When looking after herds of animals on a dairy farm, it’s easy to get stuck in the daily routine of feeding, milking and dealing with slurry.

Chris Newey, a dairy specialist and one of T H WHITE’s representatives, talks through how a dairy open day can help to freshen things up around the farm.

Chris says: “Although many of the farmers I talk to say they find comfort in their routines, we can sometimes overlook ways to improve things with new ideas. This is where a farm open day can be really inspiring.

A T H WHITE dairy open day is a loosely structured farm visit to see new technology in use and new ways of doing things while speaking to representatives from a variety of specialists. On the 8th November we ran an open day at the Barkers’ farm in Winslow, Buckinghamshire in partnership with DeLaval, our main dairy supplier.

The Barkers have recently installed two DeLaval VMS milking robots and are keen to talk to other dairy farmers about how this technology has helped their business. We are delighted to say that farmers from all over the country turned up for the chance to see how the robots looked in action and how they fit into the farm as a whole. The day was very relaxed. Farmers started to arrive from around 9:30 and then drifted in and out through the rest of the day. Everyone mingled and chatted together, and there were plenty of dairy specialists around for anyone with a specific question.

• MegaFan were there, talking about the importance of temperature control, airflow in the barn and avoidance of heat stress in the summer.
• ForFarmers UK were there to offer feed advice and give some valuable insights.
• DeLaval were there as our main supplier with VMS milking robot specialists on hand.

“My customers tell me it’s great to have this easy going, informal and informative day to allow them the space to ask questions in a relaxed atmosphere. We are all keen to learn about new ways of doing things and the changes affecting dairy. Farmers really appreciate the chance to get clear information and the freedom of an open day allows them to ask the questions they feel passionate about. Some like to attend several to understand how adopting new technology might affect them”.

T H WHITE run open days regularly throughout our coast to coast territory in the south of England.

Talk to Chris Newey today on 07880 798 475 or email chris.newey@thwhite.co.uk to attend our next dairy open day or find out about our latest ways to support dairy farmers.

See milking in action at two farms this Autumn:

Join the Barker Family to see milking with their two VMS 300s.

Wednesday 8th November, 10am to 2pm

At North Hill Farm, Winslow, Aylesbury Road, Bucks, MK18 3LF

Refreshments are available throughout the day

Meet the team at our new depot: Attleborough in Norfolk at the Walker Family’s Farm.

A great opportunity to see your new T H WHITE Attleborough team and view the Walker Family’s 50 degree 26 x 52 Swing over midiline Herringbone parlour, with Silo and CWC.

Thursday 16th November, 10am to 2pm

At Hall Farm, Deopham Road, Attleborough, Norfolk, NR17 1YG

Refreshments are available throughout the day

To register for the above events, email simone.barker@thwhite.co.uk.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Trevor Johnson (with Martha) and Chris Newey from T H WHITE Dairy outside the four DeLaval VMS parlours.

Choosing to invest in robotics seems to be a popular decision for many UK farmers these days, for many different reasons. So when a robotic system forms part of a greenfield development project and a new dairy facility is conceived on a ‘blank sheet of paper’, it’s easy to see how utilising a combination of robotics can really make the benefits add up.

Addingrove Farm is a 240 acre dairy farm located near Aylesbury, with approximately 300 cows on-site and is a joint venture between P J Johnson & Sons and Chilton Home Farms Ltd which is run by the Johnson family. Together with nearby Canon Court Farm, also part of the estate, a total of nine DeLaval VMS^TM V310 robotic milking stations and a host of robotic assistants have been planned into a sizeable development scheme.

Situated on heavy clay ground where crops, unlike grass, are difficult to grow, Addingrove has naturally focused on dairy farming. The new facility went from greenfield site to state-of-the-art shed in just over a year, with DeLaval robotic equipment supplied and installed by Chris Newey and the T H WHITE Dairy team. The build commenced in January 2022 and was ready to accept cattle in March this year. With a capacity to house 220 cows, the fully-slatted shed has a huge 5.5M litre underground space. ‘You could fit a multi-storey car park under here’, Chris smiles. The excavated earth was re-used to create adjacent land banks with a series of oak tree plantations, in the interests of reaching carbon neutrality. To aid this goal further, an environmentally-friendly ‘bubbler’ slurry management system was installed to reduce the volume of methane produced, by aerating the muck – all helping to futureproof the shed from upcoming changes in methane regulations.

The hugely impressive facility at Addingrove Farm.

Prior to investing in the DeLaval VMS system, Trevor Johnson visited 17 robotic farms nationwide during an extensive research phase, ensuring the most successful products and processes were brought on-board. ‘We saw the DeLaval system as the way forward, as it clearly improved hygiene, animal welfare, productivity and ultimately, profitability’, he says.

Four robotic DeLaval VMS 310 systems were installed in early Spring and milking quickly began in mid-March. The reason for the cows successful adjustment from conventional to robotic milking is simple, according to Trevor. ‘There are no humans involved, so the cattle are very happy’, he states. ‘A natural pecking order has been set within the herd, there’s no need to force them to get milked at a certain time, and no lengthy queues or lame cows standing on concrete. They’re incredibly content and I’m delighted with how quickly they’ve adjusted.’

Indeed, ‘cow comfort’ is high on the agenda at Addingrove. Cattle lay on water beds for maximum comfort and hygiene, in what looks and feels like a five-star environment for cows. As Trevor recalls, ‘one visiting vet was quite taken with the water beds and noted how the cows were lying, commenting: ‘‘Clever cows tuck their tail under, comfy cows don’t need to. While they’re laying so comfortably, they’re actually making good milk.’’

As soon as installation was complete, it was noted that some of the cows proved to be ‘early-adopters’ – walking through all four robotic stations to try them out, before settling on a favourite machine. Trevor explains: ‘The whole idea is that during lactation, they don’t need to leave the shed other than to graze in the Summer. The mobility of the herd is very important, so the robotics, combined with the new layout, have done wonders to improve the constant flow throughout the shed.’

The DeLaval OptiDuo Robotic Feed Pusher at work.

The four VMS parlours.

Robotic milking in action.

The upper level area at the new facility is equally impressive, containing a number of spaces to support a wide range of activities. This includes a space to sell milk direct to the public through vending machines, a fitted kitchen, a computer & CCTV room, offices, and a large 40 seater meeting room – perfect for Young Farmers and local agricultural working groups to hold gatherings – as well as providing a superb viewing gallery which overlooks the herd below.

From left to right: The vast 5.5 million litre capacity slurry pit, DeLaval cooling tank, meeting room and viewing area.

In addition to the DeLaval VMS^TM system, T H WHITE Dairy have supplied Addingrove with a series of robotic assistants and specialist equipment to enhance overall productivity:

DeLaval OptiDuo^TM Robotic Feed Pusher: travels up and down the feed fence, pushing feed back to the cattle for easier access – keeping the feed rotated, bacteria-free, cool and fresh. This unit makes approx 8-9 active passes a day. Trevor explains, ‘The more often you push the feed, the more the cows move, the more they eat, and the more milk they generate.’

DeLaval Robotic Scraper: ‘This pushes slurry down the slats autonomously and thoroughly, with sensors built into the slatted floor that give the scraper instructions as to where to go,’ Chris points out. ‘It’s also quiet, so doesn’t bother the cows’.

DeLaval Cow brush: several brushes are on hand to provide a convenient, ergonomic and safe way for cows to scratch themselves in the shed.

Handling Race: features an automated gate opening which channels cows into a designated semi-circular area, where they receive hoof treatment, ear tagging, fly dabbing plus a dedicated footbath on the way out. Support from two staff is required to help direct the cows and carry out treatments.

DairyLight lighting: aids the cows’ sleep pattern and overall well-being. Alternating between red (for night-time) and blue/white light, helps regulate body clocks by exposing cows to a continuous spectrum of light for 16 -18 hours per day. Leads to increased yields, reduction in carbon footprint and increased profits.

From left to right: DeLaval OptiDuo Robotic Feed Pusher, DeLaval Robotic Scrapers & Cow Brushes, Handling Race and DairyLight Lighting.

Contact Chris Newey at the T H WHITE Dairy team on 07880 798475 for more info on DeLaval’s comprehensive range of products and our bespoke design engineering service.

Delaval has recently surpassed the £10,000,000 milestone for value of InService All-Inclusive performance plans offered to UK Dairy farmers

This milestone acknowledges and celebrates the relationships DeLaval and UK dealers have with the Dairy farming community with plans spanning conventional milking, rotary systems and VMS operations.  It secures the future of hundreds of farms across the country giving farmers peace of mind regarding their milk yields and milk quality at a budgeted, fixed cost.

With a DeLaval InService all-inclusive service contract in place, your milking business is totally taken care of. You simply select the DeLaval consumables you use, and the term of the contract, then we will deliver all of these products as well as the scheduled servicing, routine maintenance, cleaning routines, and expert advice all for a fixed cost. Now that’s true peace of mind.

Our Dairy Mobile Shop specialists have regular routes across the south of England servicing these plans and can provide additional products to our customers as needed.  So whether you require pumps, chemicals, detergent or liners we are on hand to provide and top up your InService plans.

Call us or visit one of our Dairy branches to arrange an InService plan or a regular visit from one of our Mobile Shops

DeLaval robot scraper RS450S

We have a packed line up of fantastic shows for the second half of 2023 so come along, we’d love to see you there.

Our Agricultural division is keeping busy hosting the following events:

• 16th & 17th August – Our own customer Combine Harvester event at Gatcombe: Aston Farms, Gatcombe Park, GL6 8JX
• 2nd September – Moreton in Marsh Show in Gloucestershire: Batsford Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucs, GL56 0AB
• 9th September – USK Show in Monmouthshire: Llancayo Farm, Gwehelog, Usk, Monmouthshire, NP15 1HY
• 9th September – Kington Show at Kington: The Ovals Farm, Kington, HR5 3LN
• 14th September – Tillage Live at Cottage Lane, Twycross, Atherstone, Warks, CV9 3QH
• 21st September – Pro Agri Tillage Event location TBA
• 23rd September – Averbury Ploughing Match at Galteemore Farm, Beckhampton, Wilts, SN8 1QJ
• 15th & 16th November – Manitou Ride & Drive Event & Demonstration Day at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, WR13 6NW
• 28th November – Frome Market Livestock Auction at Frome Market in Somerset

Our Dairy division is looking forward to:

• 9th September – Frome Agricultural and Cheese Show, at West Woodlands Showground, Somerset
• 4th October – See both our New Holland and T H WHITE ProAgri teams at The Dairy Show at Bath and West Showground in Somerset

Look out for us at various careers shows through 2023.

A hoofcount footbath reduces herd lameness and helps reduce cost, while offering you total control over the way the footbath works.

With the average cost of each individual case of lameness being more than £300, an automatic footbath is a valuable investment to ensure every cow receives the best preventative care. The Hoofcount difference is the flexibility offered with set up as the footbath itself, counter, chemical concentration and frequency are all selected by you – then set by our engineer for a worry-free installation.

Excel Footbath

Up to 3.7 metres long, with an internal width of 600mm, this bath allows three dips per hoof and is ideal for 200 plus herds and rotary systems. Strong, stainless steel side sheets keep the chemical in the bath and also ensure cows cannot step on the bath sides. This gives you total peace of mind regarding making the best use of the footbath.

Robot Footbath

Robotic parlours need special consideration when installing footbaths as space may be tight. This is why Hoofcount recommend a system sized to meet your needs, which may be a smaller size than other installations. Talk to your installer to get the best size for you.

Standard Footbath

The standard Hoofcount footbath is up to 3 metres long, with an internal width of 800mm. This choice of bath allows two dips per hoof and is usually used in smaller herds.

Talk to your T H WHITE rep today about our range of Hoofcount footbaths.

As the mercury rises outside, bacteria find it easier to grow. The American Department of Agriculture states that bacteria grow more rapidly when temperatures rise above 4 °C (anywhere warmer than a fridge); sometimes doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes.

The Delaval Farmer Footbath (Part No 86806901) helps you keep unwanted bacteria on the outside of the barn. This perfectly sized footbath allows reduced use of disinfectant thanks to the foam in the tray. Tray depth allows the whole foot to be covered in disinfectant and the imaginatively shaped sides minimise disinfectant splashing. This solution offers improved disinfection rates when compared to regular mats. Tested and approved for use together with Delaval Peradis disinfectant solution; an environmentally friendly concentrated liquid sanitiser.

Both available now from your T H WHITE mobile dairy shop salesperson, or your usual rep.

All prices quoted are without VAT

Did you apply for the Farming Equipment & Technology grant?

Here’s below a list of eligible items from Dairy specialist DeLaval, available to take away from dairy based branches of T H WHITE.Talk to your T H WHITE rep or Dairy Van Sales specialist for costs and to find out more.

From left to right: Jim Barker, Ian Barker and Chris Newey from T H WHITE Dairy.

There’s a lot going on at North Hill Farm these days. If it’s not the production of the highly popular ‘Udderly Fresh’ range of raw milk products, or the ‘poo power’ partnership with Arla to create environmentally-friendly BioGas, it’s the stream of happy cows using two newly-installed DeLaval VMS^TM V300 robotic milking stations!

Located just outside Aylesbury, Ian Barker has been running the 250 acre farm since 1978. He’s seen a lot of change since then, both in terms of the wider industry’s ever-increasing reliance on new technology and the impact this has had on the diversification of his own farming business.

It was just after the summer of 2021, when this impact was arguably felt most keenly. Following the disruption caused by the pandemic, recruiting new milking staff became even more of a challenge – so much so, that Ian, together with his son Jim, decided the most sensible solution was to take the plunge and invest in robotics.

A six-month period of research followed, where the leading robotics brands were witnessed in action, tested and reviewed – with DeLaval ultimately emerging as the brand of choice. Why? Jim explains: ‘It was a combination of things really. The overall quality and advanced functionality were clear to see, but it was the fact that the DeLaval approach was the closest match to the way we’ve always liked to milk – seeing our traditional parlour processes mirrored in that way made a lot of sense to us.’

Voluntary milking without the queuing.

Fast forward to April 2022 and the deal had been done with Chris Newey at T H WHITE Dairy – installation following shortly after, and both robotic stations going live in January 2023.

A key benefit of VMS is the ease with which the cows take to the new system, due to the lack of human interaction. Ian explains: ‘We’re experiencing so many efficiencies, as the cows have established a natural hierarchy, with some choosing to be milked 6-7 times a day! An average milking session takes 7mins, delivering a 10-12kg yield, so the numbers are taking care of themselves with minimal inputs from us.’

Each teat is first washed then milked, with all teats individually monitored for yield and milk flow.

DeLaval’s ‘3D Camera’, which effectively ‘sees’ in the same way as a human eye, was regarded as a huge plus by the Barkers – as was the ability to closely monitor individual teats. The camera locates each teat one-at-a-time and accurately sprays the teats with Pre Dip, followed by a separate cleaning cup, which prepares each teat for milking. Then, using the 3D camera, the robot arm attaches each cluster cup one-by-one. Sensors detect when each teat has hit its expected yield – so when milk flow ceases, the cups are removed at the right time to avoid any harm coming to the cow, followed by a post dip spray directly on to the teat.

Indeed, robotic milking is understood to be highly beneficial for herd welfare. ‘Cows avoid queuing on concrete for six hours a day, greatly reducing lameness. They’re milked when it suits them, rather than when forced, so the milk is improved in both quality and quantity.’ Jim adds.

Robotics have allowed Jim to spend more time on the raw milk side of the business – something which would have proved difficult otherwise. The VMS system is currently employed across 90% of the herd, with 10% milked separately in a ‘micro dairy’ parlour, producing the raw milk used in the Udderly Fresh products. The Barkers aim to integrate the whole herd under robotics going forward, with a third robotic station already planned to address an increased herd count

Contact Chris Newey at T H WHITE Dairy on 07880 798475 for more info on DeLaval’s Voluntary Milking Systems.

Take advantage of our great Dairy aftermarket products this quarter (1 May – 31 August) from barn automation to Hoofcare and convection fans, and water troughs.  Speak to your Dairy mobile shop sales representative to reserve any of these products within your order, or contact one of our Dairy branches today.

Yesterday, a damp, chilly April morning, saw well over 60 dairy farmers from around 40 farms arrive at the Jeynes family farm to see the V300 milking robots in action.  The Jeynes family have installed two of the latest milking robots from DeLaval and are so pleased with the results of the machines, they are adapting another barn to house a 3rd robot.

The DeLaval V300’s three dimensional camera connects to the cow faster and more efficiently than other milking robots, allowing an easier, more relaxed throughput.

A smooth and quiet action makes the VMS V300 series a positive experience for cows and for workers; and without the need to spend 8 to 10 hours a day milking, farmers and staff now have the freedom to be more productive on other tasks that benefit farm profitability.

The V300 range is also a true voluntary milking system that works with nature to foster healthier, calmer cows, which means better longevity, productivity, reproduction and yield. With a dedicated preparation cup and four ICAR approved milk meters (one for each teat), the vacuum, pulsation and take off are adjusted automatically for each teat, resulting in superior udder health.

Chris Newey, T H WHITE Dairy Sales Manager said “Staffing issues are something we all struggle with in dairy and these robots really help with that. In fact, farmers tell us that with a robot, they can be much more time-flexible.”

A huge thank you to the Jeynes family for hosting this interactive day.  We at T H WHITE are delighted with the response from our dairy customers to learn more about this new technology, and believe the DeLaval V300 series offers the most advanced robotic milking on the market. Please talk to your Dairy sales rep or Mobile Shop rep for more information on the full DeLaval robotic range and other ways in which we can support your Dairy farming operation.

Products that work, from a trusted, knowledgeable supplier at a great price.

With a busy dairy farm you need products that do the job without the hassle. Hygiene plus, the specialist dairy range from T H WHITE does just that. Our two best selling products lead the way in reliable, hassle free care for your herd.

Puralact Teatcare C2-M-HAL76-21 combines the benefits of lanolin, aloe vera and vitamin E for an excellent, calming skin conditioner. Dilute 7:1 with water and simply coat teats in the solution. Available in a 25 litre drum from all T H WHITE dairy stores and from your dairy delivery van at £108.68 plus VAT.

Hoofcare Advanced C2- HCA20 is a concentrated footbath solution free from formalin with healing biocides, copper and zinc. This fast acting cleanser will disinfect and heal. Available in a 25 litre drum from all T H WHITE dairy stores and from your dairy delivery van at £74.00 plus VAT.

Hygiene Plus, a range from T H WHITE that offers reliable and hard working products designed for hard working dairy farmers.

When the Norfolk dairy business Taylor IMS decided to close activities, a pledge was made by T H WHITE to invest in the Attleborough based operation and take on the additional territory to support dairy farmers on the eastern side of the UK.

With this extended DeLaval territory, T H WHITE will now be providing Dairy sales, service and parts from coast to coast as the largest southern dealer in the UK.  Dairy depots in Frome, Somerset and Huntley, Gloucestershire will be supplemented with the additional facility in Attleborough, Norfolk resulting in a new trading areas stretching from Wales to Norfolk.

Adding Attleborough and this extended territory aligns with strategic aspirations to grow our Dairy network, assist farmers in the region and create a more sustainable business, giving us the scale to better meet customer needs.  Taylor IMS is closing its business activities and we are pleased to confirm that we have employed Taylor IMS staff to continue to support existing customers and grow our business in the east of the UK.

We welcome Steve Taylor looking after capital sales, Craig Taylor and David Webb as VMS Dairy Technicians with Craig also coordinating service work, and Ben Taylor joins our Dairy van sales team.

Adrian Lovegrove, Divisional Director for T H WHITE said “We are very excited about this project, and we’ll strive to establish, maintain, and grow relationships with Taylor IMS customers”. DeLaval’s Country Commercial Manager, Scott Patrick added “T H WHITE’s proven record as a professional, customer-focused and trusted partner will allow us to get closer to our customers and provide the best possible service to help dairy farmers with their daily challenges”.

The new T H WHITE branch will keep it’s existing opening hours and is located at Baconsthorpe Farm, Ellingham Road, Attleborough, Norfolk, NR17 1YQ. Telephone 01953 550 260.

Steve Taylor of Taylor IMS said of the move “We are delighted to become part of T H WHITE and can re-assure our customers they will continue to see the same friendly faces offering the very best customer service with our new dealer brand”.

This territory expansion will take effect on the 1st March, with Taylor IMS winding up activities thereafter.

EasyStride™ is a premium hoof care biocide developed to manage hoof infections by limiting the spread of bacteria in your herd. Since it’s formulated with a new environmental approach using organic acids, it is safe and compliant with even the most demanding requirements from modern dairy processors.

• Free of heavy metals, formaldehyde and quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC)
• Highly effective hoof care solution
• Applicable via hoofbath or spray

Speak to your our Dairy team or your Dairy van salesperson to order EasyStride today.

It’s a year on since Brandon Wilcox transferred into a full time role as Slurry Specialist for T H WHITE Dairy so we dropped in on him to learn what led him to Dairy and what the last year has held.

Brandon grew up around farms so it’s no surprise he’s passionate about farming and working in the industry.  His story begins in Wedmore in Somerset, where he grew up on a family farm and was tinkering with machinery as early as he could walk.  Brandon recalls most school holidays spent helping out on farm.  He studied farm mechanisation at Lackham college, before assisting a team of steel frame building installers and then embarking on several years of farm contracting – mainly spreading and harvest support.

Brandon joined T H WHITE in 2019 as a parts advisor at our Frome depot and spent a year increasing his machinery knowledge then challenged himself to move into tractor sales promoting Case IH, Pottinger and Bednar throughout the South West.  Our slurry specialist at that time was retiring and Brandon was keen to add more skills under his belt so stepped up to the opportunity.  He already had relationships with many of our mixed farmers and the variety of the job appealed.  A typical day can be anything from conducting a farm survey to compile a quotation, guiding engineers on slurry solutions, commissioning kit ready for delivery or visiting new customers to promote our slurry offering.

‘With innovative and varied solutions on offer from leading suppliers like DeLaval, Bauer, Hispec, Ktwo, and Mastek, the equipment sells itself,’ Brandon says.  ‘We’ve got some of the best brands out there.’

For example, Brandon recently recommended the supply of a 12m Mastek dribble bar to W F H Francis & Son farmers based near Bath.  This specific width allowed his client to successfully applicate slurry down the tramlines of his corn fields without the risk of damaging crop.  Another carefully recommended solution was the install of a separator at Wiltshire College Lackham campus where the team were looking to maximise storage capacity to separate solid from liquids for umbilical pump out.

He recently sold two 2600 gallon HiSpec tankers to James Bolton Agricultural Contractors, Somerset, when they requested a fleet upgrade, and this specific model was fitted with lazy arm suction, minimise the number of times the operator has to get in and out of the seat during his daily shift.  Working collaboratively with G B Gibbons, another success story was the specifying and delivery of a brand new 750,000 cubic m slurry store to Wareham Partners allowing them to upscale their storage needs within the current capacity legislation.  This solution was installed roof ready and with the ability to extend the store.  Brandon enjoys his direct relationships with customers as well as collaborating with his colleagues in the sales teams across T H WHITE to identifying opportunities.

Brandon goes on to say, ‘Farming is like no other sector.  It’s an addiction, like a drug.  Once you are in, you’re often in for life and its hard to stop.  I am always keen to serve my customers; to fully understand their needs and help make their operations more efficient.  I enjoy Dairy more than selling tractors as I feel closer to my customers – like one of the family really.  I care that I am instrumental in helping their businesses operate efficiently – and that’s truly satisfying.

Mirroring dairy farming hours means Brandon doesn’t find much free time, but when he does he plays rugby for Cheddar and has aspirations to travel the world in the future.

To learn more about T H WHITE Slurry solutions give Brandon a call on 07850 301575 or email him on brandon.wilcox@thwhite.co.uk.

Said Mabrouk has been in post as a Dairy Engineer with T H WHITE Dairy in Frome for almost two months now – and is loving every minute of it.

Already, he’s found himself busy with multiple projects ranging from the design of heat recovery and refrigeration systems through to installations, service breakdowns and site visits. He is slotting into his new team environment nicely it seems, complementing the skills already present in the team with his broad-based M&E experience in commercial refrigeration and air conditioning.

“I’m a team player that likes to problem-solve,” he says. “I’m currently working closely with my colleagues, making up a team of three. We all like to share ideas and pool our knowledge, so this is the ideal way to start my new role. I’m looking forward to undergoing more company training over the coming weeks, and learning about our customers needs in more detail.”

Before life at T H WHITE, Said was self-employed for 15 years, working on a variety of commercial refrigeration projects. Prior to that, he studied at Bath College, gaining several qualifications in M&E and H&S.

Said lives in Filton, Bristol with his wife, daughter and pet cat. In his spare time, he likes to keep fit by going to the gym as well as swimming whenever he can – all fitted around regular shopping trips with his daughter!

A very warm welcome to T H WHITE, Said.

To get in touch with Said about your dairy engineering requirements you can reach him on 01373 465941 or email said.mabrouk@thwhite.co.uk

When it comes to providing the right machinery for the job, Hi-Spec Engineering can certainly demonstrate an impressive track record. It comes as little surprise therefore, that T H WHITE Dairy has seen sales of Hi-Spec slurry tankers and side spreaders double in the last year!

Encompassing the design, manufacture and supply of tankers, pumps, spreaders, trailing shoes and whisks among other agricultural products, this family run business has grown considerably since their inception in 1988 – and is rapidly becoming the number one choice for tankers among UK dairy farmers.

The Hi-Spec 3500 TD-S Slurry Tanker in action.

High quality, reliability and innovation have been watch words throughout Hi-Spec’s development, and this approach has seen them forge a strong relationship with the team at T H WHITE Dairy.

“Hi-Spec are one of the leading tanker and spreader specialists in the UK and Europe, and we’re delighted to have been working with them over the last ten years”, says Brandon Wilcox, sales rep at T H WHITE Dairy. “They always ensure good and timely availability of the right stock and the feedback we receive from our customers when it comes to Hi-Spec product is second to none” he adds.

The Hi-Spec 1000 Side Spreader in action.

The Hi-Spec 385 Slurry Pump in action.

One enterprising dairy farmer near Glastonbury, Somerset has built up a fleet of four Hi-Spec 3500 TD-S slurry tankers over recent years and has been full of praise for the Hi-Spec brand. “We’re confident our customers will keep requesting Hi-Spec products going into next year, and we’re equally confident Hi-Spec will continue to supply the quality,” adds Brandon.

Contact the T H WHITE Dairy team for more info on Hi-Spec’s outstanding range of tankers, pumps and spreaders.

Meet Carl Skinner, who joined T H WHITE Dairy earlier this year based from our Frome branch. Carl has been with the company for around 6 months now and has spent most of that time out on the road covering a large area of South West England– servicing, repairing and helping to install DeLaval dairy parlours.

Born and bred in Tiverton, Devon, Carl got involved with farming and machinery at the age of 16 after leaving school. Helping out at local farms he did a bit of everything, from tillage to machinery upkeep and of course to milking cows. He took a Public Service course at East Devon College with a view to studying engineering in the Forces.  He had a keen interest in the Forces and whilst the course gave him a huge insight into army life and operations, Carl went on to pursue engineering on a different path.  He began working for Lloyd Maunders who are a Devon based group of retail butchers and a major producer of locally reared meat and chicken products.  Here, he was responsible for all kinds of general repairs around their beef, sheep and chicken farming enterprise.

Carl subsequently became focused on Dairy equipment, with jobs in Somerset and Devon where he became a certified service technician for milking robots. Looking to develop further within the industry, Carl put out a post on a Facebook group interested in connecting with other Dairy Engineers to discuss development opportunities.  The post was spotted by Chris Newey, our VMS Specialist working from T H WHITE Huntley. Chris reached out about the opportunity to join the team at T H WHITE Dairy and Carl jumped at the chance!  The rest is history – he has since settled in well and very glad for the variety that the job offers him; particularly being outdoors and on farm, being hands-on with servicing equipment or having great satisfaction when he is able to solve breakdown issues.

Outside of Dairy engineering, Carl has a lifelong passion for football and plays for Amory Green Rovers of Tiverton. Keen to pass on his skills to the next generation, he also coaches the Culm Sandford United Under 10 Junior Team. For a change of pace, Carl likes to play golf and walk his 3-year-old Sprocker Spaniel ‘Ottis’ in the countryside – especially taking in the views up on Dartmoor.

Welcome to team T H WHITE, Carl.

Take advantage of our great Dairy aftermarket products this quarter (1 September to 31 December) from alley mats to udder paper, cartridges, detergents and dips.  Speak to your Dairy van sales representative to reserve a product within your order or contact one of our Dairy branches today.

Remember you can wrap all your service needs into one complete plan with DeLaval InService from T H WHITE.

Contact our Frome or Huntley Dairy specialists for more details.

Lewis Handley has recently joined T H WHITE and is learning the ropes as a Dairy Technician at Frome branch.

Meet Lewis Handley our newest face in the Dairy Technician team based at Frome.  Lewis joined us last month and is busy learning the ropes visiting our Dairy customers in and around the South West.

Lewis has been in farming all his life, growing up on his Grandfather’s 3^rd generation family farm with a herd of cows and farming mainly grass and maize.  They run a range of kit – many T H WHITE brands we are happy to say – including two Case IH Pumas, a Maxxum, and Hi-Spec feeders.  So Lewis has operated and tinkered with agricultural machinery since pre-school, no doubt meeting the grade as a technician by the age of 5!

Lewis attended 6^th form at St Peter’s School in Gloucester and then went on to study a BTEC in Sports and Business alongside a gym instructor qualification.  Sport is his other passion, having played Rugby Union and League for almost 15 years for Cinderford in the Forest of Dean.

After school, Lewis attained a 2-year engineering apprenticeship at Forest Press Hydraulics – specialist suppliers of concrete wet pressing machinery and paving equipment.  Here he specialised in milling, lathe work and bench fitting and learnt the intricacies of machine assembly alongside a weekly college class.

But throughout this Lewis was never far from farming, spending evenings, weekends and holidays back on the family farm.  Hearing about the opportunity at T H WHITE from a family friend, Lewis is now spending his days back in the familiar space of dairy parlours, meeting Dairy farmers up and down the county and servicing equipment or solving breakdowns.  Home from home – whether with cows or goats – he knows his way around a parlour, and is hitting the ground running with our vast range of DeLaval parlours and technology.

A very warm welcome to T H WHITE Lewis.

Phil Bown alongside his newly installed DeLaval ML3100 Midiline parlour at Henley Grove Farm, Somerset.

Phil Bown’s team at his family run Henley Grove Farm in Somerset are twice as happy milking their 550 strong herd now, compared to the spring of last year. Why? The supply and installation of two DeLaval ML3100 Midiline swing over parlours from the pros at T H WHITE Dairy certainly has a lot to do with it.

Not only did Phil convert his existing 32 parlour to a 16/32 swing over – he also made room to install a second 16/32 swing over parlour next door! The new set-up has seen Phil enjoy multiple benefits this year which has had a positive effect on his bottom-line. Traditional building works took the bulk of the conversion timetable, with the parlour install taking just a few short weeks in April 2021.

“Previously, we had two staff working the one parlour, which wasn’t ideal. Aside from them treading on each other’s toes, the cows were standing around for too long and we just weren’t getting through the numbers quickly enough,” he says.

The newly installed DeLaval ML3100 Midiline 16/32 swing over parlour.

Side-by-side throughput has transformed the process, and Phil now has the flexibility to milk 32 cows simultaneously, working through approximately 450 cattle in 2.5hrs.

Taking out the central unit of the old parlour gave Phil a chance to explore the best way to integrate automation into his new set-up. “We wanted to stick with conventional not robotic milking systems, replicating what worked and discarding what didn’t – rather than going for ‘total automation’ just for the sake of it.” Key functionality was retained, with milk meters and individual feeding systems playing a big part in the new install. Another bonus with the ML3100 system, is the potential for further automation to be added as and when necessary.

“Quicker throughput has also seen benefits in terms of animal welfare, with the cows standing around a lot less with the swing over system” he adds. “On top of that, we’ve found it much easier to manage staff working hours, with shorter shift patterns and more attractive milking schedules having a big knock-on effect when it came to recruiting our new team member”.

The recently converted DeLaval ML3100 Midiline 16/32 swing over parlour – originally a conventional 32 parlour.

The ML3100 is the top spec system in the range and the Midiline configuration was the obvious choice for Phil. “Reliability has been hugely impressive”, he says. Servicing is undertaken annually by T H WHITE Dairy engineers, with the system coming through its first service in the last quarter with no major issues.

Feeding system installed between the two parlours.

T H WHITE Dairy also installed the feeding system, which accurately dispenses 1,000t of cake every year without downtime or overspill, and a 20,500L capacity bulk tank. Further energy saving efficiencies are underway with the tank, providing more efficient milk cooling via a bespoke energy recovery system. Cool work all round!

Contact the T H WHITE Dairy team for more info on conventional & robotic milking systems, slurry equipment and maintenance services. Find contact details for your nearest branch HERE

What is DelPro FarmManager™?

DelPro is a farm management platform piece of software that interrogates information for dairy farmers. You need different hardware to make different areas of the DelPro platform work. Different sensors send data to DelPro and the DelPro software interprets the data into a readable format for the farmer. DelPro is designed to suit the needs of the farmer, with some using it for a single aspect, others for multiple aspects.

The DelPro platform monitors your herd’s complete well-being 24-hours a day, bringing together all the data needed to make key decisions relating to performance, feeding, health, milking and reproduction. It pulls these sources together, processes and interprets them creating reports to help dairy farmers do their jobs.

What are the 5 Key pillars of DelPro?

1. MILK DATA – Every task, action or plan is measured by the quality and quantity of milk.
2. FEED DATA – Feed represents a large proportion of the cost to produce milk. DeLaval DelPro ration control helps to produce more with less.
3. REPRODUCTION DATA – The success of a dairy farmer relies on a successful breeding program starting with identification of animals in heat
4. ANIMAL WELFARE DATA – The sooner you can diagnose and treat a health issue, the speedier the recovery and less severe the impact on productivity
5. FARM PERFORMANCE DATA – Generating more with less is every business’s challenge. DelPro gives you access to reports and analysis to make informed decisions that help meet this challenge.

What formats is DelPro available in?

DelPro can be viewed on your office PC or is available as an app on your phone. DelPro FarmManager is the desktop dashboard viewed on your PC, whilst the DelPro Companion app puts DelPro in the palm of your hand and enables the farmer to access his data from almost anywhere in the world.

What applications are within the DelPro offering and what specifically do they do?

• DelPro Interative Data Display – giving you real time yield data
• DelPro Remote Farm Connection – facilitates remote login to DelPro Farm Manager for you giving on-the-go secure access from anywhere. But most importantly this also provides remote access to veterinarians, advisors, and your dealer support network. This means the T H WHITE and DeLaval remote support teams can instantly access, view and analyse your farm to get a complete overview of your data and milking system to support you when required.
• DelPro Biomodels – alert and management systems for specific productivity factors:
  • DelPro Biomodel for Herd Navigator – precise analysis of milk and action plan for each cow (available with RePro)
  • DelPro Biomodel for Mastitis Detection Index (MDi) – early warning alarms for mastitis detection allowing the customer to take action.
  • DelPro Biomodel for Body Condition Scoring – 3D mapping technology and scoring system that eliminates the guesswork and inaccuracy of manual evaluation of a cow’s body condition.
• DelPro Activity meters are the heat monitoring system that records daily movements, can detect animals that are sick with low activity, and links all of the above.
• DelPro RePro (only available with VMS) detects ‘onset of heat’ and pregnancy status through analysis of data and progesterone levels. Using Delpro RePro, you can also detect animals that are showing abnormal reproduction attentions; prolonged anoestrus, potential luteal and follicular cysts.

Can the above applications be acquired independently?

All the above applications work together with DelPro platform but a customer can purchase any one of the above sensors to support their dairy farm management practices.

What are the key benefits of DelPro?

• Animal Welfare – early identification of an animal’s ill health and information on what to do to remedy it
• Food Safety – ration control throughout stages of lactation
• Profitability – closer focus on animal health driving productivity through efficient feeding combined with reproduction goal management to achieve expected yields.
• Efficient Working – allows management of workflows, data analysis and intuitive monitoring of your VMS/parlour to drive efficient performance

Which milking systems is DelPro compatible with?

DelPro can be installed on all types of parlours, rotaries and VMS milking systems that have DeLaval milking equipment. DelPro Start Up training packages can be included in the price list for your new Start up. If you would like to receive training on DelPro please contact T H WHITE Dairy and we can discuss the options available to you. For all customers still using the ALPRO platform, please note that ALPRO is no longer supported and we recommend upgrading to DelPro.  Please call our Dairy Hub on 07860 449086 to discuss your specific needs.

Can DelPro be retrofitted?

So long as the parlour meets certain criteria DelPro can be retrofitted. Again, this is a question for our Dairy Specialists to help you work through, so please call our Hub if you are interested in an upgrade or retro fit.

How quickly can I see the benefit of using DelPro?

Once your DelPro platform has been installed, you will start seeing information within a week. The system takes a few days to collaborate data and form a pattern of the cow at which point you’ll realise the benefits.

Who do I contact to find out more information about DelPro?

Talk to our T H WHITE’s Dairy specialists today who will be happy to talk you through the full capabilities of the system and progress a personalised quotation for your needs.

Adding the power of DelPro Farm Management platform will deliver ultimate reproduction management support for your farm. T H WHITE Dairy and Delaval have been working in partnership for years to recognise the challenges dairy farmers face and DelPro offers a farm management solution to cater for just about any productivity goal.

Buy a complete Hoofcount Footbath from T H WHITE and get 200 litres of chemical completely FREE!

The Hoofcount Footbath not only reduces lameness in your herd but also helps to save on unnecessary costs. And it’s set up to suit your individual needs – the counter, chemical concentration and frequency will be determined by our experts, washing away any niggling worries around the on-site installation!

Get a Hoofcount footbath with this fantastic offer now, either speak to your Dairy Van salesperson or contact your T H WHITE Dairy rep today HERE

Standard Footbath

• Up to 3m length and 0.8m (internal) width
• Allows 2 dips per hoof
• Ideal for smaller herds and especially with robotic systems.

Excel Footbath

• Up to 3.7m length and 0.6m (internal) width
• Allows 3 dips per hoof
• Ideal for larger herds 200+ and exit of Rotary systems
• Strong, stainless steel side sheets keep chemicals in the bath and ensure cows cannot step on bath sides

Make sure your cows are protected this summer.

Flies are a major concern during warmer weather. They can cause a significant fall in milk yield, spreading a number of different diseases. In addition, modern methods of dairy farming often provide an ideal breeding environment for flies. Control flies with DeLaval Aptaor fly products:

• For control of flies in cattle sheds, milk rooms, piggeries and homes. Based on the latest insect research the 3D design is a combination of a unique pattern and fluorescent colours.

• Fly trap sheets can be used all year round and are effective both day and night.

• Non-poisonous fly-trap for use on windows in all types of buildings.

DeLaval’s range of fly products offer environmentally friendly methods of helping reduce the instances of flying insect infestation. DeLaval glue traps are made of very strong, natural glue. The patented design of these curtains and sheets attracts flies even at dusk thanks to its 3D pattern and colours.

Contact your Van salesperson or T H WHITE Dairy rep for more details.

Paul Derrick, from our Dairy sales team at Frome, has celebrated his 45-year milestone of continuous service with T H WHITE.

After finding a keen interest in farming when helping a local farmer as a young boy, Paul joined our agricultural workshop back in 1977, advancing to being a qualified technician by taking advantage of every opportunity that came his way to learn the ins and outs of New Holland, Kuhn, Opico, Manitou and more…

After 19 years in the workshop, Paul took up a fresh challenge in Dairy van sales, visiting half a dozen farmers a day with supplies and talking about all-important upgrades and refurbishments. Whilst on the farms, Paul was excited by the way technological improvements were freeing-up farm labour, allowing a stronger focus on the husbandry side of animal welfare. Inspired by this interest, he later took the role of workshop foreman before moving to be Dairy capital sales specialist in 2001, supplying both robotic VMS solutions and conventional systems, relishing a new challenge every day whilst also still supporting the Dairy van sales team.

Paul is a great brand ambassador for T H WHITE. Fuelled by his enthusiasm and pride for all things Dairy, he has become a highly valued member of the team with his commitment to the division and ease in building rapport and trust amongst his customers.

We are sure that colleagues and customers will come together in congratulating Paul on his long service, upholding the values that make T H WHITE proud to have such people in their service.

We have introduced a new Dairy breakdown and service hub with a single 24-hour hotline number:

07860 449086

Whenever you need us in a hurry you only need to phone this one number.  We will immediately call upon the experience and resources across the T H WHITE Dairy division to ensure you receive the correct and fastest solution for any equipment fault, failure or maintenance requirement, in the shortest possible time.

By focusing resources on a single service hotline number, we are able to improve efficiency which means higher service levels for you at no extra cost. Make a note of the number today!

Our sales and service colleagues will still continue to handle general enquiries via our Frome and Huntley landlines and our VMS help-desk number remains unchanged.  As always, we look forward to helping you get the best from the latest dairy innovation and technology, serving you now and in the future.

Find out more about our latest DeLaval versatile cooling solutions that can be used with milking robots, conventional parlours and rotaries by contacting your local T H WHITE Dairy Sales Representative

The benefits of DeLaval’s Flow-Responsive milking and 50% off silicone tubes 

Many T H WHITE Dairy customers will know our young Dairy engineer, Jack Smiles. Still only 27, Jack has worked on many installations including the 20 x 40 swing-over 50 degree herringbone parlour for the Powell family at Priddy (see separate story here) and an update to the conventional parlour at the impressive training facility at Lackham College. He has also carried out VMS installations for Hugh Miles at Witham Friary and the Hanns at Rodden Down.

Jack’s story is one that illustrates just how you can achieve a fulfilling career from starting out as an apprenticeship. Joining T H WHITE straight from school as an apprentice in 2010, Jack initially trained as a refrigeration and air conditioning engineer. After completing his two-year release course he started working on conventional milking parlours, adding VMS robotic milking units to his skill set in 2014.

“I love the job,” Jack says, “especially the technical challenges. But it’s also about getting out into the countryside, meeting lots of farmers and helping them to keep their dairies running at peak efficiency. There are so many new things in the world of dairying that it can take a lot of a farmer’s time just to keep up with it all, but that’s where we can help to point them towards developments that will make a real difference to their business.

“There’s definitely a place for conventional and new technologies, but it’s important to remain open-minded and take the best of what’s on offer as it applies to any particular farm. My job is to push dairying forward, helping farmers to survive and thrive, at the same time hopefully improving life for all our dairy customers by bringing them innovations and high standards of service.”

T H WHITE Head of Dairy, Nigel Ellis is certainly impressed by Jack’s progression: “It’s very rewarding to watch a young person start as an apprentice and then move through different stages, all the time adding to their capabilities. Jack is now a fully fledged Dairy Engineer and at 27 he is still just at the beginning of his career. He has real ability, so who knows what levels he will have reached in a few years time?”

Mastek is the leading provider of high-quality slurry solutions (reels, dribble bars, pumps).  Established in Co. Cavan, Ireland, in 2000, the company began manufacturing forklift masts for the material handling industry and moved into specialised agricultural machinery in 2009.

The slurry equipment product range encompasses umbilical and drag horse systems, tankers and applicators, separators and smartspread technology.  Products are 100% galvanized products with a focus on the latest technical innovation to ensure high quality and durability.

We stock their Professional Universal Dribble Bar/Band Spreader, available in 6.5m, 7m, and 8m widths with the Mastek Supercut macerator with 28 outlets. Lightweight and durable, this bar has a hydraulic folding mechanism and fits any leading brand of tanker. It can also be retro-fitted with no welding. A hydraulic isolation block, LED lights, anti drip and spring loaded hinge arms are all optional extras.

We have plenty of stock available and more arriving through the season. These are moving fast, so reserve yours today!

For more details on contact our Slurry Specialist Brandon Willcox on 07850 301575.

It’s great to be able to share a real success story after all the difficulties caused by the Covid pandemic, and that’s just what what we have in the completely revised dairy unit installed at the Lackham campus of Wiltshire College & University Centre near Chippenham.

The project is a collaboration between Wiltshire College and the T H WHITE Dairy Division, designed to deliver a state-of-the-art teaching environment in which students on a new Dairy Engineering course are introduced to the remarkable advancements that are revolutionising the dairy industry.

The first part of the project – installation of two new DeLaval robotic voluntary milking units plus an advanced Bauer slurry control system and a day/night LED lighting system – was completed in late 2020 with the first milking taking place that November. The T H WHITE Dairy team has stayed close to the project ever since, supporting the installation and enhancing it with many further enhancements as the project moved forwards. 

A third VMS robotic milking unit has been added in the unit’s theatre-style classroom and a total refit of Lackham’s conventional milking parlour has been carried out, including stripping out and replacing components, painting the walls and upgrading all automation with DeLaval’s integrated farm management platform Delpro. This advanced technology enables all aspects of cow welfare to be monitored 24 hours a day, as well as bringing together the data needed to make decisions relating to performance, feeding, health, milking and reproduction.

As the project team approaches its ‘close down’ meeting in early February we can reflect with satisfaction on the result. The teaching parlour is now fully operational with its unique classroom set-up providing theatre style teaching combined with the hands-on application of technology.  One classroom wall houses a conventional milking parlour and a variety of wash systems, while on the other side students are trained on a fully operational VMS unit.  

Specialist Dairy engineering education doesn’t get better than this, but how have the stars of the show – Lackham’s cows – settled into their new environment? “We have 120 cows being milked by the robots and 80 cows in the traditional parlour,” says Farm Manager Phil Steans. “The cows now in the VMS system were transferred from loose housing where they were being milked twice a day, with the robots. That was quite a big change for them and they also had to get used to the robot scraper and robotic silage pushers, but we were impressed at how quickly they adapted to the new regime. Yields are constant but the most noticeable difference so far is the big reduction in mastitis cases”.

“We are absolutely delighted with the system. The T H WHITE team has been brilliant in supporting the whole project from conception. Since the start-up they have been right there with us to see us through the transition.”

Lackham students will clearly be well equipped for a career in the dairy industry, but your farm can also benefit from all the latest technologies, whether you opt for robotic or conventional milking. For expert and impartial advice on any dairy installation just contact your T H WHITE Dairy rep, or call our branches at Frome (01373 465941) or Huntley (01452 830303).

You can also learn more about the specialist Dairy Engineering HNC/D at Lackham Campus and apply online at https://www.wiltshire.ac.uk/study/hnd-agriculture-dairy-engineering-full-time.

When the time comes to install a new parlour, most dairy farmers will have a well researched idea of what they want. For example, it could be upgrading to VMS robotic milking – choosing the new DeLaval VMS 310 robotic milking units for their great technological features and increased yields. Alternatively, you may be planning to expand your business with a rotary milking installation –the Rotary E100 parlour is already delivering a dramatic improvement for many of our customers. Or you could be renewing or enlarging a conventional milking parlour – the flexibility and functionality of the De Laval P100 could meet your brief.

As a DeLaval dealer T H WHITE can advise and help on the choice and supply of the right parlour to match the aims of your business, but choosing a parlour is just the beginning – installing it and ensuring the commissioning process runs smoothly is the next crucial step. That’s where T H WHITE can really make a difference.

Not only does the T H WHITE Dairy team have many years of experience in installing all types of parlour, but we are also ready to help with all necessary preparation and construction. That can embrace everything from assisting with design and gaining any necessary planning consents, to constructing and commissioning new buildings. 

Using the resources available within the T H WHITE Group we can provide planning and construction services, or we can act as a project manager where a number of contractors are involved so that you only have to deal with one team. Installing the parlour itself is a core part of our business and commissioning is a vital stage when we will work with you to ensure that your new milking facility is functioning just as you want it to. Today’s milking parlours can be large and complex so some snagging and refinement is inevitable, but we will be with you all the way. 

After all, we have been helping our customers get the best from innovation and technology for generations. Once your new parlour is fully functioning we will be there too to provide ongoing service and support so that you never have to worry about a breakdown disrupting your business.

The T H WHITE way is a holistic approach to installing new parlours, making the whole process from initial planning to milking the first cows into a single, managed project. So if you want to take away the stress of putting in a new parlour let us help you right from the start. Call our Dairy team on 01373 465941 (Frome), or 01452 830303 (Huntley).

Fed up with paper towel cost and waste in your milking parlour? Now, with the ‘Teatscrubber’  teat prep system rom FutureCow, it’s possible to eliminate paper towels from the parlour, saving money and effort while helping to improve cow health and milk yield.

Teatscrubber is an ingenious hand-held ‘trigger’ style device that uses rotating brushes in combination with a chlorine dioxide solution to disinfect teats. Chlorine dioxide is a quick kill disinfectant that acts quickly to kill microorganisms on the teat while leaving the skin healthy – also being more cost-effective than many other dips. Unlike iodine it doesn’t require prolonged teat contact to kill pathogens, it leaves skin healthy and it’s acceptable for use on organic dairy farms.

Teatscrubber is simple to use too. Squeezing the trigger activates the brushes and starts the fluid flow. There’s even a built-in light to help you place it accurately on the teat. The consistent, one-step process gently washes, disinfects, stimulates and dries teats, meaning that more cows can be milked per hour without needing extra workers. Customers have also reported a drop in somatic cell count and new mastitis cases within the first 60 to 90 days of use.

To find out more about Teatscrubber, call Garry Grant on 07860 590701, or email him at gcg@thwhite.co.uk.

Growth in demand for organic dairy ingredients is encouraging more dairy farmers to adopt organic methods.

Of course, many people already feel that the right place for cows to be is in the field and, as consumer awareness drives change, it is predicted that the global organic dairy market will be worth £21.3bn by 2023.

That presents some real opportunities for UK dairy farmers, but efficiency is paramount for a successful organic operation, ideally without increasing workload. One organic farmer who has recently upgraded his business by applying the latest technology is Will Grey of the Grey Partnership in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire.

“In 2018 we decided to take the plunge and bring the farm up to date, with the added objective of making a marginal increase to the herd size,” says Will. “We definitely wanted to remain 100% organic with the cows on grass, but we also knew that efficiency would become increasingly important. Our parlour really needed replacing and, having looked at all the options, the advantages of robotic miking really stood out.

“We settled on two DeLaval VMS classic units and one V300 robot – and, as we had decided to make a change, we thought we should probably go all the way and build a new shed while we were at it!”

Construction of Grey’s new shed, including services and drainage, took 20 months. Working alongside the contractors T H WHITE Dairy engineers installed the DeLaval VMS robotic milking units and the new system was brought into use at the end of 2019. We asked Will about his experience of the new installation over the last two years:

“Well, it was a big change and I won’t pretend it hasn’t involved a steep learning curve,” he says. “But the VMS units really have proved ideal for our type of organic grazing. Following the system recommended by DeLaval we have divided our pasture into three grazing areas, each of which is available to the cows for eight hour periods at different times of day and night. The cows can walk to the milking units at any time – the system will read which cow it is, when it was last milked, as well as checking whether it has ‘miking permission’ which can be set individually for each cow. If all is OK, the automatic gates will let the cow through to the milking station. If not, the cow will be directed back to whichever grazing area is ‘open’ at that time.

“During milking, if the system detects a high cell count or other problem, the cow will be drafted to the separation area where we can go and check what’s wrong.

“The VMS units have certainly made life easier, allowing us to spend more time on other productive work around the farm. We have enlarged the herd to 180 cows – up from 140 – without having to take on extra staff and the milk yield is up by about 10 per cent too.

“As you get used to a completely different way of working there are bound to be some teething problems and that’s where good back-up is really important. I have to say that T H WHITE’s engineers have been excellent!”

If you are thinking about new ways of milking to ease the workload and increase efficiency, talk to the T H WHITE Dairy team on 01373 465941 (Frome) or 01452 830303 (Huntley).

DeLaval Softcel 500 Premium tissue towel

Softcel is a premium tissue towel for pre-milking cleaning of teats and udders. These blue two layer towels are made from recycled paper A good milking and udder preparation routine has a proven impact in reducing mastitis.

Longer: 190 metre on each roll, that’s 10 metres more than our competitors
Wider: 265mm wide! That’s 35mm wider than most and 65mm wider than some.
Softer: Each roll is embossed for greater absorbency and softness
Easy to use: Every sheet is perforated to all easy tear off and low waste.

£40.85 + VAT

To find out more about our dairy offers or to enquire about our monthly dairy van delivery service, contact, Paul Sadler on 07979 597484 or email pjs@thwhite.co.uk.

A big milestone arrived for two apprentices working at our Frome branch, who have successfully completed a 4 year Apprenticeship through T H WHITE’s Apprenticeship Scheme. Their graduation was celebrated last week with a presentation of certificates from company CEO Alex Scott; taking the opportunity to congratulate them on the completion of the course and to wish them all the best for a long and successful career here at T H WHITE.

The first certificate was presented to James Hamblin, who in 2016 took an Electrical Installation course at Bath College, where he was introduced to T H WHITE by way of work experience.  After a successful week working alongside the Dairy engineer team, James decided to have a change of vocation and embarked on a 4 year Apprenticeship studying Refrigeration and Air Conditioning to Level 3. James is now a fully qualified member of the refrigeration team, taking on Installations, service and breakdowns across the South West. Well done James!

Secondly Elliot Moon, who after a successful work experience from school was offered an apprenticeship at the age of 16. Throughout the apprenticeship he studied at Reaseheath College where he successfully completed a Level 3 apprenticeship in Land Based Service Engineering. Congratulations to Elliot, who over his time at T H WHITE, has become an important and well-respected member of the service team at Frome, where he will continue to work on equipment of all sizes from small balers to much larger combine harvesters.

At T H WHITE, we run a comprehensive and practical apprenticeship scheme for school leavers aged 16 and over. Opportunities exist within every division of the company and all incorporate a day of block release at college to gain the knowledge element of the qualification, with on-the-job practical experience gained in our workshops or on site. Apprenticeships are a great way to get industry experience and skills, in a hands-on working environment.

More information and how to enquire for our apprenticeship schemes can be found here.

Early stages of an impressive new DeLaval V300 build for the Jeynes family at Red House Farm in Longdon, on the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire border.

With a growing herd size they were keen to improve efficiencies so are installing a complete new free access cubicle shed which also houses two new DeLaval V300’s along with DeLaval Body Condition Score Camera, DeLaval Brushes and a DeLaval Milk Silo.

This new facility provides a host of fast, quiet and robust processes to prompt repetitive milking 24hrs a day, whilst providing the cows with a comfortable milking environment. The DeLaval V300 assisted by the Delaval InsightTM will ensure the cows are milked comfortably and efficiently, backed up with the DeLaval Delpro computer system, which will provide the Jeynes Family with important information on herd health and cow performance.

The install is scheduled to complete at the end of September 2021, but unfortunately with current climate situations affecting the availability of building materials and timber this date may change.

Overall, milking capacity will be increased and the comfortable system, along with the DeLaval extras, will equal very happy cows. We look forward to checking in on the results on completion!

The new 140 cow dairy unit at the Lackham campus of Wiltshire College & University Centre has now been operating successfully for more than nine months. The development forms part of a £22 million investment by Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP) designed to address the rural skills requirements of the future.

T H WHITE and DeLaval have partnered with the College to equip the unit with the latest dairy technologies including two DeLaval VMS robotic milking units for everyday milking of the cows and a third one used for training students. The latest hi-tech innovation to be added to the unit is DeLaval’s LED lighting.

Farm Manager Philip Steans explains: “Dairy farmers have known for a long time that giving cows more light increases milk yield. Studies have shown that exposing lactating cows to 16 hours of light each day will cause the pineal gland to produce less melatonin, in turn leading to increased feed intake and milk production. The uplift can be between 5% and 16% – averaging 8% – so it’s an increase well worth having.”

A consistent duration of 16 to 18 hours of light is needed in each ‘photoperiod’ for the best yields, but it’s also important that the cows should be allowed a 6 to 8 hour period of darkness between the cycles to sustain the response.

Until recently the energy cost of providing the necessary illumination made the economics questionable, but LED lighting has changed all that. However, says Phil, it’s no good just using any LED lighting: “Cows see a different part of the visible spectrum compared to humans so it’s important not only to achieve the correct brightness, but also the right spread and colour temperature. By combining energy efficient blue LEDs with additional optical lenses, DeLaval has produced cow lighting units that deliver an even ‘bat wing’ spread of light.”

The really clever part is that the DeLaval units deliver light at three different levels – ‘Herd Light’ for the cows’ eyes, ‘Work Light’ for farmers’ eyes, and ‘Night Light’ for the 8-hour dark period when the cows rest but farmers still need to work safely. By ‘switching off’ the light that the cows can’t see and implementing automatic dimming as natural light levels increase, power consumption can be reduced by up to 75 per cent.

The new installation at Lackham has proved the yield benefits resulting from controlled ‘photoperiod’ lighting and the College is playing a key role in introducing these new technologies to the next generation of dairy farmers. If you would like to discuss how you can enhance the production of your herd by switching to this bright idea, just speak to your T H WHITE Dairy rep or call our branches at Frome (01373 465941) or Huntley (01452 830303).

For more information on the Lackham Dairy Engineering Course, or to apply for a place, go to www.wiltshire.ac.uk.

Whether its planned maintenance, breakdown support or a regular servicing contract you need, we are here to help.

Kuhn Primor 3570 with Cleanstraw

Effective straw shredders offer the potential of savings of up to 30% in usage rates of straw when bedding. But whether buying for the first time or upgrading, choice of machine is important, as Kuhn’s James Hutchinson points out.

“Versatility should be a primary consideration, so having a machine that is capable of feeding silage as well as spreading straw for bedding could be a good way to go,” he says.

“It may also be that farmers are forced into using some lesser quality material this winter, given the predicted scarcity, so a robust machine that is engineered to handle all types of fodder and straw is likely to be an advantage.

“Again, because it might be a case of buying in straw from varying sources, being able to handle both round and square bales, of all sizes, may be a consideration.”

Maximising straw use efficiency does mean achieving an even spread of material and accessing the furthest reaches of the shed: “Having a machine with a good spreading range is important in order to avoid large piles in the middle of the yard that will result in wastage and areas that are not bedded,” adds James. “A swivelling chute, capable of accessing both sides of the machine and reaching the corners is as important as the overall range and can be advantageous when bedding cubicles as well as straw yards.”

Straw quality may be an issue, as much as volume, and where matted or mouldy material is used that can lead to problems with air quality at the time of bedding. Kuhn has addressed this potential problem with the recent launch of its Cleanstraw dust control system on the Primor straw bedding and feeding range.

Available on new equipment, or as a retrofit upgrade for existing machines, the Cleanstraw facility reduces dust in livestock buildings by applying a fine mist of water to straw as it is distributed. It comprises a 64-litre water tank and three misting nozzles mounted at the exit of the straw blowing chute. The nozzles are fed by a pump which provides water at a flow rate to apply 1 litre of water per 100kg of straw, without slowing the machine’s normal performance.

Applying a mist of water at this rate and in this way eliminates excessive levels of airborne dust. Trials have shown that the air in a typical livestock building will be dust-free within 30 seconds after straw-blowing with the Cleanstraw system has ceased, compared to several minutes without the Cleanstraw facility.

“Reducing the amount of dust in livestock buildings not only creates a cleaner, more comfortable and more productive environment for cattle, but is also far better for farm workers. Apart from the health benefits of reduced dust in the air, the Cleanstraw system also allows better visibility when using a straw bedder, leading to more accurate spreading,” says James.

“Adding a fine mist of water as straw exits the spreading chute means very little water is required. This not only preserves the straw’s absorbency potential, ensuring it remains an effective and hygienic bedding material, but also means the speed of operation is unaffected.”

The Cleanstraw system is available on Kuhn’s Primor straw bedders that operate with the Polydrive hydraulically disengageable belt system that drives the feed rotor, and on the Profile Plus range of mixer wagons that have a bedding capability. The system is automatically activated when the Polydrive is engaged and can also be armed or disabled via an in-cab switch.

MyKUHN: FREE ONLINE SERVICES AND PARTS ORDERING

MyKUHN is an online customer portal, accessible to all owners and users of KUHN machinery. This free portal offers exclusive services to help you manage and maintain your KUHN machine fleet more easily.

Once logged in, on computer, mobile or tablet, you will be able to manage your KUHN machines by having access to parts catalogues and operator manuals in the Support area, order parts to click and collect from T H WHITE, find product and user information from the Expert area, as well as receiving updates on events and KUHN offers. It also provides an easy way to store wearing part references that you may need to order in the future. Kver

It’s easy to sign up – all the details and instructions can be found at www.thwhiteagriculture.co.uk/mykuhn

Contact your T H WHITE Agriculture rep to hear more about feeding and bedding equipment. You can also request a demo of many items at www.thwhiteagriculture.co.uk/get-in-touch.

Two key things that farmers with smaller dairy units are looking for are ease of milking and efficiency. With that in mind, the new DeLaval P100 Parlour has been specifically designed for family farms and grassland customers.

The new DeLaval Parlour P100 delivers a smoother milking process using fewer resources and offering the right level of automation for each individual dairy farm. Combining a simple and efficient sequential bailing parlour with a conventional exit system means that the P100 parlour is easy to install and will fit into existing buildings as a retrofit installation. With 1×3 to 2×40 options, designing a P100 to fit your space is easy.

Cows stand at 90 degrees to the operator and the new straight rump rail provides excellent visibility of the cows during milking from the wide aisle.

Whether you’re looking for a swing-over midi-line or a double equipped low-line parlour, the P100 is optimized for ease of operation and milker comfort. Compatible with state-of-the-art DeLaval Evanza™ clusters, system connected InParlour Feeding and advanced DeLaval milk extraction technology, a P100 parlour will extract more milk in less time with less stressful routines for milkers.

DeLaval EasyFlow™ features a wide entry and double exit, enabling cows to move smoothly through the P100. With its adjustable breastrail and sequence gates clearly defining the space for each cow, parlour loading is seamless, so your cows stay comfortable and relaxed.

For more information on the logical, straightforward DeLaval P100 parlour, contact the T H WHITE Dairy team on 01373 465941 (Frome), or 01452 830303 (Huntley).

Anthony Bown’s dairy farm, where he maintains a herd of 310 cows, sits high on the Mendips near Wells. 

“There’s no shortage of wind up here,” he says, “so it’s probably the last place you would think might suffer from poor ventilation. And yet I had noticed that the cows were becoming agitated. They were bunching in waiting areas and experiencing heat and stress, and were not comfortable in the bedding cubicles either.”

The importance of optimal climate control in cow sheds is becoming much better understood; a cool cow is a happy cow, and a happy cow is a productive cow. Fresh air and heat control in the cow shed, especially in hot weather, can make a significant difference to herd welfare and milk yields.

The problem at Anthony Bown’s farm was not so much the passage of air through the shed, but the need to achieve good circulation and cooling at lower levels. This is where the T H WHITE Dairy division were able to apply their knowledge of available equipment across the market to deliver a cost-effective solution.

Many dairy fans are designed to draw air in one direction through the shed, but T H WHITE proposed the installation of three CMP Vertigo fans. These innovative self-contained units can be tilted as required from 0° to 90° to direct the air exactly where it’s most needed, keeping the cows cool and stress-free whatever the prevailing conditions. Gearless technology, allied to quality manufacturing, means that the Vertigo fans are quiet in operation, low on maintenance and thrifty on energy consumption.

Suitable for a single-phase or three-phase power supply, the fans feature on-board motor control for speed control and safety. The aluminium blades have been designed for efficiency, generating outstanding airflow, volume and velocity throughout the speed range.

With the three CMP Vertigo fans now installed, Anthony can be confident that his cows can remain relaxed through the hot weather to come this summer. The installation is an example of the T H WHITE dairy team’s ability to deliver the right solution to a particular set of problems at the right price with an eye to future running costs.

If you have any dairy questions you would like to discuss with our experts, just contact our dairy team on 01373 465941 (Frome) or 01452 830303 (Huntley), or visit www.thwhitedairy.co.uk 

Many T H WHITE Dairy customers will know our young Dairy engineer, Jack Smiles. Still only 27, Jack has worked on many of our recent installations including the 20 x 40 swing-over 50 degree herringbone parlour for the Powell family at Priddy (see separate story here) and an update to the conventional parlour at the impressive training facility at Lackham College. He has also carried out VMS installations for Hugh Miles at Witham Friary and the Hanns at Rodden Down.

Jack’s story is one that illustrates just how well the relationship between a company, a member of its staff and the customers can work. Joining T H WHITE straight from school as an apprentice in 2010, Jack initially trained as a refrigeration engineer. After completing his two-year release course he started working on conventional milking parlours, adding VMS robotic milking units to his skill set in 2014.

“I love the job,” Jack says, “especially the technical challenges. But it’s also about getting out into the countryside, meeting lots of farmers and helping them to keep their dairies running at peak efficiency. There are so many new things in the world of dairying that it can take a lot of a farmer’s time just to keep up with it all, but that’s where we can help to point them towards developments that will make a real difference to their business.

“There’s definitely a place for conventional and new technologies, but it’s important to remain open-minded and take the best of what’s on offer as it applies to any particular farm. My job is to push dairying forward, helping farmers to survive and thrive, at the same time hopefully improving life for all our dairy customers by bringing them innovations and high standards of service.”

T H WHITE Head of Dairy, Nigel Ellis is certainly impressed by Jack’s progression: “It’s very rewarding to watch a young person start as an apprentice and then move through different stages, all the time adding to their capabilities. Jack is now a fully fledged Dairy Engineer and at 27 he is still just at the beginning of his career. He has real ability, so who knows what levels he will have reached in a few years time?”

Dairy technology has seen some remarkable developments and innovations in recent years, not least the sophisticated robotic milking and high-throughput rotary milking systems, as well as computer-based monitoring and control of herd health.

Many of these advances have been pioneered by worldwide leader in milking solutions DeLaval, but despite its forward-looking approach the company still recognises the value of conventional milking parlours and the benefits they offer to many dairy farmers. Indeed, the company continues to refine and improve its well-established range of parallel, herringbone and swing-over parlours for the 21st century.

The Powell family started dairy farming in 1958 and recently moved a short distance to a larger farm at Priddy in the Mendip Hills where they currently maintain a herd of 160 cows, but very much with an eye to expansion. A consequence of the move was the need to build a brand new dairy unit which, of course, included a new milking parlour.

“We are comfortable with the way we do things,” says Michael Powell, “and we take pride in producing a high quality product. I appreciate that for many farmers robotic milking and other new technologies are absolutely the right way to go and have brought many benefits, but we are used to a traditional milking parlour and it suits the way we work.

“Our cows are only housed from October to April and the rest of the time they graze the pastures, so our routine is based around conventional milking.”

The Powells have always had DeLaval milking equipment and, with more space available in the new dairy unit, they opted for a 20 x 40 swing-over 50 degree herringbone parlour, supplied and installed by the T H WHITE Dairy Division. “It’s twice the size of the one we had before and it’s really simple to operate.” adds Michael. “With two of us we can milk in one and a half hours, and even with one person milking it’s still an easy process.”

DeLaval herringbone parlours offer great throughput, causing less stress for the cows while making life easier and safer for operators. Construction is strong and durable for a long life, a factor that Michael values highly: “A big plus for us with this type of parlour is that in years to come I know we will be able to update it to keep pace with milking methods and demands. It’s economical to operate and it gives us a strong degree of future-proofing in an ever-changing market.”

If you are thinking about installing or upgrading a conventional milking parlour, our Dairy specialists at Frome and Huntley can guide you on the right choices to help you get the most from your herd, time and resources. Call them at Frome on 01373 465941, or Huntley on 01452 830303

Following the successful installation of the DeLaval VMS system at Lackham College, we were pleased to receive some great feedback from Farm Manager Phil Steans recently. “The cows are all milking well, quieter and faster than expected,” he said. “It’s a brilliant system, the process is outstanding and the robots phenomenal to watch. The cows are really taking well to the new system and the analytics are mind-blowing. Thank you T H WHITE!”

A further VMS unit has arrived on-site at Lackham and will shortly be installed as part of the new educational dairy facility which is enabling Wiltshire College and University Centre to offer a brand new University Level Dairy Engineering course for students aged 18 and over. The HNC and HND programmes are available either part-time or full-time across 1 or 2 years and will feature study into Livestock Production and Management; Technology, Automation and Robotics; Animal Genetics and Husbandry and Business Management & Accounting.

Apply online at https://www.wiltshire.ac.uk/study/hnd-agriculture-dairy-engineering-full-time

AirWash Plus is a genuinely unique and outstanding Automatic Dip and Rinse (ADR) system which offers several key advantages not available elsewhere.

A major factor in controlling mastitis, AirWash Plus improves parlour efficiency by automatically dipping teats and flushing liners clean, ready for the next cow. Unlike other systems on the market, AirWash Plus can be installed into ANY make or type of milking parlour, as well as ANY make and type of cluster assembly and liners. It can also be used with ANY sprayable dip. This allows farmers to choose the clusters and liners that suit their cows best.

The AirWash Plus system is being used successfully on farms across the UK to milk thousands of cows every day.

Dramatic improvements in somatic cell counts, mastitis levels and labour savings are possible when the system is used as part of a dairy hygiene programme.

As well as being suitable for all types of parlour and compatible with all types for clusters and liners, AirWash-Plus is also simple to install, either in new parlours or in existing parlours.

How does it work?

1. The cows are milked as normal. When the automatic cluster remover gives the signal that milking has finished, the AirWash Plus programme is initiated.

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2. As the process begins a special Y-joint releases a measured amount of teat dip which is mixed with compressed air.

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3. The compressed air propels the dip through the system towards the milking cluster where it is injected into the short milk tube.

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4. The blast of air creates a fine spray of teat dip inside the injector spray-nozzle in the short milk tube of the liner. The dip goes on while the teat is extended and coats the teat end, while both the skin pores and the teat canal are open and receptive to disinfectant and emollients.

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5. After the cluster is removed from the cow it returns to the ‘park’ position and the teat cup is

sanitised and rinsed repeatedly with compressed air and water. Dip residue on the inside of the liner is rinsed out and the entire liner is sanitised.

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To discover more about the way AirWash Plus can improve your milking efficiency, go to www.airwashplus.com, or call the T H WHITE Dairy Department on 01373 465941.

“One of the things I used to dread was evening milking. I would be thinking about it all day while I was doing other things – it just took the edge off a job that otherwise I really enjoyed.” So says Doug Roper of Roper Bloodstock (pictured right, above, with his brother Henry), whose dairy farm near Bromyard has a herd of 120, with around 107 in milk.

“Making it worse was the fact that our old Westfalia 8/16 parlour was completely worn out and the building that housed it was in a poor state. We knew we really had to start afresh and the turning point was the announcement of the Government’s Countryside Productivity Small Grants. The possibility of getting a grant unlocked the opportunity to redevelop our dairy.”

Doug began the application process in 2019 by seeking quotes from suppliers. “Given that we had the chance to make a significant change we were fairly sure that robotic milking was the path to take. The DeLaval Voluntary Milking System was impressive so as we were putting together our funding bid we began talks with T H WHITE’s VMS specialist Chris Newey.“Once we started looking at the options Chris suggested that we would do well to consider the DeLaval V300 VMS units which had been announced in 2018 and were about to become available in the UK. That was good advice as the V300 in not only 50% faster than the previous model but also has 99.8% accuracy in attaching teat cups and is quieter – delivering a stress-free and relaxed experience for the cows.

“The more we looked at the project, the more convinced we became that the one thing we would not cut corners on were the VMS units – everything else could be as cheap as possible!”

With a firm proposal put together, the Ropers made a successful grant application and their new dairy installation was started in the autumn of 2019, with T H WHITE installing two V300 robotic milking units supported by DelPro software. It was ready for the first milking on 13 January 2020.

“As you would expect it took a little while for the cows to get used to the new set-up but generally they took to it very well and were much calmer being milked by robots,” said Doug. “The first part of the year – when the cows were inside – was quite easy to manage, but when outdoor grazing started we had a few challenges in getting the cows to come in when they needed milking. It was all part of the learning process – all we had to do was set up the grass areas so that the cows had to pass through the shed to get from one to another, and problem solved! It means a fair bit of fence moving but the amount of labour needed is nothing compared to conventional milking.”

After just over a year, the Ropers can take stock: “It really has been a success,” enthuses Doug. “Our milk yields are up around 20% and it has transformed the way we work – no longer do I dread evening milking! Most importantly the cows are happy, partly because of the new milking routine and partly because of two DeLaval swinging cow brushes which T H WHITE also put in. The animals love those, and there’s nothing better than a contented cow!”

If you would like to know more about DeLaval voluntary milking systems and the V300, call our VMS specialist Chris Newey on 07880 798475 and visit www.thwhitedairy.co.uk

We have some great money saving offers on voluntary milking systems, DelPro upgrades and Evanza clusters plus attractive pricing on our best-selling Dairy spares.

Check our BEST SELLING DAIRY sundries too!

DeLaval Blockade
This ready-to-use, film-forming iodine teat dip makes use of I-tech (Free Iodine Technology) and ACT {Advanced Conditioning Technology). It optimally disinfects the teats and smooths the skin. It creates a fine elastic barrier that helps to protect against environmental bacteria.
20L: £108.70+VAT
200L: £771.00+VAT

DeLaval Calf Coats
Giving your calves a good start is an investment in your future.
Keep new born calves warm, strong and healthy to enhance their growth and performance in the cold weather.
• Water repellent
• Maintains body heat
• Reduces feed cost
From £28+VAT

DeLaval Milking Apron
This long, practical apron for parlour milking is made of waterproof PVC and stays flexible and comfortable even in cold conditions.
£18.30+VAT

Investing in equipment to separate slurry into liquid fractions has not only made muck handling easier for D and R Johnson & Son, but has also improved the quality of the end product, making it more valuable as a fertiliser. 

Tom Johnson, who runs a 140-cow dairy herd at Middle Farm near Salisbury. with his wife and parents, says savings have been impressive.

He says: “Fertiliser costs have come down by about £3,000/year, equating to about £60-100/hectare since we have been applying separated slurry.

“I work closely with my agronomist and soil test regularly to ensure we are putting the correct rates on, but it is a lot more efficient than simply hauling it out with a muck spreader.”

Cattle are housed for four months of the year in two main cubicle houses, bedded on sawdust and with all feed passages under cover.

They receive a total mixed ration of grass, maize and whole crop, as well as being parlour-fed and the 8,000 to 9,000 litre yield for Mueller is 60 per cent forage based.

David and Tom Johnson

In 2018. Mr  Johnson consulted local dealer T H WHITE about upd­ating his slurry handling system. 

Mr Johnson says: “We had an old concrete ramp to push muck up into the spreader and we scraped into a reception pit leading to the lagoon, but with Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) regulations coming into force to restrict spreading, we soon found that we were lacking storage capacity.”

T H WHITE’s slurry specialist Bob Gallop specified a Bauer separator to remove solids from the slurry and make more of the lagoon’s capacity. The muck ramp was also removed and, instead, muck scraped over slats into a reception pit before being pumped to the gantry-mounted separator. Separated liquids are then pumped into the existing lagoon and solids pushed into a clamp at the side of the lagoon; parlour washings are treated separately.

Removing solids from the slurry also means it can be applied more frequently with less risk of contaminating the sward.

Slurry is spread from the 1.5 million litre capacity lagoon on the 13.5ha of farmland via the farm’s tanker.

In the next growing season, the plan is to improve the nitrogen uptake further by applying the slurry to the pastures using a Storth 7.5m dribble bar, putting it closer to the roots of the sward.

Mr Johnson says: “We have used a splash plate in the past, but our location is very windy and we want to improve the precision of the operation.

“Because we used to struggle for capacity, the pressure was to get the lagoon empty as soon as the NVZ window opened, but now applications can be more targeted after first cut silage and on the maize ground.”

The project was grant-aided by the Rural Development Programme for England Leader Funding Programme (now closed for new applications due to the UK leaving the EU) which covered 40 per cent of the investment. Plans for the scheme were drawn up by T H WHITE’s Bob Gallop.

Speed

Mr Johnson says: “Getting grant funding was a big help and it is not an especially complex process. We filled out the forms and submitted the plans and it came together quite quickly.”

Bob Gallop, T H WHITE Slurry Specialist

T H WHITE offers back-up for the system and Mr Johnson says it is low maintenance, with only one grease point.

Checking the levels and keeping an eye out for foreign objects, which tend to be filtered out by the slats, are the other routine tasks.

Mr Johnson says: “The separator has also taken pressure off the other machinery as there is no need to push muck up a ramp. The system also fitted into our existing layout, so there was no requirement for building changes or planning permission.”

One benefit of the development is that the newfound lagoon capacity allows for potential expansion, an option Mr Johnson is considering with space available in the cubicles and parlour for an extra 20-30 cows.

Tower

A further update may include the installation of a tower in the future, as the existing lagoon is not covered and rainfall can impact on capacity.

With grateful thanks to Farmers Guardian Insight, who have allowed us to post this article which first appeared in FGI December 2020 issue.

If you would like to discuss how you can streamline you slurry handling, take to T H WHITE’s specialist Bob Gallop on 07831 883734.

DeLaval Pro Upgrade

DeLaval DelPro™ – the ultimate dairy farm management resource – has just been upgraded to help you keep even closer tabs on your animals and workflow.

Forgetting to refresh the monitor board is a common issue, so there is now an auto-refresh feature to ensure you always have the most up to date information. Other useful new features include the ability to record and track animal health checks, combine multiple vaccination protocols for a single vet visit, ‘invite’ animals to timed AI protocols to overcome abnormalities and get them in calf sooner, as well as separating animals into different treatment categories.

These updates and many others make DelPro FarmManager 5.5 the best release of the software to date, so talk to your T H WHITE dairy rep to upgrade.

Great prices on cow brushes

DeLaval cow brushes promote improved cow health and welfare.

It’s no secret that cows that feel well also perform well. The swinging cow brush (1) is the cows’ favourite, grooming all over and stimulating blood circulation.

An alternative is the stationary brush (2) which can be installed anywhere in a barn or outdoors providing a safe way for cows to remove skin or parasites, also being suitable for calves and goats.

If you are farming smaller animals such as goats or you have calves, the mini swinging brush (3) is ideal, keeping the animals calm and clean as well as lowering the risk of skin disease. It’s also easy to change height.

Keep your calves warm

Keep new born calves warm, strong and healthy to enhance their growth and performance during the cold weather to come this winter.

Milk monitoring: Upgrade your milk meters or flow indicators

DeLaval yield indicator FI7 When milk yield from each cow is monitored accurately, you gain key data for efficient herd management. This compact yield indicator provides:

• Robust design with no moving parts

• Milk yield available cow side

• Additional monitoring of liner slips,

kick offs and cluster inlet  blocks**

DeLaval milk meter MM27BC This is a highly accurate ICAR approved milk meter which also monitors any blood traces in the milk, conductivity levels, kick-off and air entry in the liners. It offers fast milk yield monitoring and better control of cow health.

• Milk is measured continuously

• Monitors blood presence, milk conductivity and milk out performances*

• It is not dependent on a central computer.

Calf milk heater

This immersion heater has a curved, cross-shaped Teflon heating element for homogeneous heating and easy cleaning.

• Easy and adjustable temperature gauge using the illuminated digital control panel
• Acoustic alert signal when desired temperature reached.
• Can be used from minimum 150mm immersion depth and maximum 720mm
• Low weight of 2.8 kg

Dairy Cleaning Unit C200

Top quality milk means higher profits. To achieve this requires efficient, consistent cleaning of your milking system.

Milk deposits must be removed from the milking equipment after milking. If this is not done in an efficient and consistent way, it will have a negative effect on all milk passing through the system. DeLaval cleaning unit C200 is supplied as one unit, allowing efficient installation, operation and monitoring.

This fully programmable unit is electronically controlled, to provide a cleaning system that meets your exact milking plant requirements. This unit provides low running costs. The C200 is available in 40 litres, 80 litres, 160 litres and as a stand-alone unit. A wide range of accessories are available for the C200.

Contact your local THW Dairy branch for capital sales Frome: 01373 465941 and Huntley 01452 830303, or your local van sales rep for parts and sundries.

Great prices on cow brushes

DeLaval cow brushes promote improved cow health and welfare.

It’s no secret that cows that feel well also perform well. The swinging cow brush (1) is the cows’ favourite, grooming all over and stimulating blood circulation.

An alternative is the stationary brush (2) which can be installed anywhere in a barn or outdoors providing a safe way for cows to remove skin or parasites, also being suitable for calves and goats.

If you are farming smaller animals such as goats or you have calves, the mini swinging brush (3) is ideal, keeping the animals calm and clean as well as lowering the risk of skin disease. It’s also easy to change height.

Keep your calves warm

Keep new born calves warm, strong and healthy to enhance their growth and performance during the cold weather to come this winter.

Milk monitoring: Upgrade your milk meters or flow indicators

DeLaval yield indicator FI7 When milk yield from each cow is monitored accurately, you gain key data for efficient herd management. This compact yield indicator provides:

• Robust design with no moving parts

• Milk yield available cow side

• Additional monitoring of liner slips, 

kick offs and cluster inlet  blocks**

DeLaval milk meter MM27BC This is a highly accurate ICAR approved milk meter which also monitors any blood traces in the milk, conductivity levels, kick-off and air entry in the liners. It offers fast milk yield monitoring and better control of cow health.

• Milk is measured continuously

• Monitors blood presence, milk conductivity and milk out performances*

• It is not dependent on a central computer.

Calf milk heater

This immersion heater has a curved, cross-shaped Teflon heating element for homogeneous heating and easy cleaning.

• Easy and adjustable temperature gauge using the illuminated digital control panel
• Acoustic alert signal when desired temperature reached.
• Can be used from minimum 150mm immersion depth and maximum 720mm
• Low weight of 2.8 kg

Dairy Cleaning Unit C200

Top quality milk means higher profits. To achieve this requires efficient, consistent cleaning of your milking system. 

Milk deposits must be removed from the milking equipment after milking. If this is not done in an efficient and consistent way, it will have a negative effect on all milk passing through the system. DeLaval cleaning unit C200 is supplied as one unit, allowing efficient installation, operation and monitoring. 

This fully programmable unit is electronically controlled, to provide a cleaning system that meets your exact milking plant requirements. This unit provides low running costs. The C200 is available in 40 litres, 80 litres, 160 litres and as a stand-alone unit. A wide range of accessories are available for the C200.

Contact your local THW Dairy branch for capital sales Frome: 01373 465941 and Huntley 01452 830303, or your local van sales rep for parts and sundries.

A major milestone in the creation of a dairy engineering teaching facility was reached on 21 October when the first cows were brought into the new cubicle shed. 

The 140-cow dairy unit is part of a Wiltshire College & University Centre initiative which will result in an undergraduate Dairy Engineering course at the Lackham Campus, designed to equip students for the next generation of dairy farming, making the most of new technologies and techniques. Construction of the new teaching unit is being supported by the T H WHITE Dairy division and DeLaval in partnership with the College.

Plans were progressed through 2019 and the project was launched with the signing of an agreement of cooperation in January.  Although the objective had been to complete the unit in time to commence the new teaching course by the end of 2020 a number of unforeseen factors have caused delay.

Mike Howes, T H WHITE’s project manager, explains: “At the start we faced the need to re-house bats from an old building that had to be demolished, then we suffered unprecedented rainfall which really set the construction back. In late March, of course, we had lockdown. You couldn’t make it up!”

As soon as work became possible again the team really pulled the stops out and the structure of the new building was completed with flooring, drainage channels and internal walls soon installed. “By mid-October we had installed two DeLaval VMS robotic milking units, with a third one that will be used for training to be installed by the end of the year” says Mike.

“Now that the cows are in their cubicles and the slurry lagoon is operational, we expect to be milking with the new machines within four weeks. Given the setbacks, we are really proud that the new dairy unit will be ready for the first students in 2021.”

Students who successfully complete the course will be awarded an HND in Agriculture (Dairy Engineering), accredited by Pearson.

To learn more about the Lackham Dairy Engineering Course, or to apply for a place starting in 2021, go to www.wiltshire.ac.uk.

Although we are entering the coldest months of the year, it doesn’t take much stretch of the memory to recall the blisteringly hot summer with air temperatures regularly exceeding 30 degrees.

If anything, summers in the UK are predicted to get even hotter, so although cooling may not be at the top of your concerns right now, it’s the right time to start thinking about cow shed ventilation.

It’s a fact that cool cows are productive cows. The more cows eat, the more milk they produce. But when temperatures rise above 22°C (72°F), cows begin to experience heat stress and lose their appetite. Reduced feed intake means lower milk yield and also decreases pregnancy rates. An effective ventilation system should help to reduce heat stress, increase yield, and clear the air in your barn.

A key element in good barn ventilation is an effective fan system. Dairy farmer Hugh Miles from Witham Friary, Somerset, decided to get ahead of the game in order to keep his cows cool this summer by installing barn fans before the heat started to rise. 

Last year the T H WHITE Dairy Department installed two DeLaval V310 voluntary milking units at Hugh’s farm and he contacted our Dairy specialists again for advice on the cooling systems.

“The T H WHITE team carried out a survey in the shed and, with input from DeLaval, they worked out the best configuration of fans and positioning to achieve maximum airflow,” said Hugh. “We went for 12 DeLaval DDF1200 fans which were installed in April.

“Soon after that the temperatures were nudging 33 or 34 degrees, but the cows didn’t have to go out in the sun. Instead, they stayed in the shed where the fans ensured they remained cool and comfortable. It wasn’t just the cows that benefitted – it was a lot more comfortable for our people too!”

The unique frame design of the DeLaval dairy farm DDF1200 helps to push air-stream further, achieving a greater cooling effect with less energy than conventional fans. The highly efficient IE3 electrical motors, coupled with the ability to alter blade configurations to suit different airflow requirements, deliver the right balance of efficiency and performance. The durable, corrosion-resistant fan is both easy to install and easy to maintain.

“The fans have certainly proved their worth,” Hugh added. “The cool atmosphere in the shed through the summer resulted in an increased yield of around 1½ litres of milk per cow per day.”

The benefits are clear. If you are planning to keep your cows cool next summer, now is the time to think about DeLaval dairy fans. As well as supplying the fans, T H WHITE can take care of all the installation for you with an integrated system that  regulates performance to suit conditions and keep your running costs to a minimum.

After more than a century of developing some of the world’s best milking systems, DeLaval has launched what it describes quite simply as “the best parlour we have ever made.” 

Benefiting from a clean-sheet design and blue sky thinking from the start, the all-new DeLaval Parlour Milking System P500 is a complete change from conventional parallel parlour design. P500 has been built to create a safer, calmer, more comfortable, efficient and productive environment for your cows and workers. It adds up to higher yields, less time spent milking and calm, healthy cows with reduced incidence of mastitis.

At the heart of the design are three key innovations: the SynchroSweep™ sequencing gate, the SynchroArc™ neck rail, and SynchroControl™ which puts everything at your fingertips. 

The sequencing gates are not mounted in the floor; instead they are elevated and out of the way meaning there are no obstructions for cows entering the parlour. The individual gate indexing is a great feature too where a herd has cows of varied sizes. Because the sequence gates are made from HDPE they are light and very robust, plus they don’t overlap so they are quiet in operation, resulting in a calmer milking cycle for the animals. The gates are also removed during milking for added cow during milking for added cow comfort.

DeLaval SynchroArc™ is much more than an open-bottom neck rail with no obstructions. It has been designed to increase milking routine efficiency with a smaller footprint and fewer vertical space requirements. Everything from the open, bottle-shaped design to the unique ‘up and away’ action of the SynchroArc™ means you can load sooner, exit faster and milk with consistent indexing.

After milking the SynchroSweep™ gates are lifted clear, encouraging cows to leave the milking platform in a rapid but calm manner – up to 56% faster than with a conventional parlour.

SynchroControl™ is where everything comes together. The system delivers more information, more functions and more technology than DeLaval has ever offered before, combined with ease of use for the operator. You can choose between All-Exit/All-Index, All-Exit/Gang-Index or Gang-Exit/Gang-Index as you please, while you only need to use a single button to control the exit of the previous group and the loading of the next group.

The DeLaval Parlour P500 is solidly constructed, but also highly space-efficient, offering a reduction in platform width of up to 30% and a maximum ceiling height requirement of only 2.45m. That makes it ideal not only for new parlour installations but also foR retro-fit installations.

For details of the remarkable new DeLaval Parlour Milking System P500, just contact the T H WHITE Dairy team, at Frome 01373 465941, or Huntley 01452 830303.

Keep your calves warm

Keep new born calves warm, strong and healthy to enhance their growth and performance during the cold weather to come this winter.

Calf milk heater

This immersion heater has a curved, cross-shaped Teflon heating element for homogeneous heating and easy cleaning.

• Easy and adjustable temperature gauge using the illuminated digital control panel 
• Acoustic alert signal when desired temperature reached.
• Can be used from minimum 150mm immersion depth and maximum 720mm
• Low weight of 2.8 kg 

Contact your local THW Dairy branch for capital sales Frome: 01373 465941 and Huntley 01452 830303, or your local van sales rep for parts and sundries.

T H WHITE Dairy Division is offering these 20m³ EB side discharge bulk bin silos for sale on behalf of a customer. One has never been used, the other is six months old.

Designed in accordance with Euro-code norms, they are manufactured with EB Equipment’s unique blend of polyester glass reinforced plastic – corrosion resistant and UV stabilised for long life.  Both have top access hatches with ventilation, a smooth interior and 60° cone angle for consistent content flow.  They feature single-piece cone and body construction with superior thermal insulation values compared to steel.  

The supporting steel work is fully welded from structural hollow section and hot dip galvanised.  Fill pipe includes long radius bends. A ventilation pipe maintains internal ambient temperature. Outlet height is 2.8m at 1m from front leg assemblies.

To enquire further, please contact George Eno on 07483 064724.

DeLaval Pro Upgrade

DeLaval DelPro™ – the ultimate dairy farm management resource – has just been upgraded to help you keep even closer tabs on your animals and workflow.

Forgetting to refresh the monitor board is a common issue, so there is now an auto-refresh feature to ensure you always have the most up to date information. Other useful new features include the ability to record and track animal health checks, combine multiple vaccination protocols for a single vet visit, ‘invite’ animals to timed AI protocols to overcome abnormalities and get them in calf sooner, as well as separating animals into different treatment categories.

These updates and many others make DelPro FarmManager 5.5 the best release of the software to date, so talk to your T H WHITE dairy rep to upgrade.

Great Prices on Cow Brushes

DeLaval cow brushes promote improved cow health and welfare.

It’s no secret that cows that feel well also perform well. The swinging cow brush (1) is the cows’ favourite, grooming all over and stimulating blood circulation.

An alternative is the stationary brush (2) which can be installed anywhere in a barn or outdoors providing a safe way for cows to remove skin or parasites, also being suitable for calves and goats.

If you are farming smaller animals such as goats or you have calves, the mini swinging brush (3) is ideal, keeping the animals calm and clean as well as lowering the risk of skin disease. It’s also easy to change height.

Cleaning Unit C200

Cleaning unit C200 is supplied as one unit, allowing efficient installation, operation and monitoring. 

This fully programmable unit is electronically controlled, to provide a cleaning system that meets your exact milking plant requirements. This unit provides low running costs. The C200 is available in 40 litres, 80 litres, 160 litres and as a stand-alone unit. A wide range of accessories are available for the C200.

Contact your local THW Dairy branch for capital sales Frome: 01373 465941 and Huntley 01452 830303, or your local van sales rep for parts and sundries.

Iobac

Iobac is an iodine based teat disinfectant that can be used before and after milking.  It offers protection against a broad spectrum of mastitis causing micro-organisms.

• Containing 1500 ppm iodine in ready to use solution

• Excellent disinfecting properties

• Formulated with pH close to teat skin

• Available in concentrated or read to use solution

20 Litres: £29 + VAT

C-AlkaClean 

A chlorinated alkaline cleaning product for milking and cooling  equipment that effectively removes milk residues. 

An effective cleaning routine will contribute to a premium milk quality and reduce the risk of bacteria growth in the milking installation.

• Alkalinity to address fat

• Chlorine to remove protein residues 

• For use in alkaline dominant routines or alternate cleaning routines

• Effective in soft to medium water conditions

20 Litres: £15 + VAT

From your T H WHITE Dairy branch or your local van sales rep.

Milk monitoring: Upgrade your milk meters or flow indicators

DeLaval yield indicator FI7

When milk yield from each cow is monitored accurately, you gain key data for efficient herd management. This compact yield indicator provides:

• A robust design with no moving parts

• Milk yield available cow side

• Additional monitoring of liner slips, kick offs and cluster inlet  blocks**

DeLaval milk meter MM27BC

This is a highly accurate ICAR approved milk meter which also monitors any blood traces in the milk, conductivity levels, kick-off and air entry in the liners. It offers fast milk yield monitoring and better control of cow health.

• Milk is measured continuously

• Monitors blood presence, milk conductivity and milk out performances*

• It is not dependent on a central computer.

• Low service cost – no movable parts.

Contact your local THW Dairy branch for capital sales Frome: 01373 465941 and Huntley 01452 830303 or your local van sales rep for parts and sundries. 

Also, see us at The Dairy Show, Bath & West Showground, 7 October 2020. See bathandwest.com/the-dairy-show to confirm go-ahead and latest details.

Terms and conditions apply; * Blood and Conductivity function not available on MP100 series.** Not all functions available on all systems. 

FRESHEN UP THE HARDEST WORKER IN YOUR BARN!

Research has shown that regular use of the DeLaval swinging cow brush can lead to a significant reduction in clinical mastitis and up to one litre more milk per cow per day. 

As a swinging cow brush is pretty much in use around the clock, its bristles – just as with any brush that is used on a daily basis – become worn and less effective over time. Replacing the Delaval swinging cow brush cylinder helps keep your cows clean, calm, healthy and productive. 

Therefore, we strongly recommend that you freshen-up your brush on an annual basis by replacing the head – AT THE SPECIAL OFFER PRICE OF £100+VAT UNTIL 31 AUGUST ONLY! 

You or your T H WHITE technician can simply replace the head in a matter of minutes. 

TIME TO CHECK AND UPDATE YOUR FENCING

Whether you need a permanent fence or temporary fence, DeLaval has a wide range of products to match your needs.

DeLaval plastic posts are made from a durable material and have several fixed insulators. The foot has a spike for driving into the ground.

DeLaval Polywire offers a cost-effective solution with copper conductor strands for excellent conductivity. This long-life wire is available in orange, white or blue.

You will need the right insulators to make your fencing safe and durable, regardless of whether you are using permanent or temporary fences, or are using wire, rope or tape. DeLaval insulators are suitable for wire or rope up to 4mm and are supplied in quantities of 100 pieces,

DeLaval parts and accessories are available from our Dairy departments  in Frome and Huntley. Offers are valid until 31 August 2020.

Despite many inevitable challenges presented by the coronavirus lockdown, the new dairy unit that will play a key part in training students for a new undergraduate Dairy Engineering qualification is taking shape rapidly.

The course is being offered by Wiltshire College & University Centre and will be based at the Lackham campus just outside Chippenham. T H WHITE is partnering with the College in construction of a state-of-art extension to the dairy unit featuring two of the latest DeLaval VMS V300 robotic milking units, an advanced Bauer slurry control system plus a day/night LED lighting system. The complete project will benefit from industry-leading DeLaval software.

Lackham’s course, which will be supported going forward by T H WHITE with continuing input and resources, is designed to address the skills gap in the dairy sector. Focusing on the remarkable technological advances in dairying which have given us advanced robotic milking and precision herd management to a standard that simply didn’t exist only a few years ago, the course will give  students a firm grounding in the latest developments, allied to a strong career advantage in this fast-changing area of farming.

The steel frame of the new dairy unit on the Lackham campus was well advanced in June.

T H WHITE is acting as project manager for the new build, working closely with the College management team at Lackham and the main contractor, Haines Construction (Southern) Ltd. Our ‘man on the ground’ Mike Howes charts the progress so far: “There were some delays at the start,” he says, “as we were not permitted to demolish a few old buildings on site until planning consent had been granted for the new building. Then we had to implement some careful management of the water table during the extremely wet weather in February.

“When the virus broke out and demand in the construction sector tailed off, we were able to take advantage of the availability of steel and galvanising services to get all the necessary materials on site.”

Inside the building the slurry channel, as well as block walls for the VMS units and teaching spaces take shape.

These photos, taken on 25 June, show the structural steel work in place and blockwork for the VMS milking stations and classrooms in progress. “We were about three weeks behind schedule after the lockdown,” Mike added, “but we’ve now recovered at least two of those. We are still aiming to have cows in by September, with the building ready for students by October.”

T H WHITE managing director Alex Scott has played a key role in bringing the project to fruition. “Considering the challenges that have already been thrown at us in 2020, 

I am delighted that we have managed to keep the project on track,” he said. “The performance of the whole team in making it happen has been most impressive.”

Amanda Burnside, principal of Wiltshire College & University Centre, Lackham, said “The progress on this wonderful new facility has been remarkable. We are confident that the new course starting this autumn will offer students many first class career opportunities and we look forward to welcoming them.”

To learn more about the Lackham Dairy Engineering Course, or to apply for a place starting this September, go to www.wiltshire.ac.uk. Applications are now open and there is a helpful FAQ section on the website to guide you through the process.

DeLaval Prima Plus is a highly efficient teat dip incorporating a well balanced blend of two active ingredients, hydrogen peroxide and salicylic acid for a broad disinfecting spectrum. It is especially designed to be used in automatic spraying systems, but can also be dipped. The DART technology boosts the efficacy of the dual actives, causing them to be rapidly effective at low levels, thus remaining gentle to teats. Available in 20l, 60l, 200l and 1,000l.

DeLaval PeraDis is a broad spectrum disinfectant proven  to be effective against FMDV (Foot and Mouth Disease Virus), environmental bacteria, pathogenic bacteria, thermo-resistant bacteria and viruses. Based on hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid, it can be used as a food area disinfectant (liners, clusters, bulk tanks, milk pipelines) and is particularly effective as a boot wash. It can also be used at up to 60-70 deg C.

Both these chemicals are available in 20l containers at just £40 ex-VAT until 31 August – from our Dairy departments.

T H WHITE has joined forces with Wiltshire College & University Centre to create a state-of-the-art robotic dairy parlour supporting the development of a dedicated undergraduate Dairy Engineering qualification.

The course, scheduled to begin in September this year, will be based at the College’s Lackham Campus near Chippenham where the 1,700-acre site is home to three working farms. The existing 140-cow dairy unit will be augmented with a new robotic milking parlour featuring two of the latest DeLaval VMS V300 robotic milking units, an advanced Bauer slurry control system plus a day/night LED lighting system. The complete project will be controlled by industry-leading DeLaval software.

Students will be introduced to the remarkable technological advancements that are revolutionising the dairy industry and will be able to study engineering and automation in a real-world environment against a background of business management and animal husbandry. As a full-time two-year course it will lead to a Level 4 BTEC higher qualification (a HND), or part time (HNC). With an entry requirement of a Level 3 qualification in a relevant subject (many of which are already offered at Lackham), the course will be particularly attractive to 16-18 year olds pursuing a rewarding career path.

Amanda Burnside, Principal of Wiltshire College & University Centre, Lackham, and T H WHITE CEO Alex Scott, signing the historic agreement.

Commenting on the new course, Amanda Burnside, Principal at the College, said “We are very proud to have designed and created the first dedicated dairy qualification for the sector, aimed at students with a passion for agricultural technology, engineering, science and automation. The new facilities we are building at Lackham, backed by £9 million funding from the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership, will be the envy of other farm automation learning providers and will, no doubt, create an amazing training environment for our students”.

Plans for the partnership between the College, T H WHITE and DeLaval have progressed during 2019 and a formal agreement of the joint cooperation has been signed. The initiative is now only subject to planning consent for which an application has been submitted with a decision expected in March. Work on the site will then be expedited, all efforts being co-ordinated towards the new facility and teaching rooms being ready to open soon after the start of the course in September.

As well as installing the new robotic parlour, T H WHITE will be supporting the course by committing to deliver lecture sessions during the year in which CEO Alex Scott and other senior members of the T H WHITE team will discuss business development and innovation in agriculture, with Head of Dairy Nigel Ellis covering the latest in robotic milking, feeding, fertility and other strategies for increased milk yield.

“We believe this initiative is exactly what is required to address the skills gap in the dairy sector,” said Alex Scott, “and we are delighted to be working in partnership with the College, as well as industry innovator DeLaval to make it happen. The course will lay a pathway to an attractive career combining technology and farming. To expand the range of studies T H WHITE will provide several work experience placements and offer student access to the company’s Frome-based business, from where our expert dairy team operates.”

Ciaran Murphy of DeLaval sees the new course as a great opportunity to attract more technically-minded young people to dairying: “DeLaval pioneered the Voluntary Milking System and today’s robotic arm on the VMS V300 units is quite something to see in action! Not only does it reduce labour requirements, making milking quick and efficient, but it is also comfortable for the cow. Integrating it with our herd navigator software enables constant monitoring of many health and reproductive factors for each animal, resulting in optimum herd management and higher yields.

“By participating in the partnership at Lackham, DeLaval can provide students with the hands-on experience and technical knowledge that will give them a strong career advantage in this fast-changing area of farming,” said Ciaran.

To learn more about the College’s Dairy Engineering Course at Lackham or to apply for a place, go to www.wiltshire.ac.uk.  Applications are now open and places for this pioneering course are certain be in high demand!

Bauer 655 separator pump and MEX mixer, collection tank and solids bunker (with Agribuild)

The sweeping downland of Salisbury plain outside the village of Shrewton is host to Middle Farm, where the Johnson family have been dairy farming since 1986.

Although still a medium size dairy operation, Middle Farm’s herd has grown progressively over the years and today 140 cows are being milked. Like all dairy farmers, the Johnsons have faced the challenge of slurry disposal, turning what could have been be a problem into a benefit. Tom Johnson takes up the story:

“We needed to increase our capacity for slurry handling and create a situation where we could more easily use the end products on our own 350 acres of farmland. Most ofthe land is either used for grazing or growing feed, so producing our own fertilizer contributes positively to the economics.

“Luckily our decision to tackle the job coincided with two things: eligibility for grant aid and a chance meeting with T H WHITE’s slurry specialist Bob Gallop at an agricultural show. We hadn’t worked with T H WHITE before but we instantly warmed to Bob – he really knows his subject and he was able to help us towards the right solutions.”

As well as specifying the necessary hardware, Bob introduced the Johnsons to Agribuild who participated in the tender for the groundworks and building elements of the project.

The tenders from T H WHITE and Agribuild were competitive and work on the new slurry installation was completed in April 2019. A new collection tank and solids bunker was constructed and fitted with a Bauer 655 separator pump and a MEX mixer, also from Bauer. These ensure that the nutrients are dispersed evenly and the separator divides the solids and liquid elements.

“The liquid has a high nitrogen content,” says Tom, “so we can apply that to the land with a dribble bar. The dry solid residue is now much easier to handle too and is also high in nitrogen, but it’s slow release nitrogen which makes it very useful on the fields.

“After less than a year we have already cut our fertiliser bill by a third as a result of recycling the farm’s slurry in this way – strong proof, it were needed, that we made the right choices!”

Four DeLaval VMS Classic voluntary milking units, Herd Navigator, DeLaval OptiDuo, robotic scrapers, 20,000-litre silo.

Martin Hann has followed in family footsteps as a lifelong dairy farmer. His father moved to Rodden Down Farm outside Frome in the 1960s, and now Martin, his wife Susie and their son Ryan have embraced robotic milking technology as part of a major upgrade for the future.

The new installation, which has been in use since April 2019, is truly impressive, featuring an expansive new shed, four DeLaval Voluntary Milking System (VMS) milking stations supported by DeLaval Herd Navigator software, a 20,000 litre feed silo, a pair of DeLaval OptiDuo auto feeders and robotic scrapers.

The Hanns have recently increased the number of cows being milked to just under 200 and there are plans to expand further to around 240. Based on a nominal figure of 60 cows for each VMS station, the new shed is set out in four sections, each with its own milking station.

Before the upgrade Martin and Susie milked in a tandem parlour: “I always thought that was a good system and if I had to go back to more traditional milking I would probably choose a tandem again,” he says, “but VMS technology has always attracted me. At first I wondered whether it would be suitable at Rodden Down as our cows spend time inside but are also free to graze on the surrounding pastures in the summer. Systems have moved on a lot in the last 15 years and we have put in automated pasture gates which allow the cows to come in and out as they wish; experience so far shows that they always return for milking.

“Now each cow is being milked on average 2.6 times a day instead of twice, with a consequent rise in yield. As you would expect, it has also made our lives a lot easier, giving us more time to attend to other aspects of the farm, but the real boon for us has been DeLaval’s Herd Navigator.”

This remarkable herd management system analyses milk samples to give detailed health and fertility profiles for each cow. It consistently predicts heats in the herd with a high degree of accuracy enabling accurate insemination. It will also detect clinical and sub-clinical mastitis up to three or four days before clinical signs are visible in the animals affected, as well as other health issues.

“Accurate identification of fertility has been a huge plus for us as it has meant we can keep the number of milking cows level throughout the year,” adds Martin.

An intriguing item among the farm’s new equipment is one of the first DeLaval OptiDuo robotic feed pushers in the UK. This battery powered unit follows a guidance cable buried in the concrete surface, using a twin-spiral rotating auger to remix feed and push it closer to the feeding rail without damaging or crushing the roughage. It can be programmed to workaround the clock, meaning that cows have access to feed 24 hours a day. This allows heifers and lower ranked cows the same opportunity to feed, with less stress and competition from dominant cows.

With robotic scrapers added to the other new kit, Rodden Down Farm is well placed to compete effectively in the constantly evolving dairy industry.

T H WHITE Head of Dairy NIGEL ELLIS, reflects on developments in dairying, profiling some of the installations carried out in 2019 and introducing key members of the T H WHITE Dairy team…

In the two years since Nigel Ellis took over as Head of T H WHITE Dairy the milk price in the UK has remained volatile. Nevertheless, dairy farmers have continued to invest strongly in their businesses and Nigel is determined to offer customers the best service in the market.

“There are many dealers out there competing to sell equipment and parlour installations, but at T H WHITE we believe that farmers need far more than that from their supplier,” says Nigel. “Our whole approach is based on long-term relationships, working with the farmer from the outset to ensure that what he is purchasing is right for the demands of his business, designing the installation to operate in the most efficient way, coordinating the build and installation and then making sure everything works as planned.

“Beyond that we will deliver servicing regimes appropriate to the equipment to keep everything running smoothly, and if something does go wrong we are on call 24/7 to get your dairy back in action as fast as possible.”

To sustain this promise T H WHITE has not only increased the numbers working in the dairy service department but has been instrumental in designing training packages to bridge the skills gap in the Dairy sector and entice newcomers to its sophisticated technology (more about this next month). Investment has also been made in the latest DeLaval VPR 200 diagnostic system which enables the technician to scan all the components of a dairy installation and instantly review which are functioning at their best and which may require servicing or other attention.

T H WHITE’s DeLaval dairy territory has recently been expanded with the award of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire.

“Our Dairy Van service is an added benefit too, maintaining regular contact with our Dairy customers and keeping them supplied with consumables and new products that can help their businesses.”

Nigel’s view of the road ahead is clear: “The key to the future success of the dairy industry undoubtedly lies in new technology. Milk prices are unlikely to rise sharply and labour is increasingly harder to secure, so the best way to survive and expand is through efficiency, volume and automation. 

“Some of the best solutions today are available from our dairy partner DeLaval. You will read in this special Dairy edition of White’s World how traditional twice-a-day milking can be increased to three milkings through the use of robotic milking stations. At the same time monitoring and analysis systems such as Herd Navigator™ can make a remarkable difference in the control of mastitis or the detection of fertility. All the data collected from each cow can also be processed by the DeLaval DelPro™ application and presented as accurate and clear information leading to better health in the herd and helping farmers to make informed decisions for greater profitability.

“For larger dairy farms we have seen the development of refined rotary milking systems. The DeLaval E100 and E300 rotary models show the way with their ability to handle large herds at each milking, all in speed and comfort for the animals.”

Augmenting the technology coming from DeLaval, T H WHITE also offers the unique AirWash Plus automatic dip and rinse system – the only one compatible with any cluster and any liner.

“It all adds up to a proposition that enable us to fulfil our purpose of helping customers to get the best from innovation and technology for generations,” Nigel concludes.

We hope that you will find much of interest in the Dairy pages of this special issue. If you would like to know more about any of the technologies and solutions featured here, our dairy specialists are ready to help. Just call the Dairy team on 01373 465941 (Frome), or 01452 830303 (Huntley).

If you prefer, you can contact Nigel on 07860 247367 or email nigel.ellis@thwhite.co.uk.

20×40 DeLaval 50 degree milking parlour, AirWash Plus

We last visited Whitchurch Farm near Ston Easton in February 2018 when brothers Tom and Jonathan Osborne were working with the T H WHITE Dairy team to finalise plans for a new milking parlour.

Now, bar a few minor details, the work is complete – and what a difference!  Alongside the cow shed that the brothers built in 2003 now stands a large and impressive new shed, one half of which houses the new DeLaval 20/40 50 degree herringbone parlour, while the other half accommodates calf pens.

The dairy is light and spacious – in complete contrast to the old installation which dated from 1976. “It has cut at least an hour off milking times,” says Tom, “which has made a huge difference to the way we can manage our time for other tasks.”

The large new shed housing the parlour.

The construction team moved on-site in August 2018 and the new parlour was brought into use in April 2019. The Osbornes decided to stick with a herringbone parlour as it is best suited to the farm’s needs.

“We are milking just over 200 cows and the throughput with the new parlour is great,” says Tom. “We did briefly consider a robotic milking system but we have 120 acres of grazing land and our cows spend a lot of time outdoors, so we didn’t feel VMS would have worked for us. Going for a herringbone parlour also meant that the cows were familiar with the system and apart from one or two stragglers they took to it straight away. Within a few milkings they were literally running in!”

The new parlour is more spacious for the cows and is also fitted with the AirWash Plus automatic dip and rinse system which saves a lot of time and maintains top hygiene standards. “Although we have always had a healthy herd and low veterinary bills, our bactoscan and cell counts are now even better,” Tom adds.

All-in-all a job well done which has assured milking standards at Whitchurch Farm for years to come.

20,000-litre silo, Compact Glycol Water Chiller (CWC) and Heat Recovery Unit (HRU)

Over the years, the economics of milk production have encouraged the formation of larger herds with higher yields. So it was that David Cotton, whose dairy farm is at West Bradley near Glastonbury, was faced with the need to upgrade the milk cooling and storage part of his business.

23 years ago, when it was installed, David’s 9,000 litre milk tank was ample for the farm’s output, but now that he is milking 250 cows and producing 8,000 litres per day he found himself right on the limit of capacity and relying on daily collections.

“I knew we needed more capacity but my decision on the best solution coincided with an incentive from our milk buyer Arla, based around giving them more flexibility on milk collection times. That meant we would have to be able to store at least two days’ output in tightly controlled conditions,” David explains.

The solution, put together with assistance from T H White Dairy engineers, comprised a DeLaval 20,000 litre cooling tank, a compact water chiller (CWC), plate cooler and heat recovery unit. Unlike conventional cooling units, the CWC uses glycol which can be cooled more rapidly than water without freezing, at the same time consuming less energy. Milk from the line is first filtered and then fed to a plate cooler style of heat exchanger where the chilled glycol is used to pre-cool the milk. The milk then flows to the 20,000 litre tank where the milk is maintained in perfect condition at 4deg C. In such large tanks there’s a need to protect the quality of the first litres of milk that enter the empty tank, so the evaporators in this silo tank feature a unique lateral configuration that ensures milk quickly covers an entire evaporator plate for efficient heat transfer. Gentle internal mixing also ensures consistency of temperature throughout the tank.

At the same time the DeLaval heat recovery unit is able to recover up to 60 per cent of the heat extracted during the milk cooling process which then produces hot water for use in pipeline and parlour cleaning.

“It’s a perfect solution,” David enthuses. “In general we now have a milk collection every other day, but we have the flexibility to deviate from that if necessary – it has boosted our returns and it suits Arla, so good all round.

“Although we had been using it for 23 years, the old milk tank was still in excellent condition so we have retained that, giving us a total capacity of 29,000 litres of temperature-controlled milk. If the collection tanker happens to arrive during milking we can also divert the milk into the original tank while the new one is being emptied.

“The whole system was installed very neatly by a single T H WHITE engineer who made a beautiful job of it. We are impressed!”

DeLaval 32×32 Fast Exit with feeding, AirWash Plus and backing gate.

“It’s such a great place to work!” So said Matt Kingston, standing in the vast new purpose-built shed which houses the family farm’s new DeLaval 32×32 fast exit milking parlour at Tresham, near Wotton-under-Edge.

“The old parlour dated back to 1972 and despite having been updated to a DeLaval herringbone installation in 1994, it was a dark, cramped place to work. It got very hot in there which wasn’t so bad in winter but was a nightmare in the summer,” he said. “To be fair, the building wasn’t really large enough for the parlour which resulted in it being very cramped for the cows – they would sometimes step backwards in the milking stall, miss their footing and put a hind leg down onto the equipment. That was distressing for the animals and could often cause damage to the parlour – you had to really watch what was happening.

“It got to the point where I would come in after morning milking, slump into a chair and ask myself if I really wanted to be doing this.”

By 2016 the Kingstons decided to address these issues head-on, not only with a new parlour, but also a spacious new shed to house it. With a 105ft roof span the new shed took the best part of two years to plan and build. “It was certainly tricky getting the huge steel components on-site,” Matt recalls. “They were far too long to be brought through the village on a vehicle so they had to come across the fields on a trailer. Even then they had to be raised to clear obstacles each side!”

At Tresham Farm they are currently milking 250 cows, but there is the possibility of increasing the herd to 300 in the near future, or even 400 in the longer term. “We considered all the options for the new parlour. We didn’t think robotic milking would be the best solution for our size of operation, but we did consider rotary. Of course, that’s another step up in cost and with a rotary  there is less opportunity to monitor each cow – once you have attached the cluster she has gone, whereas in a traditional parlour you have a little longer with each animal when you can tell if something is not quite right.” 

Following discussions with Matt, T H WHITE’s Dairy team designed the new parlour and work began on the installation in the new shed in late 2018. Tresham Farm’s contract for milk supply to Sainsburys has always meant that efficient milking and immaculate hygiene standards are at the top of the list and the new parlour incorporates feeding, a backing gate, an auto-sort gate and – importantly – AirWash Plus. “I wouldn’t be without that now,” says Matt. “It keeps mastitis closely under control and, together with the new automatic foot bath, helps to ensure that everything is clean and healthy.

When we made a follow-up visit to Tresham in December, the new parlour had been in use for just over 10 months and everything was as scrupulously clean as the day it was commissioned. It’s no wonder that Sainsburys have held meetings there for their producers; it’s a real credit to the Kingston family who are playing an active part in keeping British milk production standards at an exemplary high level.

GEORGE ENO Capital Plant Sales Specialist. Living the ‘good life’

George specialises in conventional milking systems. He joined T H WHITE 23 years ago as a Dairy Service Engineer, moving into sales in 2009. He loves getting to the bottom of what a farmer is aiming to achieve with a new installation, be that higher throughput, milk yield recording, animal identification, group or individual cow monitoring, and he then recommends equipment accordingly. He has found that whilst automation is a fast growing segment, there is still always a place for a simple systems that can be served by DeLaval’s robust, reliable equipment.

“DeLaval kit is probably the toughest and most reliable in the market,” he says. “It’s a company that invests heavily in R&D, listening to customer concerns and responding with solutions that meet those challenges, such as the stable harmony cluster designed to maximise milking speeds with low cyclical vacuum fluctuations.”

George knows that farmers get bombarded by salesmen, but coming from an agricultural background in which he worked in herd management for 15 years gives him the edge. “They appreciate that I know what I’m talking about, but they listen most to what other farmers say, so I often arrange visits to nearby farms where they can see DeLaval equipment, DelPro and various other milking technologies in operation.”

As a service engineer, George has witnessed how trust grows with farmers when they experience T H WHITE after-sales and service, knowing we will support problems for the life of the equipment supplied.

One of George’s proudest moments was a speedy parlour move for Bevan Lewis Baker, in Kemsey Commander, Monmouthshire. Weeks of careful planning enabled George and the team to lengthenthe parlour and move the existing equipment to a new site, all in one day.

Out of hours George is a bit of a green energy geek  – windmills , wind turbines, solar panels, ground source heat pumps are his passion, not to mention his productive vegetable garden, allotment and the three sheep he keeps. A true case of living the self-sufficient ‘good life’!

MIKE HOWES After Sales & Project Manager.   Retired Rugby player

Mike works closely with the sales team to scope the concept, materials, design oversight, cost control, staffing, welfare, and management of subcontractors and third parties for each project.

Mike joined T H WHITE in 1977 on an apprenticeship programme, achieving a HND in Agricultural Engineering. That choice was quite random – arriving late to a careers advice meeting at school he was made to draw a career path card.  It read Agricultural Engineer – so he thought why not, and followed it!

Mike completed extensive supplier equipment training and his experience gained him a promotion to Service Manager in 1994.  He left T H WHITE on several occasions – the first time in 1984 to work for the British Antarctic Survey for several years, followed by a spell in Saudi Arabia on a project creating the world’s largest pivot irrigated farm. In 2000 he was appointed Technical Services Manager of a 400-acre Center Parcs estate but returned to T H WHITE in 2011.

Dairy technology is now moving ahead faster than ever which means Mike and his team have to be (and are) adaptive, fast-paced and responsive. “Many of us have worked together for a long time – there’s a good vibe in a tight ship! We live our customers’ pressures and help each other, recognising our scarce skill set in this sector,” says Mike. “DeLaval is the world VMS market leader and I’m proud to represent the brand..”

Mike is a retired rugby player, but it’s a passion he has passed to his daughter and he now enjoys the excitement of watching her play.

ANDREW WELCH Service Coordinator   Mountain biker

Andrew is our Service Manager at Frome, also supporting our Huntley branch. Brought up on his grandparents’ Dairy farm at Twinhoe near Bath, milking is in Andrew’s DNA. He still remembers drinking from the churn when little and doing the Sunday milk round.

Andrew worked as a farm labourer in his teens and joined T H WHITE in 1975 on the engineer’s programme, becoming a fully qualified agricultural engineer.

After a brief interlude in the family business Andrew returned to T H WHITE amid the 1980s recession, calling customers to seek orders for on-site repairs and upgrades in the Cheddar area. . Relocating to Frome in 2000, Andrew joined the Dairy team.

Today, he and his engineers service our own DeLaval equipment and other brands in a large south west territory spanning Somerset to Hampshire, South Wales, as far north as Herefordshire and east to Berkshire.

Andrew is the primary customer contact point for breakdown and he liaises with engineers to determine the best skill set to tackle a problem.  He also deals with all refrigeration service contracts and bulk milk tank maintenance. When livestock are involved, there is often no time to spare.  Although it can be a challenge to take calls in the middle of the night, work out what’s wrong and pick the right skill to solve the fault, Andrew enjoys the satisfaction of having helped many customers to achieve a positive outcome.

When not at work Andrew can be found restoring retro equipment and organising Frome Mountain Bike Group rides.

BOB GALLOP Slurry Specialist   Avid gardener

Working at the mucky end of agriculture as T H WHITE’s Slurry Specialist may not be everyone’s idea of a dream job, but it’s a very necessary part of the cycle that delivers real benefits. 

Bob has been with T H WHITE for 45 years, joining as a mechanic and working his way up the tree over the ensuing 13 years to become Workshop Foreman. In 1989 he left for a two year spell at a Deutz tractor and RABI equipment dealership in Westbury, before embarking on a wonderful adventure running a Ford tractor dealership workshop in Tanzania. Exciting as that was, it played havoc with family life so he returned to T H WHITE in Frome as an Area Sales Representative. In 2013 the company decided to appoint a Slurry Specialist and Bob got the job. 

T H WHITE is a dealer for a select group of slurry equipment suppliers – Bauer for all fixed equipment, Hi Spec for tankers, Tramspread for umbilical equipment, Storth for auto scrapers and mixers and Vogelsang for applicators. Being able to represent them in this small sector of the vast agricultural industry means that Bob can offer a comprehensive and professional service. 

Away from the muck Bob enjoys delving in another kind of mud – as an avid gardener!

PAUL DERRICK Capital Plant Sales Specialist   Skittles supremo

Paul is proud of the fact that any dairy or refrigeration equipment that’s bolted or fixed to a wall, ceiling or framework,  is something he sells! Since May last year he has been project managing his own sales, directing our workshop engineers through Andrew Welch and Chris Newey, ordering capital goods, parts and ancillary equipment, and overseeing completion of projects to the to a clients’ specifications. Every day brings a new challenge and new problems to solve, which he relishes.

But Paul’s enthusiasm for farming goes way back – to the 1970s in fact when his father was friends with a local farmer who allowed Paul to spend weekends and holidays helping on the farm.  He enjoyed the environment and applied to our tractor workshop, joining in 1977 as a junior engineer. Advancing to being a qualified technician, Paul took advantage of every opportunity to learn the ins and outs of New Holland, Kuhn, Opico, Manitou and more…

After 19 years he took up a fresh challenge in Dairy van sales, visiting half a dozen farmers a day with supplies and talking about all-important upgrades and refurbishments.  Our van operatives are great brand ambassadors for T H WHITE are instrumental in building rapport and trust among our customers.

Paul was excited by the way technological improvements were freeing-up farm labour, allowing a stronger focus on the husbandry side of animal welfare. He later took the role of workshop foreman before moving to Dairy capital sales in 2001, supplying  both robotic VMS solutions and conventional systems.

When not working Paul is an accomplished skittle player for three different teams, captain of two and a few league championships under his belt.

GARY GRANT Capital Plant Sales Specialist

Gary grew up around farms and began his career by milking cows working for farm contractors before joining T H WHITE as a Dairy Engineer in 1995.  

After a brief spell away, he returned in 2005 and by 2011 he had worked his way up into Dairy sales where he now specialises in conventional herringbone and rotary parlour systems. Where a customer is interested in robotic milking Gary will rise to the challenge too, as seen in the installation recently completed for Hann Farming (see page 4), calling as necessary upon the expertise of our VMS specialists to take the conversations forward. That’s part of the benefit of working in a large and experienced team.

Gary is a big fan of Herd Navigator, DeLaval’s proactive herd management tool which identifies when a cow is in heat and how much feed is needed at differing stages of lactation, making cow health and reproduction a seamless process.  

DeLaval’s DelPro integrated farm management platform has also been a game changer for Gary’s customers.  Monitoring the herd’s well-being 24-hours a day, it brings all that data together allowing herdsmen to make decisions related to performance, feeding, health, milking and reproduction in one tidy application that can now be remotely accessed from anywhere with DelPro Companion. Gary appreciates the freedom and outdoor lifestyle of his farming career and the customer relationships he has built.

ROB WHEELER Draughtsman   Scooter rooter

Rob is the Dairy team draughtsman. He will often have three large builds on the drawing board, ranging in value from a few thousand pounds to more than a million. He loves starting with a concept and developing it into a fully operational solution – schemes can range from cow moving and handling systems, to a parlour design or a green field site.

For many of these projects T H WHITE will be acting as principal contractor, so as well as building work and planning submissions, every detail has to be accommodated right down to cladding and wi-fi points.

Having grown up on a dairy farm, Rob joined T H WHITE in the 1970s as an apprentice at Devizes, taking only a brief break to work in his family’s catering equipment business. Here he trained in CAD design, a step which enabled him to return to T H WHITE in 2008 as the dairy designer. Has undergone extensive training on DeLaval parlours, IOSSH and more CAD design development.

Rob has seen enormous changes in equipment based around computerisation and was closely involved in the design of the complex quadruple VMS milking installation for Hann Farming near Frome (see page 4).

In his spare time Rob renovates and rides vintage scooters and rallies them at his local club in Radstock.

CHRIS NEWEY Capital Plant Sales & VMS Specialist   Fisherman

Chris Newey is our VMS Specialist, also responsible for capital plant sales and Frome service co-ordination. He joined T H WHITE in 2017 following a career in mechanical engineering with Dairy dealers.

From the first time he saw robotic milking in action Chris was excited about the possibilities of the technology and has since made it a speciality. He is particularly pleased with the result  of having moved Hugh Miles from a conventional to robotic milking system (see page 5) – in fact Chris has never seen someone so happy: “I think he was elated due to all the extra sleep,” he says!

Chris’ mornings are usually spent organising our engineers’ schedules, getting parts ready and arranging service visits for the team. Dairy equipment is serviced annually as a minimum, but robotic units – which are at work 24/7 – require a service three times a year, so Chris pro-actively schedules client appointments, allocates an engineer and briefs them.

Later in the day he will return to capital plant sales, responding to enquiries for new installations or upgrades. This often involves a site visit to survey requirements, develop designs and cow traffic plans, followed by conversations with DeLaval to refine proposals.  Chris is always looking to achieve best value and longevity for the customer from each solution he presents.  He ensures he discusses future plans – does the client want to focus on technology or not? Do they want to grow their herd? Price variations between conventional and robotic equipment are minimal, but expansion is key and conventional solutions can be expanded easily without large investment – but create more labour challenges and longer working hours for the farmer. Robotic equipment, on the other hand, comes with more back-end technology to maintain, but frees-up labour to create a more flexible working day with focus on cow welfare. So the two paths level out depending on customer needs.

Chris rates the reliability of DeLaval equipment highly, and with proactive service planning the need for breakdown support is minimised, but 

T H WHITE is always on call with highly trained engineers.

When not at work Chris is rather proud of the fact that he can be found fishing, shooting – or sleeping!

Two DeLaval V300 voluntary milking units

A few miles south-west of Martin Hann’s farm, family relation Hugh Miles at Witham Hall Farm has also moved from a tandem parlour to robotic milking.

With 120 cows to milk Hugh opted for two of the latest DeLaval V300 Voluntary Milking System units which feature an incredible range of new technologies. A completely redesigned milking arm – which in many ways replicates actions of the human arm – incorporates DeLaval InSight™, a new and unique camera system. It learns and adapts to each individual udder, memorising the settings, eliminating the need for teat mapping and resulting in astonishing attachment rates of 99.8 per cent. The upshot is relaxed cows and efficient milking.

“We started to think about robotic milking because of the difficulty with labour,” says Hugh. “The V300 units essentially replace one worker, but the challenge was more about the issue of finding people prepared to do the work these days.”

The cows have adapted well to the new regime, forming an orderly queue for the DeLaval V300!

Hugh runs the farm with his daughter Clare and wife Hilary, and is grateful for the easier working patterns that the VMS has created. “Clare and I share shifts and because we no longer have to carry out the milking it means we can spend more time on all the other tasks around the farm. It has also given us more sociable working hours and I can monitor the whole thing from my mobile phone wherever I am. The system will even send me an alert if a cow has failed to leave the milking stall.”

More than just taking care of the physical activity of milking, the V300 captures vast amounts of data at every milking, from every cow – even from each teat. This data is all processed, analysed and delivered back in the form of simple visual reports. With a separate milk meter for each teat, the vacuum, pulsation and take-off are adjusted automatically, resulting in superior udder health. 

The cows at Witham Hall Farm underline the success of the system; they are relaxed and calm awaiting their turn for milking, actually forming an orderly queue for the V300! Calmer cows are usually healthier cows with better longevity, productivity, reproduction and yield.

Although ‘rule of thumb’ suggests that one VMS unit is needed for every 60 cows, Hugh believes that is under-estimating their capability. “Our yields have already increased since we moved to VMS and theoretically we should be at capacity milking 120 cows with two machines. But, looking at the milking patterns it’s clear that each V300 could handle more – maybe even up to 70 cows.”

Hugh’s V300s have been at work since September last year. In March, when they have been in operation for six months, he plans to augment the system with DeLaval’s Herd Navigator. “That will give us more control over fertility and will also reduce vet’s bills, proving the worth of our investment.”

FAN 1.2-780 separator pump, Bauer mixer

Dairy farming is a business that requires acumen and foresight to achieve the optimum balance between production, environmental impact and profitability. At Park Farm, Beaulieu, Arthur Rolf has been applying these skills while also moving the farm towards greater self-sufficiency.

One of the areas he has addressed recently is slurry handling: “All dairy farmers have to decide how best to deal with large quantities of slurry. We knew we wanted to make it work for us and we also wanted to maintain good environmental standards. 

“We were vacuum-tanking our slurry onto maize ground, but we knew that separating the solids and liquids would make it easier to handle, improve environmental control and result in products that had a value to us. That was when I called Bob Gallop at T H WHITE.

“Bob really knows his stuff and is always prepared to get stuck into a challenge, so when he recommended a Bauer mixer and a FAN separator pump we were receptive.”

As the installation was to be partly grant-funded Arthur obtained three quotes and he was pleased when the one from T H WHITE was the most competitive. “At Beaulieu we are some way outside 

T H WHITE’s usual territory,” Arthur explained, “but there are no slurry equipment suppliers particularly near us, so whichever company we chose would be some distance away. Being able to go with 

T H WHITE and have someone as knowledgeable as Bob on the end the phone gave us a lot of confidence for those inevitable occasions when we need to solve a problem.”

With the tender accepted the installation was carried out. A Bauer mixer now ensures the slurry is evenly distributed before passing through the FAN 1.2-780, mounted on steel staging. Founded in 1986, FAN Separator GmbH – now part of the Bauer Group – developed the first press screw separators, including the patented full floating screen technology employed in all FAN and Bauer PSS separators.

“In the late 1970s we were milking 540 cows, but following the introduction of milk quotas and a change of approach that figure has dropped to 340 today, says Arthur. “Now, instead of going for high yields of around 12,000 litres per cow, we aim for an average yield of 7,400 litres and we try to keep our cows outside for 270 days a year. Remarkably that is actually a more profitable model – the cows are happy and the amount of slurry to be dealt with is reduced.

“Not only does the FAN separator feature high quality stainless steel internal components for long life, but the fact that there is no need for the separator to be used in the summer months when the cows are outside, makes me think that if I clean it thoroughly every year it will outlast me!”

The FAN separator delivers dry matter to a bunker and the liquid element to a holding tank. “Following separation, the dry material is worth about £5 a ton to us as farmyard manure, while the nitrogen-rich fluid is worth £54 per cubic metre. The new set-up means we are now around 70% self-sufficient in fertilizer for grass, maize and haylage.”

Arthur believes that the dairy industry must now face up to pressing environmental challenges: “Methane is clearly a big problem and the media are very quick to spotlight issues mainly being raised by the vegan community about methane from dairy cows. However,  it’s important to keep this in perspective; while dairy farmers can certainly play their part in the control of methane, many other sectors– including the chemical industry – are contributing to the problem. Large volumes of methane are also being released as the icecaps melt and as a result of fracking. We need a universal strategy to address this, rather than singling out the dairy industry.

“Another challenge partly answered by slurry separation is that of urea. We return the separated liquid to the land using a dribble bar injector which reduces the release of urea to the atmosphere by over 60%. Even though we are not in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ), we have had so much rain this year that much of the ground is waterlogged, meaning we can’t inject at the moment. To prevent this becoming a problem in the future the next development on the farm could be a 4 million litre holding tank –sufficient to store three months’ output.”

     It’s great to meet a farmer like Arthur Rolf who not only has a positive vision of dairying, but is constantly considering new ways to balance his business with the changing world around him.

T H WHITE is a main dealer for DeLaval and we would like our customers to benefit from all the guidance and support DeLaval offers end users of DeLaval products.

DeLaval publishes a monthly digital newsletter which shares useful articles relating to herd management, product tips, customer case studies, events, offers and more. To receive the publication please sign up by visiting www.delaval.com where you can subscribe to their newsletter at the base of the page.

T H WHITE put on a strong showing at the 2018 Dairy Show in October for both Case IH and New Holland, together with the wide variety of equipment brands offered by our Agriculture and Dairy divisions.

A real eye-catcher on Avenue B at the Bath & West Showground was the gleaming line of red Case IH tractors, ranging from the compact Farmall to a mighty 200hp Puma. Impressive stuff, with a tractor to meet every need, but for many farmers the stand-out tractor was the Case IH Maxxum 145 with ActiveDrive 8 transmission. This new semi-powershift transmission offers eight powershift steps in each of three ranges, providing a total of 24 speeds in both forward and reverse, and is available on all Maxxum Multicontroller models.

Covering speeds up to 10.2 km/h, Range One is specifically designed for heavier draft work. Range Two, the main working range, covers nearly 90 per cent of all field, grassland and loader application requirements, allowing the tractor to work under full load, without any torque disruption, from 1.6-18.1 km/h.

For road travel, the transmission is designed to start in Range Three, and a skip-shift function then allows quick progress through the powershift speeds. An auto-shift feature means the tractor can be set to progress automatically through any set of eight speeds in the field, and through all 16 gears in the top two ranges on the road. A pedal kick-down function can be used to impose a manual downshift.

A clutch pedal is not required, meaning this transmission is suited to power-hungry tasks where momentum is important, such as cultivations or mowing with twin or triple mowers.

To try a Case IH tractor for yourself, just call Rob Iddeson on 01264 811260.

The latest-generation rotary milking system from DeLaval, the E100, is not just a rotary, but a full system with more information, more automation, more functions and more technology than ever before. Above all, it has been designed so that one person can operate everything safely, comfortably and easily, from a central point.

Building on years of experience with rotary milking systems, DeLaval has designed the new E100 to create a better, safer, calmer and more productive experience for you, your cows and anyone who works on your farm.

Featuring easy entry and easy exit for cows, TopFlow clusters that can milk up to 15 litres per minute, plus DeLaval’s special design of comfort bail, the Rotary E100 is operated from a ‘cockpit’ where all aspects can be monitored and controlled via the DelPro platform and touch-screen.

Unique to the E100, the ComfortBail is fundamental to maintaining efficiency as well as a calm milking environment for the cow. All the necessary wires, pipes and technology are integrated within the bail, thus ensuring clearer lines of visibility for worker and cow, easier, safer access for the milker, and a more consistent approach to the task of getting cows on, milked and gone, quickly and without stress. The design also ensures that the cows present ready for milking in a position that makes attachment faster and simpler, while four individual teat spray nozzles provide accurate coverage seconds after cluster removal.

DeLaval’s FastLane entry bridge ensures that the cows move as quickly, calmly and efficiently as possible, enabling the operator to select either single cow entry or a one and a half cow entry lane to optimise the number of cows per hour of milking. The wide exit lane incorporates a funnel enabling multiple cows to exit the milking parlour, thus reducing the number of inactive milking points and increasing throughput without creating platform stoppages.

With herd sizes increasing, it all adds up to milking more cows more efficiently with fewer labour hours and less hassle.

T H WHITE can not only supply and install the new DeLaval E100 – plus a building and all associated works to house it in if required – but once it’s in production we can provide all the support and service you will need to maximise the profitability of your dairy operation.

Get all the facts by calling any of our Dairy branches, or talk to T H WHITE Dairy Manager Nigel Ellis on 01373 465941, email nigel.ellis@thwhite.co.uk.

Success in the challenging dairy farming sector relies increasingly on new technologies to maximise milk yield, herd health and profitability. The latest innovations from DeLaval, the pioneer and market leader in dairy automation, will now help farmers to achieve more than ever before.

Topping the list of DeLaval’s new introductions are the OptiDuo™ robotic feed pusher, the new V300 Voluntary Milking System (VMS), plus the latest software to help you manage and control your dairy business, even when you are on the move.

OptiDuo feed pusher
The first DeLaval OptiDuo in the UK has been supplied by T H WHITE and commissioned at Oldbury Farm near Frampton on Severn, Gloucestershire, where David Merrett has a herd of 125 cows.

The OptiDuo is a new robotic feed pusher with a twin-spiralled rotating auger which allows feed to be remixed and repositioned without damaging or crushing the roughage and then pushes it closer to the feeding rail, giving the cows constant access to the refreshed feed.

Following a guidance cable buried in the yard surface, the OptiDuo can be programmed to work around the clock, meaning that cows have access to feed 24 hours a day. This allows heifers and lower ranked cows the same opportunity to feed, with less stress and competition from dominant cows in the herd, which in turn leads to higher intakes and more milk in the tank. Different settings can be made for different groups, for example lactating cow feed or youngstock feed.

DeLaval calculates that with the OptiDuo feed intake can be increased by up to 10 per cent with less wastage, providing the cows with a well-mixed diet to help to ensure maximum dry matter intake and minimise feed sorting. The cows can then spend more time resting and ruminating.

V300 VMS
When the DeLaval Voluntary Milking System (VMS) first appeared 20 years ago it revolutionised the way in which dairy farmers could manage their business. Allowing cows to be milked as and when they want, at the same time monitoring the milking cycle for each animal, its health and the yield, meant that very close herd control could be exercised, at the same time freeing the farmer and his employees from the rigours of set milking times to enjoy more normal working hours and a better family life.

Since then DeLaval has continually developed, modified and improved its VMS, adding the OCC™ cell counting system, Herd Navigator™ software and a new model in 2015 including the Body Condition Scoring (BCS) camera.

Now we have the new DeLaval VMS V300 incorporating a host of improvements that will enable farmers to do more with less. At the heart of the system is the milking arm – which in many ways replicates actions of the human arm. New software and the highest ever quality camera assess the best and most accurate way to attach the teat cups. The system learns and adapts to each individual udder, memorising the settings and resulting in attachment rates of 99.8 per cent, taking away the need to teach the machine manually with the entry of each new cow.

Attachment of teat cups is 50 per cent faster than the previous model, milking capacity is up by 10 per cent to a potential 3,500kg of milk a day, yet running costs are lower. The integrated DeLaval InSight™ system is able to find the teat fast and accurately, giving the cow a stress-free and relaxed experience.

A major advance is in teat spraying. The V300 is fitted with the DeLaval PureFlow™ system which cleans each teat individually with a 99 per cent teat spray hit rate. Increased stimulation from the PureFlow system also results in a 15 per cent higher milk flow. A new user interface – the DeLaval InControl™ mobile app – allows for remote control of the system as well as access to information.

Stay in control on the move
Alongside the V300, DeLaval has launched a new edition of its DelPro integrated farm management software, together with an associated app, DelPro Companion. Working in unison, these monitor your herd’s well-being 24-hours a day, bringing together the data needed to make decisions relating to performance, feeding, health, milking and reproduction. Being able to view all this in one tidy application for a mobile device allows you to maintain complete control of your farm and your herd from literally anywhere in the world.

Key benefits of the DelPro platform include:
Animal Welfare: DelPro has the ability to identify an animal becoming ill at an early stage so you can prevent her and other cows in the herd from becoming really sick.
Food Safety: You have full control over your cows feed ration throughout the different states of lactation. With DelPro you can set a controlled strategy for each cow and implement it for differing days in milk, production level, or lactation number.  The system can also divert milk automatically in a given milking cycle.
Profitability: A closer focus on animal health drives productivity. DelPro helps to align efficient feeding with reproduction goals and expected yields. Each cow is treated as an individual with a focus on milking permission to help her meet her potential.
Work efficiency: DelPro manages work flows to ensure efficient performance.  It allows you to analyse milk production and reproduction data to explore the effect on monthly production levels through these changes. The interface is easy to navigate with comprehensive downloadable reports.

DelPro Companion is available to download from Google Play or Apple’s App Store.

T H WHITE Dairy Manager Nigel Ellis is ready to tell you more about all the exciting developments from DeLaval. Call him on 01373 465941, or email nigel.ellis@thwhite.co.uk.

Most of us tend to feel happier and more content during the long, sunny days of summer. In winter, the opposite is true; dark mornings, early dusk and grey days can lower your mood.  Well, the same is true for cows, but in a way that can directly affect their milk production. Most of us tend to feel happier and more content during the long, sunny days of summer. In winter, the opposite is true; dark mornings, early dusk and grey days can lower your mood.  Well, the same is true for cows, but in a way that can directly affect their milk production.

Dairy farmers have known for a long time that giving cows more light increases milk yield. Studies have shown that exposing cows to16 hours of light each day will cause the pineal gland to produce less melatonin, in turn leading to increased feed intake and milk production. The uplift can be between 5% and 16% (averaging 8%) so it’s an increase well worth having. Until recently, however, the energy cost of providing the extra lighting made the benefits questionable.

To see how things have changed we visited the Morgans’ farm near Llantwit Major in South Glamorgan where T H WHITE installed DeLaval cow LED lighting in December.

The Morgans’ farm is in a beautiful position on hills overlooking the Bristol Channel. During the summer months the cows graze on pastures which form part of the 300-acre mixed farm, but in winter it’s a different story: “The wind here howls straight off the Atlantic – there’s literally nothing between here and America to shelter us,” says David Morgan. “We house the cows in the winter to give them some protection but obviously we still want to get the best milk yields that we can. We had been thinking about using lighting for a while to increase yields and we started talking to T H WHITE in the autumn.”

To make the lighting effective you can’t just use any light. Cows see a different part of the visible spectrum from humans so it’s important not only to achieve the correct lux levels (brightness of illumination) but also the right colour temperature. Most LED lighting systems in use today were designed for factories – not the high ceilings of barns – and so use a lot of energy to achieve the right light levels for the cows. DeLaval, however, has taken an entirely new approach in designing its cow LED units.

Only in 2014 were efficient blue light-emitting diodes invented (awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize for Physics) and DeLaval has used these together with additional optical lenses to achieve an even ‘bat wing’ light spread. The really clever part is that the DeLaval units deliver light at three different levels – ‘Herd Light’ for the cows’ eyes, ‘Work Light’ for farmers’ eyes, and ‘Night Light’ for the 8-hour dark period when the cows rest but farmers still need to work safely. By ‘switching off’ the light that the cows can’t see and implementing automatic dimming as natural light levels increase, power consumption can be reduced by up to 75 per cent.

“When the DeLaval cow LEDs were installed the difference was almost immediate,” says David. “We are seeing an increase of around 3 litres per cow – that’s money well spent, I’d say!”

Contact our Dairy specialists on 01373 465941 (Frome, Somerset) or 01452 830303 (Huntley, Gloucestershire).

Anyone in the dairy business will tell you that recent years have not exactly been a bed of roses. Persistently low milk prices, cheap imports and uncertainty about the future have all made it difficult to plan for sustainability and development.

There are different schools of thought on the best way to meet these challenges. Some farmers, including quite a few new entrants to the dairy business, are developing large farms with up to 1,000 cows, seeing economy of scale as the answer to maintaining competitiveness in milk production. On many smaller farms however, where milking has been carried on through generations of the same family, the number of cows may have increased over the years but there simply isn’t the scope or the desire to take the large farm route. That doesn’t mean to say these farmers don’t see a bright future – it’s more about adopting the right approach and it’s encouraging to see significant investments being made for milk production on a smaller scale.

A case in point is Whitchurch Farm, Ston Easton, where the Osborne family has been engaged in dairy farming since 1947. Although only 11 miles from Bristol the farm could hardly be more rural, occupying a wonderful position on the Mendips, some of the buildings dating back to the mid-1600s. Today the farm is in the care of brothers Tom and Jonathan Osborne who took over from their father and grandfather. With 220 cows to milk they have just committed to a new, fully automated DeLaval 20/40 herringbone parlour from T H WHITE’s Dairy Department.

“Our old parlour certainly didn’t owe us anything,” says Tom who runs the dairy side of the business. “It was installed in 1976 so has given more than 40 years service, although we have updated it a couple of times with direct milk lines and milk meters. But it was becoming clear that it was approaching the end of its life, so rather than wait until we had a failure in, say, five years time, we decided to go for a new parlour.”
The decision was part of a plan to ‘future-proof’ the business. Both Tom and Jonathan have sons, but it’s too early for them to say whether they might eventually want to take over the dairy operation. To provide flexibility for the future Tom and Jonathan decided to locate the building to house the new parlour next to the substantial cow shed they built in 2003. This is a few hundred yards from the main farm complex, meaning that if necessary the dairy operation could become a self-contained unit if required.

When the cow shed was built extensive earthworks and ground levelling had to be carried out and much more of the same will be necessary for the new parlour, but it will be worth it says Tom: “The new 20/40 parlour will enable us to milk in around two hours, just right for our herd size. There are three key factors which can help make a smaller-scale dairy operation successful: herd size and health – which are inter-related – and guaranteed outlet for your milk. Experience shows us that our herd size is right and it enjoys good health with low veterinary bills. Our cows yield 7,200ltrs, with solids of 4.4 butter fat and 3.45 protein.

“That’s ideal as all our milk goes to Alvis Brothers in Bristol for high quality cheese production, which gives us an assured market.”
There is, however, another reason underpinning the viability of Whitchurch Farm – a high degree of self-sufficiency – with 120 acres of land providing grazing and forage. “Our grazing is white clover and we are also growing three-year red clover rye grass and crimped wheat,” says Jonathan, who manages the arable side of the business. “The only things we buy in are soya blend and cow cake.”

It was through the arable activities that the Osbornes first started doing business with T H WHITE, purchasing agricultural machinery from 1985 onwards, and then dairy service and maintenance from about 1990. “It’s a great relationship,” says Tom, “and one which looks set to continue with the new parlour!”

If you would like to talk to T H White about a dairy installation of any size, call Dairy manager Nigel Ellis on 01373 465941, or contact him by email at
nigel.ellis@thwhite.co.uk

Our new Dairy Department Manager Nigel Ellis will already be familiar to many of our customers.

He was assistant dairy manager from 2009 to 2011, having worked in the T H WHITE Dairy Division since 1993. After a brief period away, during which he became a district sales manager for DeLaval, he has returned to manage the department. In just over a month in the job he is already closely involved in the installation of a large, 50-point rotary milking parlour near Frome and is helping dairy farmers who are keen to move to the DeLaval voluntary Milking System (VMS).

Nigel is also keep to champion the benefits of the Delpro milking management system as well as strengthening the installation teams at Huntley and Frome and relaunching the electrical side of the dairy business. You can contact Nigel on 07860 247367 or email nigel.ellis@thwhite.co.uk

“The most important thing for anyone contemplating milking goats is to secure a contract with an established processing company.” So says Bryan Pugh who with his wife Anne, son Islwyn and daughter Elizabeth are part of the growing number of dairy farmers now milking smaller animals – in their case goats.

The Pugh’s farm occupies 240 acres of beautiful land in mid-Wales close to Builth Wells where they have been farming beef cattle and sheep all their working lives, and on the present farm since 1980. The arrival of Abergavenny Fine Foods – now a leading UK manufacturer of traditional goat cheeses – at nearby Blaenavon has acted as a catalyst for an increasing number of farmers in the area to start producing goats milk.

“Growing popularity of specialist goat cheeses has stimulated a market that didn’t really exist a few decades ago and having a top quality food manufacturing company almost on the doorstep changed the economics,” said Bryan. “We made the decision in 2015 to start milking goats and we knew that success would depend on getting the scale of the operation right.”

When it came to selecting and installing a milking parlour the Pughs wanted the capacity to cope with a growing herd. The first goats were raised from kids purchased in May 2015, which kidded a year later when milking commenced. The Pughs already had a small milking machine but had made plans for a larger, permanent parlour. “At the start we went to see another goat farmer, Gary Yeomans, who had recently had a DeLaval parlour installed by T H WHITE.

“We were particularly impressed by the fact that the DeLaval parlour was specifically designed to suit the behaviour of goats and sheep. Some other manufacturers just seem to scale down their designs for cow parlours. We liked what we saw and made contact with T H WHITE.”

George Eno, T H WHITE’s representative from the Huntley branch, visited the Pughs and compiled a proposal for a 2×18 parallel stall DeLaval P300SG parlour together with a MMS-SG milking management system. At the time of the proposal the farm was milking around 120 goats but the objective is eventually to have up to 400 goats in milk, making the P300SG parlour the perfect solution. It incorporates a vertical-lift front-exit stall with an integrated headlock system and sequence gates, all adding up to high throughput, smooth animal flow as well as comfort and safety for both  operators and animals. Above all, it results in reduced labour costs.

Having accepted the proposal the Pughs saw their new parlour installed in just over a month, with the first milking taking place on 5 May last year. The add-on DeLaval MMS-SG milking management system enables the flow to be measured by a flow sensor that incorporates a shut-off valve and has the capability to be upgraded to a fully automated milk yield recording and animal identification system, allowing the installation to meet the demands of the growing business.

The Pughs are now milking twice a day and, with the new parlour, it takes just 25 minutes to milk the whole herd.

“We are very fortunate in having a contract with such a high quality producer as Abergavenny Fine Foods who take our entire production,” said Bryan. “Hopefully the new parlour will mean we can continue to supply their needs as our herd grows as it’s particularly gratifying to know we are part of a production cycle that results in these outstanding gourmet products.”

Already the herd size is expanding, entirely with home-bred animals which maintains the quality. At a time when parts of the UK dairy industry are struggling against rising costs and cheap imports, it’s pleasing to report on an enterprise that has set its objectives clearly and is already achieving them with notable success. Of course, it’s partly due to teamwork and, as Bryan will confirm, the help from T H WHITE and George Eno has been invaluable.

If you would like advice on milking parlours for goats or sheep, please contact George Eno at the T H WHITE Huntley branch on 01452 830303, or email gte@thwhite.co.uk.

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The Reakes family have been farming Temple House Farm, on the Mendips near Shepton Mallet since 1929 and Simon and Ben Reakes are the fourth generation, working today with their father Roger who still milks every afternoon.

They take pride in the business they have built up and the high standards they have always applied to managing their herd, now of 160 cows. There’s not much that Roger doesn’t know about the dairy business, so it’s easy to imagine just how frustrating and upsetting it was when, for no obvious reason the cell counts in the milk they produced were consistently high and mastitis cases on the farm were rising.

“It was a mystery,” said Roger. “Hygiene in the parlour appeared to be good and we thought it must be down to an environmental factor such as the bedding conditions. We called in the vet who identified high incidences of strep uberis and we tried almost everything we could think of to get it under control over a period of about two years.
“I have to admit that I was the one who dug my heels in when it came to making fundamental changes in the way we worked. Simon had suggested quite early on that we should think about putting in a dip and rinse system, but I couldn’t see why we would need it as the dairy had good hygiene standards.”

Eventually the Reakes’ contacted T H WHITE who had installed their 24/24 DeLaval parlour some eight years previously and a demonstration of the AirWash Plus system was set up.
“After seeing it in action we managed to persuade dad to go for it,” said Simon, “and it proved to be one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. Having consistently had cell counts of 200-plus, within 8-10 weeks of installing AirWash Plus they had dropped right down to 99 and are now averaging around 150. Not only that, but the number of mastitis cases were reduced by over 50 per cent.

“Our bactoscan also dropped from 30-40 and is now just 10-15 – the cluster liners really are sqeaky-clean! Clearly the AirWash Plus is not only cleaning but also preventing cross-infection between animals. Using just 10ml of teat dip per cow it’s economical too.

“Based on the saved cost of mastitis cases alone we expect to achieve pay-back on the AirWash Plus system in 2½ to 3 years.”

Roger Reakes is the first to say the farm should have installed dip and rinse sooner, but then it’s easy to be wise after the event. “Perhaps the best thing,” he says, “would be to talk to other farmers you can trust. Almost everyone has been through similar problems at some time in the past and there’s a tremendous knowledge base out there. We would certainly be happy to talk to any dairy farmers about the benefits of dip and rinse.”

Of course, you could always talk to the T H WHITE Dairy team for advice on milking parlours and the AirWash Plus system. Just call 01373 465941, or Gary Grant on 07860 590701.

“In organic dairy farming it’s important to address health issues before they even arise.” So says Paul Redmore, Farm Manager at Neston Park Farm in Wiltshire where the 300-strong Jersey herd produces top quality milk which is processed locally, mostly into cream and butter, to be sold under the Ivy House Farm label in many premier stores including Fortnum & Masons, Harrods and Selfridges.

The Neston estate has been in the hands of the Fuller family – famous for their participation in the Fuller, Smith and Turner brewery in London – since 1790 when John Fuller built Neston House there. In 1910 John Michael Fuller MP was created a baronet and, in 1998, the present owner Sir James Fuller became the fourth baronet. Like generations before him, he has continued to develop the Home Farm, which in 1999 was certified organic by the Soil Association.

Today, cereals grown organically on the 1,400-acre farm are used to feed the dairy herd, while beef cattle and lambs are also reared on Neston’s pastures.

The economics of organic farming led to the decision in 2014 to double the size of the dairy herd, which in turn placed extra demands on the milking parlour. “We knew we would have to install a larger parlour in due course,” said Paul, “but in the short term we needed to maximise efficiency as well as being scrupulous in the control of cleanliness and potential cross-infection.
“That got us thinking about installing a modern dip and rinse system, so we went to the dairy team at T H WHITE. They showed us the AirWash Plus system which not only has an outstanding track record in improving hygiene, but uniquely can be fitted to any cluster with any liner. An added bonus for us was the ability to transfer the system from the parlour we had then to our new parlour when it was ready.”

So it was, two years ago, that AirWash Plus was installed in the old milking parlour at Neston Park Farm. “The difference was almost immediate; cell counts dropped from almost 300 to between 150 and 180 and the incidence of mastitis was greatly reduced as well. Not only that, but we saved about 15 minutes on every milking by not having to dip the teats manually – a genuine gain.”

Earlier this year T H WHITE completed the installation of a brand new 24/24 DeLaval milking parlour at Neston with a full Delpro computer system and smaller stalls to suit the Jersey cows. As planned, the AirWash Plus equipment was transferred from the old parlour and expanded to serve the additional clusters.

“The new parlour is superb – very open and airy which makes the cows much more relaxed,” Paul added. “I’m really impressed with the job T H WHITE did, everything was correct with no corner cutting; all-in-all a nice, tidy job.”

While on-site, T H White also installed 48 powerful LED light clusters in the two cow sheds. With 40 per cent funding from the Countryside Productivity Scheme, these lights enable daylight hours to be artificially extended which improves milk yields – yet another way of increasing the viability of organic dairy farming.

There have been many far-reaching changes since the Norris family arrived at Sandys Hill Farm near Frome 63 years ago, but the latest chapter in the development of this dairy business is set to have a bigger impact than anything that has gone before. In mid-February this year milking on the farm was switched to four DeLaval robotic units with associated milking control and feed systems installed by T H WHITE.

Back in 1952 the family had just 16 Shorthorns which they milked by hand. In those early days Bob Norris worked with with his father and mother on the farm, being joined later by his brother Phil who left to go to university in 1970. The third brother, Dan, left school in 1979 and also started work on the farm. Gradually, the size of the herd was increased to today’s total of 220 cows, 195 of which are in milk.

“In 1994 we put in a DeLaval Blue Diamond tandem 2×5 stainless steel parlour which was perfect when we had 120-150 cows,” said Dan. “The parlour still had many years of life left in it, but now, with 195 cows being milked, the throughput was slow – it was taking 3½ hours twice a day plus washing time. We are all getting older and even though Bob’s son Jim has joined us in running the farm, he has suffered from hip problems. We all thought it was time to try and simplify our workload to give us and our wives – Jane, Emma and Pam – a better lifestyle cutting out the anti-social working hours.” These were the factors that led the Norrises to consider robotic milking.

At that point Phil, who had retired from a career as a defence engineer, returned to help on the farm while Jim had a hip operation, also contributing investment to the robotic milking project. “I was really pleased to be back,” he said, “and we started by looking at options from several manufacturers. In the end the DeLaval VMS (Voluntary Milking System) recommended by T H WHITE – who are very local to us in Frome – stood out above the competition.” Theoretically the farm could have managed with three DeLaval VMS units, but it was decided to invest for the future by going for four. “With the extra unit the cows can be milked whenever they want. Since we started using VMS the cows are being milked almost three times a day on average and we are aiming for 11,500 litres from each cow. With a capacity of around 55 cows per robot we have the scope to increase the size of the herd which could help with production economics against a background of uncertain milk prices,” Jim added.

The new VMS units were installed in conjunction with the DeLaval Milk-First cow traffic management system. This uses a selection gate to guide and pre-select cows for milking. The gate’s software determines whether or not a cow has permission to milk based on her expected yield, hours since last milking, lactation number and stage of lactation. This ensures that when a cow visits the robot she will be milked or diverted – eliminating refusals and increasing station capacity. The motivation for the cows is feeding, and feed concentrations in the milking units are used to tempt them in. Cows are pre-selected on their way from the stalls to the feed troughs – if they have milking permissions, they will enter the commitment pen to go through the robot; without milking permissions, they can simply go through the feed lane to eat. Dairy management is entrusted to DeLaval DelPro software which monitors all aspects of cow health, feeding, milk yield and reproduction, providing all the information needed to increase efficiency and profitability. When the time came to switch from the old parlour to the VMS system the Norrises helped to acclimatise the herd with a week’s training during which the cows were incentivised with feed to follow the logical paths through the traffic lanes. “Almost all of them took to it very easily,” said Jim. “Most of the cows stood still in the VMS stalls and very few kicked the milking lines off. Because the cows are guided, less fetching is needed and even cows with special needs are automatically diverted into a holding pen ready for when the vet visits. It has really cut down our workload.”

As might be expected with an installation of this size and complexity there were some minor teething issues. “At first some of the gates were acting prematurely and ‘pinching’ the cows, but with T H WHITE virtually on our doorstep their engineers were here straight away to address the problem.

“The whole system is proving its worth already, giving us a much better quality of life. If something in the system or one of the cows does need our attention we are alerted via smartphone messages whether we are at home, at the shops or on holiday anywhere in the world. Things can be dealt with promptly and we only have to go out when it’s really necessary. That really is luxury for a dairy farmer!”

If you are considering changing the way you milk or manage your herd it really is worth having a chat to the dairy team at T H WHITE on 01373 465941. We can help make your operation more efficient and profitable, as well as giving you more free time!