A large dairy farm on Funen chose a 2x32 DairyMaster Swing Over milking parlour due to its solid construction and high capacity. The system is equipped with DairyMaster’s ClusterCleanse technology, which rinses and disinfects the milking clusters between every cow.
“The capacity is very good, and the equipment is extremely robust, making it suitable for long milking hours,” says dairy farmer Christian Stenskrog from Grambogård near Tommerup on Funen. He put the 2x32 DairyMaster Swing Over milking parlour into operation in December 2015.
The ClusterCleanse system automatically rinses and disinfects the clusters between cows, helping to maintain hygiene and reduce the risk of infection.
Christian Stenskrog invested in the new milking parlour ahead of a major herd expansion. At the time, the farm had around 300 large-breed dairy cows. Today, the herd numbers approximately 500 cows, with a target of reaching 550 once the expansion is completed.
Preference for a milking parlour over robots
“Before expanding the herd, we used robotic milking. It worked reasonably well, but when scaling up to 550 cows, I prefer a milking parlour because it’s simpler,” explains Christian Stenskrog.
Before making his decision, he visited three different DairyMaster parlours and personally took part in milking at one of the farms.
“That convinced me,” he says.
He was also attracted by the Swing Over system, where the technology is placed above head height, keeping it dry and away from daily washing routines.
“The clusters are relatively heavy, but still easy to handle when using the right working routine. In fact, the slightly heavier clusters result in shorter milking times, eliminating the need to replace long milk hoses,” he adds.
Three milkings per day with high efficiency
Milking at Grambogård takes place three times per day. Each milking session lasts approximately three hours for the current herd of around 430 cows, using 32 milking clusters, including start-up and cleaning.
ClusterCleanse was chosen partly because the herd expansion required purchasing cows from multiple herds.
“When you expand with many purchased cows, there’s always a risk of introducing infections that can cause mastitis or streptococcal infections,” Christian Stenskrog points out.
Strong udder health and low treatment rates
“These problems simply haven’t occurred here. I believe the ClusterCleanse system, which rinses and disinfects the clusters between each cow, has contributed to that,” he says.
Udder health at the farm is strong, with somatic cell counts consistently below 200,000. This is achieved despite a low replacement rate and a relatively high proportion of older cows during the expansion phase.
The farm records only 0.23 treatments for udder-related issues per cow per year, which is significantly below the national average. Milk production stands at approximately 11,000 kg ECM per cow per year.
Practical features and controlled feeding
A practical advantage of the ClusterCleanse system is that if a cow kicks off a cluster and dirt is sucked in, it does not cause problems.
“The cluster is automatically rinsed before milking continues,” explains Christian Stenskrog.
The milking parlour is also equipped with concentrate feeders. These were installed both to encourage cows to enter the parlour more quickly and to allow additional concentrate to be allocated to high-yielding cows.
Annual maintenance costs for the DairyMaster Swing Over milking parlour, including mandatory service, are approximately DKK 100,000.
Looking to improve milking hygiene, capacity and udder health in large herds?
Contact Milcotec to learn more about DairyMaster Swing Over milking parlours and ClusterCleanse solutions.
🚜 Machines
Gerth Petersen – 📱 +45 20258260 – ✉️ gerth@milcotec.com
🔧 Spare parts
Anne Lang Krogh – 📱 +45 23354095 – ✉️ anne@milcotec.com
