For this week’s Buildings Focus, Agriland made the trip to Co. Wicklow, to speak to dairy farmer Jack Keenan, a native of Aughrim about his new dairy unit – which includes a new milking parlour and 69 cubicles.
The Wicklow man farms alongside his father, Donal, where they milk 60 cows predominately made up of British Friesian and Holstein Friesian genetics, although the farm is making a move towards incorporating some Jersey genetics as well.
However, the main focus of the trip was to check out the new modern dairy unit which was completed just three weeks ago.
Up until that point, the father-and-son duo were milking their cows through a 4-unit parlour; however, with Jack committed his future to the farm, the decision was made to improve the milking and create extra housing on the farm.
Up until last winter, heifers would have taken up residency in an outwintering pad, but having been dealt the blow of a TB outbreak, the decision was made to bring all stock indoors, so this meant more cubicles were needed.
Speaking to Agriland during the week about the need to streamline the farm and improve on the facilities that were already in place, Jack said: “When I made the decision that dairy farming was the career I wanted to pursue, I spoke with my father and we decided we needed to invest to streamline the farm.
“Up to last winter we had been housing heifers out on an outwintering pad, but due to a TB outbreak which saw most of the heifers go down, we said it was time to bring all stock indoors.
“So we needed more cubicles and then our parlour we had was old; it was only a 4-unit so by the time you would have cows in, milked and back out, the guts of three hours were gone morning and evening.
“And, then we decided to put in a crush and holding pen just if we want to treat any cows and just have a crush nearby to AI (artificially inseminate) cows after milking for example.
“In time, we plan on putting in a drafting system but for now, we will do without it.”
Layout
The site in which the new milking parlour and cubicle house wasn’t exactly the most ideal site, with a huge amount of fill required to bring it up to the level of the existing yard (which can be seen in the plans below).
Fortunately, the Keenans had plenty of stone to use – saving them anywhere from €40,000-50,000 – and took according to Jack around 100 loads to get the site up to the required level.
Grasstec took the project from start to finish, which involved applying for planning, drawing up plans of the project and staying on top of the job as it progressed to the finish line.
All the concrete work was completed by Trevor Nuzum Plant Hire and Construction. The frame of the shed was supplied and erected by Marcus P Graham Ironworks. While the electrical work was completed by Conor Byrne.
Looking at the new build in more detail, it stands 9.8m high to the apex and 4.75m high to the eave gutters. Once you step into the shed, it catches your breath due to the sheer size of it.
The shed measures 30.6 wide and 43.2m long. Three slatted tanks were laid down, with two connected up together.
The two joined up together are for slurry storage while the smaller tank is predominately for dairy washings from the parlour. The largest tank, which stretches the length of the shed measures 4.8m wide, 33.6 long and 2.74m deep.
The second biggest tank, which is connected up to the biggest tank, which acts as part of the collecting yard for the parlour as well, is 3.5m wide, 19.1 long and 1.2m deep.
The smallest tank, for the dairy washings, is 3.5m wide, 9.8m long and 1.2m deep.
Jack said that they have enough slurry storage for 20 weeks for 120 cows.
The cubicle area measures 26.6m long, 9.8m wide. Each individual cubicle is 2.4m long and 1.15m wide. The solid concrete passageway between the two rows of cubicles measures 2.6m wide.
The crush and holding area in the design above is not what is on the farm today. The way it looks now can be seen as you read further on in the article.
Lastly, moving onto the parlour and collecting yard. The parlour measures 12m long and 5.8m wide. The collecting yard has the capacity to hold 60 cows but with the cubicle shed adjoined to it, there’ space there to fit a lot more.
The milking parlour
The main hub activity in the new build is centred around the newly installed Pearson 10-unit herringbone parlour.
Jack said he had seen Pearson parlours in action and what he liked about them was that you could start basic and add onto the parlour in time – which is what he plans to do.
And very importantly, he said the “back-up service in the area is top class”.
Speaking about the parlour, he said: “We are only milking in it three weeks now, but it’s a joy to work in. Keadeen Dairy Services supplied and fitted the parlour.
“It’s a nice spec of a machine too. We went with automatic cluster removers (ACR’s), auto-wash system, batch feeders and as well as automatic exit gates and wrap-around entry gates.
“Like I said, being able to start with a basic machine and be able to add onto it with ease was what we liked about Pearson machines.
“We also left room to add on a further six units, but I’d say we’ll stay with the 10-units for the time being.
“In time, the plan is to add on milk meters, hopefully maybe next year. It’s a lovely bright environment to work in, compared to what we were milking in previously.
“Cutting our milking time was a big priority and from having to spend three hours bringing in, milking and letting cows back out, we are now getting all that done in an hour – saving us four hours a day between morning and evening milkings.
“What was critical to us and probably what swayed us completely to Pearson was the backup service. You need a good backup service and we have seen first-hand how good it was.
“For example, we had a small issue a few days after start-up and I rang the serviceman at about 6:00a.m. in the morning and 45 minutes later at 6:45a.m. he was at the yard and 15 minutes later we were back milking.”
Cubicles, crush, holding pen and feedspace
Directly on the other side of the parlour is a crush and holding area. On many farms, cows would leave the parlour through this area, typically through an exit race which would have a drafting system incorporated into it.
However, for Jack and his father, cows will head out to grass the way they came in, through the cubicle house.
Jack said that in time, a drafting system will more than likely be put in but for now, the main use of this area will be for the crush for AI and other typical jobs a crush is used for.
While the large holding area will be more than likely be turned into a large group pen for calving next spring.
There’s a drainage pipe going through this entire area which is ideal if the purpose of this space will for holding cows close for calving. It will help to drain away any
While on the other side of the crush and holding area is the main cubicle area, feed space and feeding passageway.
Looking at the cubicles, first off, as mentioned already, there are 69 super loop cubicles. This means now, in total on the farm, the Keenans have 130 cubicles.
There are two rows of back-to-back cubicles in the middle of the shed, while a single row is at the back wall. Each row has 23 cubicles.
Jack said that they went basic and didn’t feel the need to go with “fancy cubicles.” The cubicles and mats were sourced and fitted by Ronan Kelly Farm Services The last piece of the jigsaw in this area is to install an automatic scraper.
At either end of the cubicles – one each end – are “fast empty drinkers”.
Feed space isn’t an issue in the shed either, with cows able to access fodder from two sides. Jack said that was one element that he didn’t want to skimp on.
The main feeding passageway is contained under the same roof as the rest of the unit.
Cost
The overall cost of the entire project came to €350,000. However, with the help of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS II), the entire build is standing to the Keenans at €280,000.
Speaking about their decision to go ahead and invest heavily in the farm, Jack said: “We are very happy. There’s nothing we would change about what we did.
“I’ve seen so many dairy farms that had everything all under the one roof and that’s what we wanted here and it’s working well for us so far.
“Obviously, the availability of the grant played a huge part in our decision to go ahead and crack on with the project.
“We were also lucky that we started when we did. About two weeks after I did the deal with the builder, he came,e back to me and said if we had done the deal today it would cost you €15,000-20,00 more just with the way the cost of building materials were going.
“It’s the last of the building work that will be happening on the farm and we are very happy with how it all turned out to be honest,” Jack concluded by saying.
