Dairy-Tech 2022: New products preview
The Dairy-Tech event returns to Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on Thursday 7 April 2022 after missing last year’s event due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Event organiser the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers said the extended break meant Dairy-Tech 2022 would house a record number of product launches and innovations.
See also: Plasma technology reduces emissions in slurry by 90%
Here is a taster of just some of the innovations that will be there.
Quill Dry Box
Quill Productions
The Quill Dry Box is a simple idea – a robust, weatherproof box with a securable lid.
Measuring 330x 260x185mm, it is wide enough and deep enough to protect clipboards, notebooks or any other items, close to where they are needed.
© Quill Productions
The box, which comes in a range of colours, can be secured to a wall, inside or outside, using a supplied bracket and screws.
Alternatively, it can be hung on a gate or fence post while staff work, even in bad weather.
Price £15.99 ex VAT (discount for bulk orders)
Contact quillproductions.co.uk 01258 818 239, sales@quillprod.com
Topcool Black Box
Distributed by Magdek Thermal Systems
The Topcool Black Box monitors temperature and humidity inside barns, housing and cubicle sheds and determines the level of stress livestock are exposed to.
Colour-coded information is displayed on tablet and mobile phone apps or by connecting to the farm’s network.
The operator can then make any necessary adjustments to temperature and humidity via links to the ventilation system software.
Each unit is about 300x300mm and has an optional integral display screen.
Price £1,500-£2,500 ex VAT
Contact magdek.co.uk 07530 720 905, tech@magdek.com
Tracesure bolus
Animax
The Tracesure bolus is an upgrade from Animax’s previous bolus system.
The inclusion of fluting on the side of the bolus increases the surface area without increasing the outer dimensions.
This allows a consistent 180-day sustained release of iodine, selenium and cobalt.
Copper is offered separately, and the firm will conduct a trace element audit for customers to assess levels cattle are receiving through rations and at grass.
The bolus upgrade also includes a range of sizes – for calves (75kg) and cattle (200kg and 500kg) – to better meet requirements.
Price Standard-size cattle £5-£5.50, XL £9-£10 (VAT exempt)
Contact animax-vet.com 07990 848 186 Nigel.hemphill@animax-vet.com
Advanced Mobility programme
Advanced Ruminant Nutrition (ARN)
This is a detailed package that examines lameness issues in dairy herds to improve health, welfare and production efficiency.
ARN consultants will assess mobility scoring, lesion incidence, digital dermatitis levels and hock scores from farm records.
© ARN Ltd
These will be cross-referenced with a range of performance and production data across the whole unit, including dry cows and youngstock.
From this, ARN will identify problem areas and highlight physical, environmental and nutritional risk factors unique to the individual farm. It will then draw up a tailored action plan, ranked in terms of priority.
Price On application
Contact arn-ltd.com 01524 263 139 office@arn-ltd.com
Smart Microdairy
Unison Engineering
This Ireland-based firm has recognised a niche market for small-scale pasteurisers with more farms selling milk direct to the public.
The unit includes pasteuriser, capable of processing up to 1,000 litres of milk an hour, chiller unit and compressors.
Operation is via a smartphone app to minimise labour requirements, and cleaning is carried out automatically.
It requires a 7x7m concrete base, water supply, wi-fi link, power and drainage. With those factors in place, the firm will connect the pasteuriser to the bulk tank in two days.
Price About £52,000
Contact unison.ie +353 (0)61 422224 or email via website form.
Farm IQ
Kingshay
FarmIQ assists farmers looking to develop and retain staff by providing expert consultancy through a user-led training programme.
The service recognises that there are different training needs on individual farms and allows farmers to choose a combination of online and face-to-face courses. These are led by vets, consultants, business experts and environmental specialists.
Successful trainees are awarded certificates, which can be used as evidence for bodies such as Red Tractor farm assurance.
Price From £50 ex VAT. For more detailed training, expect £150 ex VAT. Member discounts apply
Contact 01458 851 555, contact.us@kingshay.co.uk
Hoofsense
Hoofcount
The system centres around a pressure mat installed within a Hoofcount automatic foot-bath.
In essence, the mat detects how much pressure is applied through the animal’s hoof.
Any difference in the amount of weight applied through each hoof highlights potential tenderness or injury that might be impossible to detect visually.
The foot-bath is linked to electronic identification tags and a detection system to gather real-time data that logs individual animal and herd lameness trends.
Data can be accessed via a phone app, which also issues alerts of any changes in the cow’s gait.
The system is initially available for installation or retrofit into Hoofcount’s Excel automatic foot-bath range.
Price £4,000-£5,000 plus a subscription
Contact Via website form hoofcount.com/get-in-touch or 01995 603 028
Concept Dairy App
Concept Dairy
This is an app-based milk price monitor that allows farmers to lock into contracts on future milk values.
The aim of the app is to link farmers, buyers and processors directly, increasing transparency and reducing price volatility.
Farm managers can upload production levels and milk quality details for their herds.
The app then displays a cashflow forecast with prices displayed in real time. The farmer selects how many litres to lock in and a time period based on a season or annually, up to two years into the future. The offer is sent directly to the processor to consider, and a confirmation of the agreement details will be sent back.
Price Free
Contact conceptdairy.com or email via website form.
Rumensmart
Adisseo
This feed additive can is claimed to promote a 0.25% increase in milk fat production in the udder by stimulating rumen microbial population.
Analysis of rumen bacteria shows the additive reduces the populations of strains responsible for milk fat depression.
It also encourages bacteria that promote the production of fatty acids.
Including the additive should allow the reduction of products such as palm oil, helping to cut a farm’s carbon footprint.
Trials have shown it is particularly effective in high-oil or high-starch rations that can suppress milk fat production, and where grazed grass supplies a high proportion of the diet.
Price About 28p a cow a day
Contact adisseo.com or 07770 852 798, andrew.grimston@adisseo.com
Farmplan Business Cloud
Farmplan
This cloud-based accounting software package is targeted at farm businesses gearing up for compulsory digital VAT returns from April 2022.
The major selling point over other packages on the market is the farming terminology used throughout the software. For example, accounts can be set up over the cropping year rather than fiscal year.
© Farmplan
It is backed up by support teams with farming backgrounds and agriculture-facing training packages. These are available on-site or remotely and include a range of e-learning tools.
Price One business: £25/month ex VAT, Two businesses: £15/month each ex VAT
Contact farmplan.co.uk 01594 545000, proagricasales@farmplan.com