750 COWS AND A
BIG GREEN ONE!
built up before electricity could
Sarah Liddle went to Gloucestershire to visit a
be generated. The maize used to
feed the plant is a mixture of the
unit that embraces new ideas in many forms,
10% overfeed to the cows and
additional maize, making this
including the latest in green technology -
crop a crucial commodity on the
farm, and in the region of 500 anaerobic digestion
acres of maize is grown a year on
the estate, with additional maize
any cow not seen bulling by 42 days is presented to him. In the region of
bought in. This digestion process
two hours everyday is spent specifically looking for bullers, in addition to the
is yielding 6500 kW hours per
time spent among the cows, and visual observation along with pedometers
day, which enters the national
supply the heat detection information. The herd is bred to AI, with sires
grid. It is also producing vast
selected for strength and minimum standards for the feet & legs and udders.
amounts of heat, of which only
Aberdeen Angus sweeper bulls are also used. Four bulls are usually selected,
10% is utilised at the moment,
and at the moment, Baxter, Jayz, September Storm and Bambam are in use.
to heat staff housing and all the
The heifers are calved at 27 months and average herd life is 3.2 lactations.
water used in the dairy unit. How
Another example of avoiding the fire brigade approach, which in a herd
to use the extra heat produced is
this size could result in an inferno, is mobility scoring. Every month someone
now being given consideration.
spends half a day scoring every cow in the herd. Milk is sold to Dairy Crest
The plant is automatic and
on a Sainsbury contract, but this mobility scoring is not a prerequisite of the
mainly incorporates UK
milk contract, it is a crucial management tool. For those that think it is time
technology, although there
wasted, the team point out that better half a day there than four days foot
is some German fabrication
trimming and curing lameness. The national herd is expected to aim for 75%
included as the Europeans have
mobility, Kemble
far more experience in anaerobic
have pushed their
digesters than the UK.
goal to 80%, and in
Milked three times a day, with
December reached
two nine hour shifts for the five
85%, while January
man milking team, the 750 cows
was 88%. Digital
are yielding on average 31 kg
per day, accumulating a herd
ABOVE Gases
average approaching 10,000
litres. This is from a TMR ration
accumulate in the
which incorporates two thirds
green dome on the
maize silage and one third grass
left. Maize is added
silage, as well as Trafford Gold,
via the red hopper
straw and homemade blended
straights. A calving interval of
on the right of the
405 days and cell count of 180
slurry tower.
again show attention to detail
on a unit of this size. The vet
RIGHT Teamwork is
carries out a weekly visit, and crucial at Kemble.
THE JOURNAL APRIL 2009 57
e2-09 Kemble.indd 3 01/04/2009 13:32:08
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124