New university dairy laboratory

Work has already begun in the new dairy labs at Harper Adams

A new laboratory has been built at Harper Adams University College dairy unit to aid research and teaching.

It opens on Wednesday 2 September, in time for the new term on 28 September.

The £2.3m high-tech set-up has been built to provide a better environment for cows and students alike.

The university's 400-head dairy herd will be milked in a modern rotating parlour, using leg-mounted transponders and heat detectors to better manage the process.

No ordinary farm

Farm Manager, Scott Kirby said Harper Adams dairy unit was no ordinary farm: "Equally important in an institution like this is the need to support teaching and the research elements that go on here."

As well as a teaching tool, the dairy unit at the university has to remain profitable, not only to balance the books, but also to truly represent life in the commercial sector.

As well as an investment in buildings and equipment, the university has also increased the size of its herd from 150 to 400 cows.

The farm is aiming for an annual yield of 9,500 litres per cow. The cows walk onto a slowly rotating platform in the milking parlour and once they have been milked, step off to let the next one on.

Mr Kirby said this, "reflects the current consolidation going on in the industry and will provide students, farmers and researchers with a unique insight into modern dairying techniques."

He explained how their nutrition research was being monitored: "The cows wear a collar with a transponder which allows them access to particular bins. It means that we can give cows different treatments within a group and we can measure exactly what they are eating and how often they visit."

He explained that cows were very sensitive to poor ventilation and one of the things they had tried to achieve with the new buildings was the optimum environment for the animals.

"There's plenty of light in the buildings, plenty of air moving through the building. The air's changing continuously."