Parlour type: Swing Over
Milking points: 24
Herd size: 340
ADF installation date: March 2024
InVent installation date: March 2024
Harry Pinsent from Higher Ludbrook Farm in South Devon manages a spring-block calving herd of 340 cows on a grass-based system. Having installed the ADF System on his 24 point swing over parlour shortly after Dairy-Tech 2024, Harry has experienced significant improvements across his operation.
Before installing ADF, the farm faced several challenges. “We had multiple milkers, we were having cell count issues & bactoscan issues, and cows were not been milked out properly. ADF, with the addition of InVent, appeared to tick all the boxes. And it has certainly helped!” explains Harry.
The tangible health benefits have been impressive. “We’ve gone from a 12 month rolling average cell count of 220 to about 110 now. Bactoscan was previously 45 to 50, and now we’re at low teens. If we get high teens we’d be thinking it’s a high sell count now,” he says.
Beyond improved health indicators, the ADF InVent system has streamlined their milking routine. “Cows are being milked out better and milking times have been cut by half an hour to an hour a day,” Harry continues. The reliability and peace of mind are also notable. “There’s more consistency and no worry. You know the cows are always dipped. You know the units are always clean.”
The addition of InVent has further enhanced the milking experience. “Cows are definitely more calm and there’s less liner slip. There used to be quite a lot of dancing about in the parlour with heifers. But they love the ADF InVent system.”
InVent has also addressed the issue Harry was facing with incomplete milking. “We were getting some quarters not been milked out properly with our old system. But with InVent it’s rare that we find a quarter has not been milked out fully.” This has led to additional time savings. “InVent has help to speed up milking,” Harry confirms.
Installing ADF has even had a positive impact on their farm’s image. “We found that from a recruitment perspective it’s much easier. If we say we’ve got ADF in the parlour people like coming to milk here.”
The ease of use is also a major selling point for the milking staff. “The guys in the parlour love it. Because they know the dipping is automatically done. It was always one of those things that we thought “Oh, we’ve got to spray the cows. They’re all leaving, quickly run and spray them!” Whereas now, all you’ve got to do is focus on putting the unit on the cows. It’s simple,” Harry explains.
If you’re seeking to improve herd health, reduce milking time, and enhance the overall milking experience like Harry was, contact us today to arrange a farm visit.
