Get the first separator in Vogelsang quality: XSplit®

Up to 40 % dry substance content, automatic plug formation without auxiliary means, no extra shaft sealing required, top cost-benefit ratio: The new XSplit ® separator from Vogelsang provides all this and much more. Get it and be one of the first to separate in Vogelsang quality. Work like a charm! Get in touch now for more information: sales.uk@vogelsang.info | 01270 216 600 | Vogelsang.info/int/xsplit

RABDF council member, Tim Downes said the panel was excited about the TruDrinking technology as a way of monitoring water intake and temperature. When linked to the smaXtec app it provides a “great tool” for early detection of sickness and calving.

"Being able to check if cows are drinking su cient water has a huge impact on milk yield and cow health. In a strong lineup of entries this was a worthy winner of the RABDF Dairy Innovation Award and was well received by the audience who wanted to know more," he added.

When smaXtec was announced as the winner, smaXtec’s Chris Howarth said: “It was fantastic to have the opportunity to present to such an enthusiastic crowd at Dairy-Tech. Scooping the prize at the end of the day is a real achievement. The smaXtec team has received some phenomenal recognition for the system’s technological innovation over the past twelve months.”

New low-cost silo monitoring tech a hit with farmers

Collinson’s FeedAlert silo monitoring system provides a low-cost, innovative way for farmers to reliably monitor silo feed levels and take the hassle out of reordering. The strain gauge technology is suitable for all makes of silo; a quick and easily installation to the leg of the silo makes it ideal for both new and existing silos, explained Ian Wormleighton, director of silo monitoring. The system records a weight reading daily, data can be viewed on the local display and/or the app or portal dependent upon the model selected. It’s accurate to within 95% of a full load. “They give you a really good idea of what’s in the bin and when you’re going to run out,” commented Ian.

The response from users has been “incredible”, he added, with 1,200 FeedAlert systems now on UK farms since the product’s launch last May. Speaking at Dairy-Tech Ian said: “As this is new technology to the industry, we’ve seen many users trialling a single unit and we’re now seeing repeat orders coming in for additional systems as they go on to add them to other silos at their site.” Ian also added: “So many people here at DairyTech have told us they’ve run out of feed and don’t know what’s in their bins; FeedAlert will change that.”

The FeedAlert app shows users what’s in the silo and what free space is available, as well as the daily usage from the past seven days and a prediction of when feed will run out. Low level alerts are sent via email or

SMS so feed can be ordered in good time.

FeedAlert is a cost-e ective solution to silo monitoring, coming in at £450–550 model dependent, for precision monitoring the range also o ers a load cell model.

Visitors to the Vogelsang stand were particularly interested in the new XSplit separator, according to the manufacturer’s agriculture sales manager, Sion Williams.

“We were conscious that farmers and AD operatives need a separator that is easy to use and maintain,” he commented. “It’s a screw press separator suitable for dry matter content of up to 40%, which can be used as green bedding (32–34% DM) with a possible output of 50m3 per hour.

“We spent a few months designing the XSplit so it would be di erent from the other screw press separators. The main factor has been by mounting the gearbox and motor on the solid end, eliminating the need of a mechanical seal that you would see on most separators with the Gearbox and motor on the wet end.

“The Vogelsang QuickService concept enables direct access to the screen and screw for easy servicing and we hope the XSplit will be a popular product from the Vogelsang range.”

We spoke to Cargill’s Josie Hatch about the Equaliser Cream rumen bu er range, which is designed for dairy cows going out to grass, as well as those fed high levels of co-products

The new XSplit separator from Vogelsang xxxxxxxxx with high oil content. It tackles the seasonal dip in milk fat that occurs as a result of the high oil content in grass which disrupts butterfat production.

“The Cream is a bu er product but it also contains other ingredients which hold the butterfat,” Josie said. “It’s been in the UK and Ireland marketplace for two years now and we see an immediate and sustained response in every farm we put it on.”

Data from Cargill’s nutritionists suggests that milk is improved by 0.33% fat within seven days and 0.51% within one month. This is based on a 155-cow average herd size in the UK, which would equate to savings of £2,412 a month. It’s also more sustainable that other products as it does not contain palm oil. In addition, Josie concluded: “The e ects are sustained so if you feed it before turnout the bene ts will be seen throughout the grazing season.”

Ceva Animal Health attended the show to highlight the risk of Q fever on UK dairy farms. Studies show positive

Q fever bulk milk samples ranging from 70% PCR positive in south-west England to 80% ELISA positive results across 255 UK herds.

Q fever has the potential to cost farmers over £7,000 a year in a 100-cow dairy herd, however the disease is frequently overlooked as other infertility causes are often investigated rst, which can lead to economic losses for farmers in the meantime, explained Ceva’s Renzo Di Florio. The disease, which is caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, is also zoonotic which makes it a health risk to those in contact with infected animals including farmers, farming families, vets and abattoir workers.

Infection is generally through inhalation of aerosols and dust particles contaminated with the bacterium. The highest excretion level is observed in birth products at parturition or abortion (foetal membranes, amniotic uids, placenta). However, other frequent routes of excretion are vaginal mucus, milk and faeces. Coxiella burnetii is highly resistant in the environment