. This steel (that such things as buck rake tines are made of) is stronger and lighter than cast iron steel, and thus wears far less. Both tankers come with air brakes as standard, which are based on technology from the American fire
truck industry. They also come with the GEA Houle® patented power steering and hydraulic suspension system, which ensures that both the tanker’s turning angle matches that of the tractor, and the weight of the tanker is evenly distributed on all wheels if one wheel goes into a dip. Other tankers tend to transfer the weight to the tractor when this happens, and it is the only steering system that is CE approved. Road safety is further improved by the fitting of baffles inside the tank to stop ‘surging’ of the slurry in the event of sudden braking. The specially chosen Galaxy 725/65 X26 tyres give a larger footprint than other tyres to reduce soil compaction and damage to vegetation. They also help to prevent sideways slippage on sloping ground, and eliminate strain on spreader hubs, axles and the chassis. Experience in Canada has shown that these tyres last three times longer than tyres fitted to competitor machines. “Houle slurry handling equipment is known to be the toughest, most durable on the market, and these new tankers are no exception,” says UK Sales Manager Anthony Andrew. “Large farmers and contractors will find them a real asset to their slurry spreading operations.”
To watch a video of the EL44 spreader please visit www.youtube.com/geafarmtechnologies 15 | GEA Farm Technologies
The MEA LTA scheme
GEA Farm Technologies puts weight behind new dairy technician training scheme GEA Farm Technologies is a full founder member of the Milking Equipment Association (MEA), and our Technical Director, Stewart Fraser is also the Associations chairman. Key objectives of the MEA include: •
To support the implementation of current standards in the supply, installation, maintenance, of milking equipment and encourage its efficient use.
•
To strive for best practice in respect of animal health and welfare and commit to both the education and improvements within the industry.
With this in mind, in 2011 the MEA launched the Technician Training and Accreditation scheme. This followed on from the successful and widespread adoption of a similar scheme in the land-based agricultural industry (LTA), so the milking industry should be able to benefit considerably from the experience gained. The MEA scheme has been designed to provide formal and structured training and accreditation for milking equipment technicians. For the current generation of time-served and trained technicians with many years of experience, there is provision to enable fast-track progress through
Above: A milking equipment technician services the Metatrons on a milking parlour
the scheme, thus enabling them to be granted formal and recognisable accreditation for their accumulated knowledge and skills. Together with other milking equipment manufacturers and alongside our own dealerships, GEA Farm Technologies is totally committed to the MEA’s scheme. At the time of publication all GEA Farm Technologies dealers have signed up. Over the coming months their dairy technicians will be receiving the required training and assessment before being issued with their formal certification. We firmly believe that dairy farms will see the long-term benefit of the scheme: certified technicians will be able to provide accurate and informed advice along with efficient servicing at the right
time, at the same time meeting the assurance needs of the dairy procurement industry. Looking slightly further ahead, changes are likely to hit the milking industry fairly imminently as a result of the ever-increasing use of new technology and automation on UK dairy farms. It is imperative that the dealer support and service industry is capable of meeting the different needs of dairy farmers that these changes will bring, and of attracting new high quality technicians into the industry to develop the knowledge and expertise that will be required in the future. Further details are available from www.milkingequipment.uk.com or from your GEA Farm Technologies dealer. The right choice. | 16
Feature: IQ Cluster
IQ cluster brings all-round benefits to Kingspool herd A change to the IQ Cluster at the award winning 350-cow Kingspool Holstein herd of Michael and Chris King at Iron Acton, just outside Bristol, has brought about significant animal welfare, milk quality and management improvements. The brothers opted to change their clusters to the IQ model, which milks each quarter separately, after a new vet – Tom Oxtoby, from the George Veterinary Group – noticed that there was significant teat-end damage on the front teats compared to the back ones. Tom Morgan from Kristal D&D then came and carried out flow rate tests and determined that the front ones were being significantly over-milked – by about two and half minutes on average. An analysis of mastitis records also revealed that 70% of mastitis cases were in the front teats. Although milk quality was top band and cell counts were consistently below 200* the staff constantly had to swim against the tide to keep it there, says Michael King. And with yields around 10,000 litres the existing cluster bowls were also not big enough to cope with the milk flow, and the front teats were sitting in the teat cup shells for too long after milking out was completed. A change of cluster was the 17 | GEA Farm Technologies
obvious course of action, and the new IQ Clusters were duly chosen. September saw their installation. The IQ was attractive because of its ease of handling and milk quality benefits – in that each teat has its own chamber. Any mastitic or infected milk from one quarter cannot infect another, therefore. A ball within the cluster also ensures that the vacuum is cut off if a cluster falls off, which again helps milk quality. It also makes the parlour much quieter. The IQ Clusters are also much lighter than the previous ones at 2.4kg compared to 2.8kg, with lighter shells on the front and heavier ones at the rear to help prevent over-milking.
Above: The IQ Cluster ready to be attached
Since the change the cell count is consistently around 130 to 150, with bactoscans ranging from 9* to 13*. The number of mastitis cases have also been reduced, although they have not been in long enough for a full comparison. An analysis of the herd records since their installation indicates that mastitis rates are 55% on the rear, and 45% on the front quarters – which is a more normal ratio. Milking speeds are similar to the old clusters certainly no slower. “We’re really pleased with the IQ Clusters,” says Michael. “They stay on extremely well with no liner slip, and if the odd one does the vacuum is shut off and it won’t suck any muck or water up. They are better for the cows, better for us and better for our milk buyer as our cell counts have improved. I would definitely recommend them to other farmers,” he adds.
Above: The IQ Cluster in action
*Bactoscan and cell count abbreviated but refer to ‘000s/ml
IQ Cluster
IQ - Have you got it? The IQ Cluster truly takes milking and milk quality to a new level Since its introduction in 2010, more and more UK dairy farmers are seeing the many benefits of IQ - the world’s first four way milking cluster. In a traditional milking cluster the milk collected in the four teat cup liners is combined in the claw bowl before being discharged into the long milk tube.
In the IQ Cluster, the milk is collected in four separate guide chambers that have an in-built ball valve. This eliminates the risk of crosscontamination between quarters via the milking cluster.
The ball valve in each chamber also acts as an automatic vacuum shut-off that prevents large quantities of air from rushing into the milking system.
This reduces the risk of dirt being sucked into the system during cluster application, and also aids vacuum stability at the teat end - therefore having a positive effect on both milk quality and udder health.
And that’s not all! Because the pulse tubes are connected internally to the pulsation block on the IQ Cluster, the whole unit is much slimmer than a conventional milking cluster. This makes it more difficult for cows to kick the cluster off, so less time is spent reattaching units.
Benefits of IQ • • •
Unique design prevents intramammary cross-infection; Improves milk quality, milk yields and milking times; Easy cluster attachment improves operator efficiency.
Plus • Narrow profile - suits rear-leg and side-leg milking; • Redistributed weight gives excellent adherence to the udder; • Individual quarter design for optimal milk flows; • Unrestricted milk flow with 1-piece liner; • Low cleaning and maintenance schedule; • 5-year warranty available.
Upgrade your milking clusters NOW! Trade-in offer on IQ Clusters is available on request. The right choice. | 18
Invest in your future with the DEFRA FFIS The Farm and Forestry Improvement Scheme (FFIS) offers grants of up to 40% are available on GEA Farm Technologies machinery that will help farmers and agricultural contractors to improve performance.
HeatWatch activity monitoring for improved cow health Livestock housing accessories for improved animal welfare PediCuRx automatic foot bath to improve animal welfare IQ Cluster fourway milking cluster for improved cow health
FFIS Qualifying Criteria
ExtraHeat heat recovery for reduced energy usage
Investments have to meet at least one of the following objectives: • Improve animal health and welfare; • Reduce energy usage; • Improve the management of manures/ farm nutrients; • Improve soil quality; • Improve water resource management; • Improve use of forestry resources.
Vacuum-on-Demand for reduced energy usage UVPure calf milk purification for better calf health
Here are just some of the Total Solutions from GEA Farm Technologies that could qualify.
Futuro - pumps sandladen slurries for improved animal health
Sureflush cluster flushing for improved animal health
For information on any of our products, simply complete the form below and fax or send it as follows:
Faxback 02476 698 398 or place in an envelope and send it FREEPOST to FREEPOST RSSZ-GKEA-LJXJ, GEA Farm Technologies (UK) Ltd, Marketing Department, Kenilworth, CV8 2LG
Please indicate which products you are interested in: AutoRotor
Name: Address:
EL 44 Spreader IQ Cluster Tel:
Mobile:
M-Brush/E-Brush MIone
Email:
SalvoSpray/SalvoDip B Super Pump
Current herd size:
TCool
Existing parlour:
UVPure
Do you expect to purchase a new parlour/robot?
When?
Other (please specify)
GEA Farm Technologies (UK) Ltd Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2LG Tel. 02476 692 333 Fax 02476 698 398 info.geafarmtechnologies.uk@gea.com www.gea-farmtechnologies.co.uk