Facility Description

Facility Description

The unit is equipped with all major types of modern milking systems, including a milking robot and parallel parlour with eight milking stalls. It also has a pipeline system (primarily used in feeding and embryo transfer trials), and a bucket system that is available at milking stalls, excluding the robot.

The unit has a unique feeding facility that delivers the feed from a stationary mixer via a rail-suspended concentrate feed wagon to the feed trough, whereas electronic meters collect different data from each cow (feed intake, water consumption, etc.). This enables researchers to carry out different feeding trials. Furthermore, a system is being developed that relays this information to a central computer, so that researches can remotely access the required data.

The farm has six full-time staff – two milkers and two feeders working in shifts, a trial technician and the manager. In addition, there are four part-time employees – a breeding specialist, a counsellor, a bookkeeper and a cleaner.

The farm is also used to demonstrate contemporary dairy practices to the public. The dairy facility features a parlour viewing gallery. The farm offers guided tours to students from pre-school to high school level, and other visitors. Tours are available through prior appointment.