GEA's new rotary parlour improves herd environment and boosts milk yield

An expanding family farm has more than halved milking time for its 600-strong Pedigree Holstein herd, improving the working conditions at the farm for both cows and staff as well as increasing milk yield, after investing in a GEA T8900 rotary milking parlour.

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Before making a decision the Icke family – father Martyn and sons Richard and Simon – embarked on a rigorous selection process for their Wheatlands Farm in Pershore. They visited many dairy sites and installations before travelling with GEA to see a farm in the Netherlands and becoming the first farmers in the UK to order the new T8900 parlour, which ticked all their boxes.

Milking three times a day was taking its toll on the farm’s infrastructure, staff and cows. However, since the installation of the new GEA rotary parlour milking time has been significantly reduced from 15 hours to just over seven. This is a saving which is also hugely beneficial to the comfort of the cows, leaving them more time to ruminate resulting in increased yield, as well as releasing staff to work on other areas of the farm.