Goats - Case Studies

LactiMax feeding system for Dairy Goats...

Dairy Goats have become a new family venture for Neil and Michelle Bellerby, of Ox Close Farm, Northallerton.

Just a year ago, Neil invested in a herd of 500 cross breed dairy goats, a mixture of British Alpine, British Toggenburg and British Saanen. Already a Dairy Farmer, Neil needed to diversify, as son Robert and daughter Kirsty both wanted to join and develop the family business.

Under the care of Michelle and Kirsty, the goat herd has since grown to 650, and the family have plans to breed from their own stock to increase this to 1000. All the milk produced is taken to St Helen’s Farm, Seaton Ross, where it is processed for sale as milk, yogurt, butter and cream.

Neil spent a year looking at goat parlours in the UK and Holland before taking the plunge himself. He was particularly impressed by the Dutch
systems, where the goats are fed during milking, making it a lot easier to get the goats into their milking positions. He also noted that the goats were calmer during milking and that milking was completed far more quickly than in parlours without feed. On his return home, Neil contacted his dairy engineer to find a similar feeding system in the UK, and they recommended the Collinson Lactimax system.

Lactimax was fitted into the new 60/60 rapid exit parlour and the Bellerbys commenced milking in May 2007. They are currently milking 260 goats, with a further 230 due to kid in December 2007. The daily yield achieved is currently an average of 3.3 litres per goat, impressive for first kidders.

Neil says that the system is simple and fast to use; approximately 300 goats can be milked in an hour. It is easy to get the goats into the parlour and they are much quieter, to the extent that backing gates are no longer needed during milking. Neil says that Lactimax is an easy way of giving the milkers supplementary feed in the form of concentrates; the new kidders started on a small feed volume, which was increased easily at the control panel as required. Out of parlour, the whole herd is fed a mixed ration of maize, grass silage, brewers’ grains, sugar beet and protein blend.

Lactimax is a low cost, flat rate feeding system.

It is simple to operate and the flat rate can be easily
adjusted, giving you full control over feeding levels.

Proven results:

• Encourages goats intothe parlour
• Easy way to feed concentrates to milkers
• Higher milk yields
• Calmer stock
• Faster milking
• Save hours daily

Your goats will be keen to enter the parlour

Improve productivity

Feeding during milking reduces stress and helps milk ‘let down’, for faster milking and higher yields.