Dairy Event 2009: New products – slurry fibre bedding to BVD tags
Bedding system cuts costs and slurry storage
A revolutionary new bedding system using undigested fibres from slurry, has the potential not only to produce an economical source of bedding, but could also reduce slurry storage requirements by 20%.
The Bedding Recovery Unit from Spreadwise separates undigested fibres from slurry then dries and sanitises them to produce a clean, disease and odour-free, economical source of bedding with the potential to reduce bedding costs and a farm’s carbon footprint.
The material produced by the unit is safe and provides cows with a comfortable environment that reduces the risk of injuries and encourages milk yield, says Spreadwises’ Fred Percival.
Costing £195,000 it is more economical for 500-cow plus herds.
- For more information contact 01270 623 566 or visit the Spreadwise website.
Auto-milker expands to suit
A totally new type of automatic milking system that can be expanded to fit any size of unit, as well as using 3D technology to locate the teat, has arrived in the UK.
Based on a Multi-box design, MIone from GEA Farm Technologies can be expanded to meet any size herd, with each unit capable of performing 150-170 milkings a day.
The size and box configuration helps farmers plan to covert existing barn layouts for maximum throughput or to design new barns for future expansion. A single milking robot can operate up to five stalls simultaneously, so extra low-cost stall units can be added at a later date.
The milking robot has a unique built-in 3D camera, incorporating computerised locating technology, which detects and identifies the exact shape and location of each teat.
BVD service spots persistent cases
UK cattle producers could soon be making headway in reducing BVD in the national herd, by identifying persistently infected animals early on.
NMR’s new BVD service, Tag and Test, allows a tissue sample to be taken from the ear when tags are applied and collected in a bar-coded vial attached to tag applicators. The sample is then sent for BVD testing.
Persistently infected BVD animals are the biggest threat to the herd. They are infected before birth and when they survive they are infectious for the rest of their lives, shedding huge quantities of virus, says NMR development manager, Hannah Pearse.
“It’s an integrated and simple service and is the first system to be using DEFRA-approved tags.”
Tag and Test costs between £7 and £8 including VAT. This compares favourably with blood tests typically ranging from £8-15.