New dairy products to hit the market

More than 450 exhibitors from across the livestock industry will be at this year’s Livestock Event. Some of the latest technology will be on display at the event on 8 and 9 July at the NEC, Birmingham. Here’s a round-up of the latest dairy new products.

Hybrid cow stall puts comfort first

A new hybrid cow stall which includes a flexible, polyethylene tube on the bottom of the stall loop has been developed with cow comfort in mind.

The Cowcoon from WilsonAgri aims to reduce body injuries caused by cows knocking themselves on metal cow cubicle partitions.

See also: More news from Livestock 2015

The flexible polyethylene tube is able to move 2.5-5cm, enabling animals to position themselves comfortably in the cubicle, says sales manager Rob Price.

“In a 100-cow herd you’ll typically see 7-10 cows with (body) rubs or lesions. With the Cowcoon, that goes to zero,” he says. “It has a strong and durable design and the ability to move and shape around the cows without discomfort. It moves enough, but not too much to impede the next cubicle.”

Mr Price says the stall is designed to position cows correctly so the cow defecates in the passageway.

The stall can be floor or post mounted, with the supports and brackets made from galvanised steel. The Cowcoon ranges in price from £59 to £83 depending on specification.

For more information, call 02870 868 430 or visit stand OS386.

Long length, automatic washing footbath launched

An extra long, self-cleaning foot-bath has been designed to ensure each hoof enters the foot-bath solution an average of three times to promote optimum foot health.

The Hoofcount Excel from AG Marsh works like the existing Hoofcount foot-bath which counts the number of cows going through the bath and then automatically washes and refills it. However, it has been increased in length to 3.7m with a depth of 200mm and includes sloped steel side sheets to reduce loss of solution through splashing.

See also: Prevent lameness in dairy heifers

Anthony Marsh says the product has been developed in response to research on bath design and effectiveness. This suggests that foot-baths of over 3m are best to ensure each foot is “dunked” three times which promotes most effective control of digital dermatitis.

“The Hoofcount Excel combines the correct design of the bath with effective auto cleaning,” says Mr Marsh. “Farmers don’t have time to change the foot-bath, so by the end of milking it can look more like slurry. The automatic washing system ensures the cow at the end of milking gets an effective foot-bath.”

Mr Marsh says the bolt on side sheets allow the bath to be easily installed in any race without risk of the cow’s foot stepping outside the bath. The narrower design also ensures the total volume of solution and required chemical per bath is similar to standard.

The total costs of the Hoofcount Excel foot-bath is about £6,000-£7,000, including installation. “This works out at £180 a month over four years, so you only need to save one lameness case a month to pay for it,” says Mr Marsh.

For more information, visit www.hoofcount.com or stand AH124.

FOOTBATH DISINFECTANT ALTERNATIVE TO FORMALIN

A foot-bath disinfectant made from a mix of organic acids could offer an alternative to formalin.

TK Everyday from G Shepherd Animal Health contains a blend of acetic and formic acid, together with a surfactant which helps increase the cleansing effect and promotes penetration of chemicals into the hoof, skin and dirt. Tea tree oil is also included as an antiseptic.

Graham Shepherd says regular foot bathing, combined with skilled foot trimming will help protect cattle against diseases such as digital dermatitis (DD) which effects about 40% of cows.

“Just like mastitis, DD is a bacterial infection so as every teat should be dipped after milking, the same is true of foot bathing,” says Mr Shepherd. “Every hoof should be disinfected as regularly as possible in order to reduce infection levels in the herd.”

Mr Shepherd says TK Everyday is an effective foot-bath disinfectant that also provides an alternative option to other undesirable chemicals such as formalin and copper, which are linked to human health issues and environmental problems.

“The formic acid breaks the membrane of the bacteria open and the acetic acid damages the cytoplasm,” says Mr Shepherd. “The product has been used on farm and has had a similar response as formalin in reducing lameness. At 2.5p a cow a day it is also a similar price to formalin.”

For more information, visit www.gshepherd.co.uk or stand AH140.

Austrian foot crushes head to UK

Austrian company Rosensteiner will be showcasing two of their foot-trimming crushes in the UK for the first time at the Livestock Event.

Red 5 is a vertical crush which can adapt to the size of the cow meaning is is suitable for both big and small animals. It also opens along the whole width of the frame, with the front leg winch and rear leg lifting activated electrically.

The Red Q stationary or mobile tipping crush will also be on show. Designed for professional foot trimmers and large farms, every process for fixing and tipping is operated by a central switchboard. The catching and cattle driving device and belt tensioning is also operated hydraulically, while all four hoofs can be treated within a working area smaller than 2m.

For more information, visit www.rosensteiner.at or stand LE327.

Dairy Pro goes mobile

A news electronic membership app, which makes it quick and easy to register participation in training activities and collect points, is being launched by Dairy Pro.

Dairy Pro is the UK dairy industry’s professional development register, with members able to collect points by attending accredited training activities delivered by Dairy Pro training partners.

In the past, members have had to remember their Dairy Pro number or take along their card to an event, but now they can use a personalised membership card on their phone which includes name, number and barcode.

Dairy Pro’s Helen Brookes says the App can be used on Apple or Android phones. “It offers convenience so you don’t have to remember your number. All members need to do is have it scanned at the event and be on their way. DairyPro will do the rest,” she says.

Ms Brookes says this is the first step in providing more electronic support for those in the industry who are focused on training and development.

“In the pipeline, we are looking at being able to notify members electronically of upcoming activities, prompt them to register if the device detects they are at an event and also reminders of important dates and points balances for each member,” she explains.

For more information and help on setting the App up, visit stand BM181

Slurry pumping systems for sand systems

A new range of slurry pumps for using on sand bedding systems is being introduced in the UK.

Kitt Agri will be introducing the E-series pump range, which is produced by US company, Daritech and have been designed to complements their existing separator and sand recovery products.

Designed for easy installation and longevity, each pump is built with heavy galvanised plumbing tubes and mounting hardware. All components on all pumps and agitators are also interchangeable for convenience.

The range includes pumps to handle a wide variety of pressures and flow rates with a 7.5 horsepower pump costing £9,000 and handling slurry from up to 1,500-2,000 cows.

For more information contact Kitt Agri on 01278 727 755 or visit stand OS368.

New one-piece cubicle cover

A one-piece roll form cubicle cover system could offer long-term softness for dairy cows lying down.

The WELA Longline from Kraiburg has a unique underside profile with soft slanted blades and supporting studs which is both stable and flexible with a “sink-in” depth of 30mm. The company claim there’s no need for a separate foam mattress and top cover.

Made from vulcanised rubber, the product is marketed as not compressing over time like a conventional mattress system and offering the same comfort level for many years of use. The “pebble” surface texture has also be designed for comfort and slip resistance while being easy to clean.

Rolls come in lengths up to 25m with a lying length of 1.83m and a thickness of 45mm. For more information contact Kitt Kraiburg on 01278 727 755 or visit www.kraiburg.co.uk

Sum-It software allows access to records from afar

Dairy farmers will multipe herds in different locations will be able to monitor their herd thanks to some new software.

Total Dairy Herd Recording from Sum-It can now be run centrally and will communicate with a wide range of systems either locally or by wi-fi across the internet using the new Remote Parlour Apps apps.

This means farmers with a parlour or several parlours miles away from the office can still link the Total Dairy software with them. This will enable actions to be sent or milk yields to be pulled across without being constrained to having the software on the same computer. Heat detection systems and feeder systems can also be linked.

Sum-It’s mobile apps for smartphones and tablets also enable multiple operators to record new events and view records wherever they are. These can then be synchronised back to the central Total Dairy system.

For more information visit the SUM-IT stand BM179 or www.sum-it.co.uk, Tel: 01844 213 003

MooMonitor gets revamp

An automated heat monitoring system will now include health and feeding parameters. 

The MooMonitor+ from DairyMaster still monitors and records bulling activity like the original MooMonitor, but also looks at feeding, rumination and resting behaviour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Rumination can be an indicator or health and wellbeing and can give an early indication of illness, while feeding information is particularly crucial during the transition period to prevent excessive body condition loss and metabolic problems.

The MooMonitor+ also has improved range, with data being transmitted from cow neck monitors up to 3,000m from the base station, allowing the system to be used both indoors and outdoors.

A new smartphone App has also been developed to improve ease of use, says DairyMaster’s Michael Ryan.

“One of the new features is contactless technology. You can swipe the phone over a tag on a cow and immediately update records. It means there’s no need to write information down by hand out in the field which removes risk of error.”

The number of data capture points has also been increased to about 210,000 an animal a year. Cow collar battery life has also been extended from two to 10 years.

The MooMonitor+ software is cloud based and is accessible from anywhere in the world on unlimited devices. It is also possible to get push notifications to a phone, making a farmer aware if the system detects changes in behaviour which may indicate illness. This promote early intervention, reduced antibiotics use and better recovery rates on farm.

Find out more on stand MK247.