The Dairy Herd

The dairy unit at Hartpury College was constructed on green field site, completed in 2003.  Cows were first milked through the parlour in June 2003 and Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal officially opened the dairy unit in September of that year.

• The unit consists of 396 cubicles for milking cows and 100 cubicles for far off dry cows.
• Straw yards for transition cows.
• 32/32 Delaval rapid exit cellar parlour.
• 36,000 litres of milk storage for every other day collection.
• 4,500,000 litre Malgar slurry store.
• Malgar hydraulic ratchet scraper system for removing the slurry.
• Cubicles by Batchelor Enterprise.
• Kit Speakman cow mattresses.

Forage storage includes:

• 4 x 1,000 tonne silage clamps .
• A 1,500 tonne earth-banked  silage clamp.
• A 240 tonne straights store in 6 bays. 

The dairy herd currently has 430 cows.  These cows are divided into 4 groups during lactation. 

• Fresh group
• High group
• Mids
• Lows

The dry cows are also split into two groups - a far off dry cow group and a transitional group. 

The milking ration comprises: chopped straw, maize silage, grass silage, crimped maize, blend (made up of hi-pro soya 40%, rapeseed meal 30% and wheat distillers  30%), soya hulls, sugar beet, TMR mineral plus limestone, sodium bicarbonate, salt, energizer RP10 and water.

The dry cow ration comprises: chopped straw, maize and grass silage, blend (the same as above), soya hulls, sugar beet, a calcined magnasite mineral, a dry cow mineral and energizer RP10.

These ingredients are used to make up four different milking rations for the different groups; there is one dry cow ration which is fed to both groups. 

All feeds are mixed and distributed using a feeder wagon.  This feeder wagon is also used for the chopping of straw that is fed in the rations as well.  The high yielding group and the mid group are fed twice a day during the summer.  This is to help with intake and also to keep the ration as fresh as possible.

The fresh calved group have a similar ration to the high group, with the addition of ad-lib hay.  The cows will stay in the fresh calved group for up to 40 days and the heifers will stay in this group until confirmed incalf.  Some animals may need to stay there longer if necessary. 

Milk is currently collected by Farm Right and taken into Severnside at Stonehouse on a liquid contract. 

The College has been using Genus for AI since 2006 on the RMS Programme.  This applies to all dairy cows from the day that they calve right through to the day that they are dried off.  An RMS technician comes in on a daily basis walking the cows and picking up information from farm staff to determine which animals are eligible for service depending on the number of days calved and the last service date. 

All cows are genetically matched with bulls. This is done by a GMS technician from Genus, who comes in through the year when we have either new heifers calving in, or new cows, and when bull proofs change over the course of the year.  Advice from the GMS technician prevents any inbreeding and ensures that we maximises genetic gains from both cows and bulls.

All Holstein Friesian heifers that are born are reared and returned into the dairy herd.  We have a youngstock unit at Buttersend which houses everything from reared calves through to in-calf heifers.  In-calf heifers once into their last stage of pregnancy will come and socialise with dry cows to get them prepared for the milking herd.