The recent freezing weather conditions that have arrived over the last few days are posing a challenge for many dairy farmers.
These conditions are not uncommon for January, but they do create an issue for dairy farms that are returning to milk.
Milking machines, water pipes and even slurry scrapers are at risk of freezing during these cold temperatures.
Milking machine
Depending on your calving pattern, you have either just started calving or will be in the coming days.
On farms where the milking machine in now being used again, or has been used throughout the winter for producing liquid milk – there are a few measures that can be adopted to help prevent issues around milking.
To reduce the risk of ice forming in milking machines, some of the following steps may help:
- Keeping the door closed in the parlour;
- Installing a thermostatically-controlled heater in the plant room, which should cut in when the temperature drops below 10º;
- Circulating a saline solution through the milking machine. According to Teagasc, the saline (salt) solution is made by mixing 0.5kg of salt in 5 gallons of water. Salt drops the freezing point of the water solution (if this method is being used, a pre-milking rinse needs to be complete to remove traces of salt).
Once milking has finished, and washing of the plant is taking place, you should allow the machine to run a little longer to allow any excess water to drain.
Rather than leaving the cluster on the jetters, you can also leave them hanging loose to allow excess water to drain.
Any leaking pipe or hose connects that are leaking water should be fixed, as they could freeze or result in ice forming below were they are leaking.
Freezing weather conditions
In areas where ice is likely or has formed in the past, you should spread some salt to prevent your animals and yourself from slipping.
It is also advised that you keep machinery inside when not being used, and ensure that there is adequate anti-freeze in the coolant system.
On farms where automatic scrapers are being used in the cubicle shed, there is a risk of these seizing and not functioning properly when snow collects on them.
Therefore, it is important to clear snow from outdoor scrapers at the entrance to the tank and to keep the ratchet mechanism and tracks free from frozen slurry.
This should allow the scraper to move freely and prevent the build-up of animal faeces in the shed.
Ensuring that livestock have access to water is vital, keeping the water running can help to prevent pipes from freezing – but in many cases this may not be practical.
Instead, if pipes are freezing you need to have another way of ensuring that livestock get water – this may mean that you will be have tank it into them.