Advances in technology are changing many aspects of our daily lives. Coleg Gwent agriculture students found out how modern milking equipment is being used in the farming industry when they recently visited a herd of ‘self-milking’ dairy cows.
The group of 17 agriculture students based at Coleg Gwent’s Usk Campus visited Hardwick Farm, Abergavenny, to see how the milking process has been transformed with a little help from computer technology.
Students got the inside track on automated or ‘robotic’ milking machines, which automatically collect data from electronic tags on cattle, allowing cows to move in and out of the milking parlour freely. Data is collected and processed by the system which records when each cow is milked and other information relating to each individual animal.
“It was great to learn about a different system which offers benefits to both the animals and farmers,” said 18 year-old animal management and agriculture student Kirsty Harrison. “From an animal welfare point of view the cattle are very calm because there is nobody herding them into the milking parlour.
“Farmers can observe the herd on a viewing platform and all the data is computerised, so it’s easier to pick up on different patterns in output, for example if milk production falls. It can also free up time which can be spent working elsewhere.
“We all learnt a lot from the visit, and it’s great to see how the industry can be aided by modern technology.”
Usk Campus Lecturer Dave Probert said: “We are grateful to the Jones family for showing us their farm and teaching students about the automated milking systems. The whole group were fascinated by the process and enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about computerised technology in farming.”
The group also recently visited a Guernsey herd on a farm producing ice-cream, to learn more about less intensive and more sustainable methods of dairy herd management.
