Friday 20 November 2015

Major Awards for Dairymaster Goat Rotary Parlour

 
Anyone that works with goats will certainly be aware of the labour involved in running a milking herd.  As goat numbers increase, labour can become a limiting factor on expansion and productivity and adding a labour unit to the operation can significantly increase production costs.  Therefore profitability can be heavily influenced by utilising facilities and technology that maximise efficiency.
 
To the very forefront of this technology is the new Dairymaster Swiftflo Goat Rotary parlour.  The parlour features a robotic carriage where a single operator can milk up to 1,300 goats per hour with a milking unit attached every 2.5 seconds.  This is possible due to its unique design where the cluster is presented out of the rotary floor directly below the goat’s teats.  This allows the operator to work easily and comfortably.  Rapid attachment also helps to minimise stress on the animals, which can have a significant negative effect on milk yield.  Teat cups are removed automatically when the goat has finished milking. The cluster can then be automatically sanitised to reduce risks of cross contamination and stored hygienically under the rotary platform. Automatic teat spraying also is an option.  Dairymaster also state that the system’s shorter milking tubes are designed to reduce maintenance costs and improve milking characteristics.
 
Recognition for Dairymaster’s innovation and excellence has come in the form of highly prestigious honours – nationally from the Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards and internationally with a Eurotier Gold Medal.  “Innovation in milking is key to Dairymaster and winning this prestigious award for our highly efficient rotary is an honour. Everything we do is with a focus on how we can make dairy farming more profitable, enjoyable and sustainable and this award highlights that Dairymaster has a lot to offer progressive farmers” said Dr Edmond Harty, CEO, Dairymaster.

It’s wonderful that a company from a small rural village in County Kerry is pioneering the development of goat milking technology internationally.  I wish them the very best of success in the future and look forward to seeing an example of this parlour in the near future.
 

Friday 13 November 2015

A YouTube tour of Irish Goat Farms

I get lots of enquiries about goat farming in Ireland and answer them to the best of my ability.  However it’s always better to be able to see how things work on the ground and with the power of modern technology it’s not always necessary to spend time and money travelling around the country.
 
There are lots of videos about Irish Goats and related products available on YouTube.  Some of these are obviously very professionally done and some are more home-made.  However, they are all valuable in allowing the viewer to learn a little more about goat farming in Ireland.  In this post I’m going to highlight some of these videos to give you an insight into Irish goats.
This is a beautifully made video by Glenisk about one of their suppliers  - the Boons family in North Tipperary.


Check out Charlie Cole of Broughgammon farm in this light-hearted video by Whitney Oliver highlighting his great work and excellent products .
 
A relatively recent and very successful addition to the goat industry in Ireland is Aran Island Goats Cheese.  Learn more about how it came about and it’s beautiful location in this video from TG4.

 
St. Tola is one of the most well-known goats cheese in Ireland.  Both their goats and cheese making process are featured in this RTE video featuring Clodagh McKenna.
 
Another well-known cheese in Ireland is Ardsallagh from County Cork.  Jane Murphy demonstrates how she makes their cheese in this video from A Taste of Ireland.
 
Michael Finegan produces a blue cheese from his goats near Slane in the Boyne valley, hence the name – Boyne Valley Blue.  He introduces us to his goats in this video made as part of the Boyne Valley Food Series.
 
Ed Harper is a highly renowned goat farmer producing a range of goods from his goats on the beautiful Cape Clear Island off the coast of Cork.  Take a short virtual tour of his farm courtesy of Lauren Hardy.
 
There may be lots of other videos available featuring Irish goat farms so please send them on and I’ll be more than glad to share them!