Kirtlebank Farm, near Gretna, will open its gates on the 1st of September to let curious farmers see its two new dairy robots in actions. Craig and Alison Moffat will host the event, alongside manufacturer DeLaval and dealer Mathers Ltd to show how the robots have improved cow health and productivity.
“Four generations have farmed here, and we have recently entered a new era by investing in two DeLaval VMS 310 milking robots. We were milking in a herringbone that my father installed in 1996, so the improvement the new building and the robots have made has been significant,” Mr Moffat said.
He says that milk yields have since increased to 11,305 litres per cow, while mastitis cases have almost disappeared and SCCs have dropped from 175 to 85. The robots milk 127 of the 175 milkers in a hybrid arrangement that sees 48 cows milked in the old parlour to feed two milk vending machines.
“We have chosen to milk the lower yielding cows in the parlour to supply a vending machine opposite the farm and another at the Caledonia Park outlet village. The robots are better suited to maximising yield from more productive cows, and we have housed them in a new shed with a guided system that is working well,” he said.
Using a guided system, the Moffats have been able to feed less concentrate at the robots, encouraging the coews to eat a higher energy TMR and reducing costs. On average, each cow passes the selection gate 11.5 times and is only given access 2.8 times per day.
“Finding reliable staff and the amount of time we were dedicating to milking was unsustainable. The cows are happier and healthier as a result of choosing their own milking patterns and I have more time to focus on AI and foot trimming,” he said.
The farm has also installed DeLaval Repro, a progesterone testing system that takes daily samples from milk for heat detection. “We load cassettes of sample sticks that the system uses to collect and test milk from each cow individually. The data is fed into the DelPro management system which gives us information about every cow. It is more accurate and has made heat detection so much easier.”
The open day will take place on the 1st of September from 10am to 3pm. To book places, farmers can go to www.delaval.com or call Mathers Ltd on 01387 254171 or 01228 514161.