| 2016-03-07 |    |
Dual Fuel Portable Milking Machine Launch
A leading agricultural company has launched a dual-fuel, portable dairy cow milking machine, which can save farmers time and improve herd health. The Mini Milker is being offered by Lancashire-based company, G Shepherd Animal Health.
The benefits are:
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Improved colostrum management.
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No need to take the new-calved cow to the parlour, saving time and reducing risk of the cow slipping.
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Ability to milk “off-grid,” for example, downer cows or at a show.
Mini Milker
“Our Mini Milker allows colostrum to be taken quickly and efficiently from the cow, within minutes of her giving birth,” explains Dr Shepherd, who is the owner of G Shepherd Animal Health and is also a vet. “This means that farmers do not have to wait until the next milking to collect colostrum or spend time and cause stress, by moving a newly- calved cow into the parlour.
“All producers are aware of the importance of ensuring that newborn calves receive a supply of colostrum as soon as possible, because its quality decreases by 3% for each hour after birth,” he adds. “Therefore, the colostrum quality of a cow that calves at 7pm and is not milked until the next morning will have been diminished by more than 35%.”
The Mini Milker comes with a pulsator unit, a stainless-steel, 40-litre churn and a 22-litre vacuum reserve tank. The machine’s two large wheels make it very easy to manoeuvre.
For maximum versatility, G Shepherd Animal Health’s Mini Milker can operate on electricity or petrol, although the company can also supply an electricity-only version. Both machines run off a 13amp/230-volt supply, to operate a single-phase electric motor at 1,450rpm. The dual-fuel version is supplied ready to work off petrol and the switchover to electric operation takes approximately five minutes.
Mini Milker Machine Specifications
Mono-phase electric motor - works off a 13amp plug
Petrol engine – 6.5hp, four-stroke engine
Engine runs at just above tick-over, to minimise noise.
