ACCORDING to AHDB figures , the average UK dairy herd almost doubled between 1998 and 2018 . In 1998 the average dairy herd was just 77 cows . This increased to 148 in 2018 as farmers grew their herds to seek operational efficiencies and produce more milk . To help meet the demand from dairy farmers looking to expand , DeLaval has launched its ‘ Think Big ’ initiative .

Dairy farmers looking to increase herd size are presented with a plethora of milking systems that are often anchored to their choice of milking equipment . “ For farms looking to grow , the choice of milking equipment can be influenced by a variety of farm pressures . Can the land , buildings , and other farm equipment withstand

growth ? Is there enough human resource to meet the demands of a growing herd ? We have launched Think Big to help advise farmers more holistically when it comes to expansion ,” explains DeLaval Think Big lead Wynand Bodenstein .

The Think Big approach was offered to a Somerset farm to help it select the right milking system . “ Having Wynand and the DeLaval team help us with the decision to invest in a new E300 rotary was the best decision we made . It was

taking us over five hours to milk 500 cows through a rapid exit parlour . We have now grown the herd to 700 and we are looking to increase to 750 . Everything is easier and quicker with the new milking system which means we have

more time to concentrate on herd health and farm management ,” says Ross Edwards , Manor Farm , Somerset .

Milking equipment technology has created more options for farmers than ever before . Rotary , swing over , rapid exit and the rise of robots has made decision making harder for farmers . “ Think Big is all about DeLaval applying our experience of fitting milking equipment on thousands of farms . We take a holistic approach to consider herd planning , feeding facilities , barn layouts , milking parlour or rotary sizing and system planning . Our in-depth analysis provides the roadmap to create the future operations of the farm with the whole process revolving around the farmer ,” he concludes .