Milking parlour

What a disastrous day for Open Farm Sunday - all over the country - much needed rain and gales.

N, T and I went along to our nearest to have a good nose and to support them. With most of the small traditional dairies now out of business, the survivors have generally had to get larger. This farm has 2,000 cows, milking 1,200 three times a day and a small team of Poles to take care of them. I don't like the idea of such large numbers but we were impressed with what we saw. The cows looked, clean, content and well looked after in enormous spacious barns with cubicles. Not a cowpat in sight either in the parlour or in the barns. If the cows were not happy with their situation they would not let down their milk.

Here is a photograph of two of the team supervising the milking in a rotating parlour which apparently holds up to 80 cows. They walk on automatically through a gate, and by the time they are milked the parlour has swivelled round to the exit where they back out ready to return to their barn where silage is waiting for them. They wear collars with a computer link which sends necessary information about the individual animal to the office. The dairymen seemed happy and relaxed with their families nearby.

Apologies for not commenting yesterday but the net was not working in the storm! I shall now be away for a couple of days so will be in touch later.