76 MAG 4/5/11 6:57 am Page 10
farmingscotland.com Issue seventy-six • April 2011
DAIRY
Expansion on Fife Family Farm
FARM DETAILS Farmers: D Laird & Sons Donald Laird with sons David and Derek Farming: Ore Mills & Middle Balbeggie Location: Thornton, Fife Area:
700 acres (600 owned)
Stock:
100 Holstein cows and followers – increasing herd numbers to 150 cows small AA herd
Crops:
Winter wheat, winter barley, spring barley, oilseed rape
Labour:
10
Donald, David, Derek & a dairyman
C
onsiderable investment in new dairy buildings and equipment haS transformed a family farming unit in Fife. The Lairds of Ore Mills at Thornton, between Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes, secured SRDP funding at 40%, which has enabled them to build a complete new dairy facility on a green field site. Traditionally milking 70 cows, they are now well on their way to doubling cow numbers and production. “We are now milking 100 cows and intend to raise numbers to 150. We are using sexed semen and have a lot of heifers on the ground at different ages,” shared Derek, who oversees the dairy operation. His father Donald is still very much involved with the business, while brother David, lives at Middle Balbeggie and manages the cropping enterprises. The original steading site was not big enough and couldn’t be expanded easily. “The logistics of knocking down byres, erecting buildings and
milking twice a day was not feasible. As we built on a greenfield site just across the farm road from the original steading we were able to keep on milking as normal. “Most people were impressed with the timescale as the digger came on site on 11th February 2010 and the cows moved in on the 16th June, just before the Royal Highland Show.” From the outset Derek designed the shed to, “make things as easy as possible, as keeping good staff is a problem on dairy farms.” The current dairyman has been with them for five years. He sketched his ideas and wish list for the 60m x 30 shed on paper before meeting an architect from Archibald’s of Dumfries. With SRPD funding in mind, the Lairds travelled to Carlisle in January 2009 and looked at several robotic machines in operation. “We thought that they were good quality and had their place but didn’t suit our system,” informed Derek.
They opted for a GEA Westfalia 14/28 swing over milking parlour, having previously worked with an 8/16 Gasgoyne swing over. “Milking is now a pleasure rather than a chore. It takes just over an hour for one person to milk 100 cows, whereas it previously took one and a half hours for 70 cows.” Derek’s sentiments are echoed on GEA’s website, “Significant savings in time are guaranteed since practically the entire workflow is automated! Whilst you're attaching the cluster to the last cow, the first cow has usually finished milking. The cluster is swung over to the opposite milking stall at the flick of a wrist, and pulsation and milking vacuum to the cluster are activated automatically through the rapid start function. “The milking equipment is located in the centre of the operator pit, so that it can be used alternately between two opposite milking stalls. This reduces walking distances considerably. You have targeted access to both the