While it is important for dairy farmers to ensure the parlour and troughs are ready for the cold snap, they also need to make sure milk collection is done safely and that lorries can get in and out of the yard.
Met Éireann has warned that significant snowfall accumulations will be expected in counties: Carlow, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary, as a Status Orange warning has been issued.
The Status Orange warning for snow and ice will come into effect from 5:00p.m tomorrow (Saturday, January 4) and remain in place until 5:00p.m Sunday (January 5).
With the temperatures dropping below freezing over the next week, it is important to set the farm up so that it does not interfere with production or the health and safety of both man and livestock.
While the liquid milking herds are still milking away, farmers are conscious of keeping the parlour from freezing over and are taking all the relevant steps in between milkings.
However, the safety of everyone involved on the farm and everyone coming in and out of the farm should be a priority.
Milk collection
For winter milk herds, the lorry is probably collecting your milk every three days which means that a few measure might have to be in place to get the lorry driver in and out safely.
While it is important to get your parlour in order, farmers must not forget about the lorry drivers getting in and out of the farm in a simple and safe manner.
According to Lakeland Dairies clearing and gritting the area outside the dairy door to help reduce the risk of slippage will help to allow for a safe milk collection.
The co-op is also encouraging farmers to make sure that the lorry has access to the dairy farm from the road, making sure it is clear, gritted and ice-free.
If meal is being delivered to the farm and access to the meal bin is typically around the back of the yard and different to the access the milk lorry, then farmers should also ensure a a safe, ice-free, gritted route to the meal bin.
There is an increased risk of injury during severe weather conditions. Most injuries result from slips and falls causing fractures and head injurie.
Lakeland dairies have set out a few practices to be carried out over the next week to prevent these slips, as follows:
- Clear tracks around the farmyard, treat with de-icing salt and keep to these safe walkways;
- Grit sloped yards and roadways to facilitate traffic;
- Keep away from hazardous areas and rough terrain;
- Bring a mobile phone when going out herding or on other journeys.
For any outdoor scrapers, Lakeland Dairies have also encouraged farmers to keep the ratchet mechanism and tracks free of frozen slurry.
The co-op have also warned to keep tractors in the shed when not in use, to have adequate anti-freeze in the cooling system and to have batteries fully charged to cope with freezing conditions as a bad battery can be quickly found out in cold conditions.
The parlour
Getting the parlour prepared may involve installing a thermostat-controlled heater in the plant room, which should cut in when temperatures fall below 1℃ and items such as the power washer should be kept in here to prevent the pump from freezing.
Water should be drained from all the low points once the wash is finished to make sure all the excess water is removed from the plant and all clusters should be removed from the jetters and should be left to hang down to remove any water in them.
Finally, a salt solution should be circulated through the parlour once the final rinse is washed through making sure all detergent is well rinsed out.
A kg of salt per 20L will be sufficient and will drop the freezing point of water. Give the parlour a rinse before the next milking to get rid of any salt residues.