New website launch

We have launched a new site recently, so this blog is no longer up to date.

Please visit the new site here:

www.wilsonagri.co.uk

American speaker on making cows comfortable on sand systems

Last we we enjoyed a great open evening with Matt Thiel from Wisconsin, America.

Matt works for L&L Inc. and specialises in dairy housing and building design. Matt also spends a lot of time giving seminars and leading lectures to colleges and farming groups around USA.

Matt spoke at an open evening near Tewkesbury, about sand cubicles, Pack Mat and concentrating on making cows comfortable and designing cubicles to fit the cows.

We also spent time on several UK farms, looking at systems to improve comfort and manageability of sand systems.

New Cowcoon - the Hybrid Cow Stall

Launched May 2012 at the Balmoral show in Northern Ireland, the revolutionary Cowcoon cow cubicles. This is a hybrid cow stall. The Cowcoon hybrid stall offers stability, comfort and control, in the gentlest of manners.

A polyethylene tube on the lower body of the stall partition guides the cow, offering ductile support to her body thus hugging the cow, ensuring that she rests securely, comfortably and without the risk of bruising or swelling commonly associated with all steel partitions.

• Lower polyethylene tube removes corrosion
• Acts as a shock absorber alleviating stress on the front mountings and the cow
• Reduced load from 29Kn to 12.5Kn (over 50%)

Milk Robot planning and layouts

Nice article by the Farmers Guardian, about what Wilson Agriculture have

to say about housing cows in milk robot units:

Planning is key to robot success

28 April 2012 | By Katie Lomas

THE issues of building planning and adaptation, lameness prevention and the importance of water were all topics for discussion at last week’s ‘planning for robots’ seminar held in Gloucestershire.

If you are looking to expand or develop a dairy business using robotic milking systems, considerable thought needs to go into the planning or adaptation of buildings for this purpose.

This came from Ivor Davey, sales development manager at Wilson Agriculture, who said there were four steps in the decision making process.

He said: “Firstly you need to think about the building layout and long-term plans, then look at building design, cubicle design and then the beds.”

Mr Davey said robotic milking should be part of a ‘long-term plan’ and the options for development should be considered first to address whether there is further room to expand cow and robot numbers if the need is there.

Sight

In terms of designing the building, Mr Davey said it was important for every cow in the shed to be able to see the robot from wherever it was.

“In particular, end wall panels need to be kept small so cows can see the robots from anywhere in the building.

“Different companies have different theories on how to manage cow flow but, in general, you want to discourage the cows from standing where they should not be standing.

“So do not put rubber matting in front of the robot as you want to ensure free access and good cow flow.”

Mr Davey added it was important to achieve ‘natural cow behaviour’ and this was down to good building and cubicle design.

“By achieving this, cows are in good condition when they reach the robot and they spend most of their time lying down to produce good milk yields. When the cubicles are working, the passageways should be empty.”

SOURCE: Farmers Guardian

Tips on planning a robotic dairy

• Each cow needs 8-8.5sq.m of space, which includes cubicles, passages, feeding and robot area
• Space between last cubicle and the robot needs to be a minimum of 5 metres (16.5 ft)
• Feed space of around 60cm (2ft) per cow is the target
• Target of 10cm (4in) water trough space per cow
• The ideal temperature for a cow is 4 degC so good ventilation required

Gel Mattress vs Pasture Mat and Premium Pad

Here is a new time lapse video from Wilson Agriculture.

This was filmed on 27th March 2012

6am to 7am

1 second = 1 minute

On the LEFT are Pasture Mat with Premium Pad foam

On the RIGHT is the new Gel Mattresses

These are all at 4ft centers and are our C50 Post Mounted cubicles.

These are 10ft bed lengths.

Wilson Agri robot installation

Here is a video discussing a robot installation with all of our 

Cubicles, Pasture Mats and pillows.

This was installed in 2009.

Nice robot unit in Somerset, UK

These all have Pasture Mat mattresses with Premium Pad foam,

moovApillow brisket barrier and C50 floor mounted cubicles.

New time lapse recording from 12th January 2012.

Interesting to watch the cows during different 1 hour long periods through out the day.

Filmed 12th January 2012 - Norfolk -UK

116 cow building with 18ft doubles and 9ft singles on 3ft9inch centers. These are all floor mounted C50 cubicles with Pasture Mat mattresses, Premium Pad and Poly Pillows. Also Wilson Ag wall mounted tip over water troughs.

Timelapse: 1 second = 1 minute

Filmed:

4am to 5am

9am to 10am

2pm to 3pm

7pm to 8pm

0am to 1am on 13th.

This is an attempt to show consistent cow behaviour throughout the day. Even at night the cows use the cubicles really well. This building is providing a high level of comfort and is a good environment for the dairy herd.

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600 cow building

This is a 600 cow building installed in Lancashire in 2011.

These are Wilson Agriculture C50 post mounted cubicles

on a deep bedded system.

186 cow milk robot unit

This unit was installed in North Yorkshire, UK.  

It is full slatted with 3 milk robots.

Scottish 640 cow unit

Here are some photos of a new 640 cow unit in North Scotland which we worked

on with BHC Ltd www.bhc.ltd.uk

This has been a very successful build with detailed planning and

a very happy client, with a very nice new dairy unit.

These are all 5m head to head cubicles with post mounted C50 cubicles on sand beds.

We have used the MoovApillow as brisket barriers throughout.