DeLaval Flow-Responsive™ Milking technology cuts milking time

The pressure of milking almost 24 hours a day has led one farm to pioneer new Flow-Responsive™ Milking technology which has reduced milking time by over two hours a day. 

Quick and Sons has grown quickly in recent years to milk 900 cows three times a day through a now 20-year-old, DeLaval 20/40 MidiLine swingover parlour. Quantock Farm is spread over 1500 acres with the herd housed and calving all year round.  

“We are averaging around 13,000 litres per cow each year. We bought the main farm in 2018 when it was sold off by the Crown and immediately added a new shed to increase our capacity from 600 to 800 cows,” explains Chris Quick, one of three brothers farming in partnership with their parents. 

Chris’s grandfather took up a tenancy on the farm in 1968 and, with his father, they grew the once 60-cow herd to 300 by 2014. At this time Chris and his brothers were keen to increase numbers to make a viable business for their families too. 

“We added a new 300 capacity shed in 2014 and filled it in two years. Another, the same size, went up in 2018 and that is full now too. We employ 10 staff on a rota to milk the herd three times a day, with each milking shift taking about 7 hours,” he says. 

When the number of cows in milk peaked at 900 the farm began to feel the pressure of milking so many cows through a relatively small parlour. 

“There were days when it was taking more than 8 hours a day per milking and it doesn’t take a mathematician to work out that we quite literally didn’t have enough hours in the day to milk every cow three times,” he says. 

In 2019 the farm introduced DeLaval’s Evanza clusters in a bid to cut the time needed to change liners and the time lost through kick-offs.

“The Evanza cluster was a big step change for us. Heifers prone to kicking were more relaxed and we quickly saw a positive change in slip rate too,” he adds. 

Despite every attempt to streamline the milking process, there was still very little wriggle room in the day. Dealer BH White, along with specialists from DeLaval, discussed the potential for new Flow-Responsive™ Milking technology with the family, and it was installed in May 2024. 

“The concept made perfect sense to us. We needed to maximise milk in less time. The difference with Flow-Responsive™ Milking is the double vacuum. We have two lines; the first running at 46 kpa and the second at 54 kpa. Every cow starts on 46 and then, once the milk starts flowing, it jumps to 54,” he explains. 

DeLaval’s Flow-Responsive™ Milking follows the milk curve of each cow and only increases high vacuum at peak milk flow. This enables the milk to be extracted away from the cluster more efficiently which decreases overall milking time per cow. 

“The main benefit for us was the time saving. Each day we are saving over two hours and, along with the Evanza clusters, this has helped us milk all 900 cows in less than 22 hours,” he says.

Further benefits have been seen in foot health and the cows have been able to lie down for longer, which Mr Quick believes could help to drive up yield. 

“Our udder health and foot health has always been good, but with this new milking routine it is even better because the cows are spending less time standing,” he says.

The farm has split the herd into four groups; high yielding cows, heifers and second lactation cows, late lactation cows and fresh cows.

“We were concerned that going up to the higher vacuum level would cause more teat end damage, but this hasn’t been the case and, instead, the higher vacuum has helped the cows because it is drawing milk at the best time and needs less time to draw it down,” he explains. 

There has been no change to udder health since the Flow-Responsive™ Milking system was installed. However, there has been a further reduction in liner slip because, with the increased vacuum, the cluster attaches to the udder more effectively.

“We think there has been a small increase in yield, but that is not why we decided to try the Flow-Responsive™ Milking technology. We needed to reduce milking time without making a huge investment into a new parlour, and this has achieved exactly that,” he says. 

He concedes that the family has been looking at new parlour options, including installing robots.

“We are not ready yet. The cost of building more sheds and the parlour itself would be too much right now, but having Flow-Responsive™ Milking has given us some breathing space to look at our options and plan our next move,” he concludes. 

Farm Facts - Quantock Farm:

·        900 cows in milk 

·        Closed Holstein herd 

·        Butter fat 4.2%

·        Protein 3.3%

·        SCC 100

·        Milking three times a day through a DeLaval 20/40 MidiLine swing-over
         parlour

·        13,000 litres per cow per year

For more information on DeLaval Flow-Responsive™ Milking, click here.