Duchy College Future Farm is a first of its kind for England, driving improvements in efficiency, animal health and welfare, environmental best practice and technological advancement in dairy farming.

The 220-cow, 2 acre dairy research platform offers a host of features, including an ability to split the College’s commercial Holstein Friesians into three mini herds, allowing measuring and comparison of different management techniques. Installed is a computerised, precision-control feeding system, plus an ability to separate slurry and manure from the different groups of animals, allowing multiple research projects to be run simultaneously – including exploring the storage, spreading and treatment of slurry and manure.

Key research expertise
This innovative dairy facility with a low environmental footprint can provide essential information for the precision management of grazing dairy cattle. It offers the capability to compare all production systems e.g. extensive (grazing) v intensive and to measure manure, resource management and environmental impact. Animals are all monitored using ground-breaking research techniques.

Principle features

• Capability to manage 3 mini-herds with segregated slurry stores
• Automatic feeding system
• Herringbone milking parlour
• Cow sensors for health, welfare, breeding, welfare & nutrition
• Building and parlour sensors.

Impact

The ability to define the attributes of robust cows that can sustain high productivity and economic evaluation of management techniques and interventions

The tour will last between 2 and 2.5 hours returning to the arrival point.

The visit will include a guided tour by the Director of the Rural Business School demonstrating the different aspects of this unique facility: its construction, parlour, animal handling and housing, automated feed kitchen and feed robot, and slurry stores.  The rationale behind this facility will be explained in context to factors affecting the dairy and wider livestock industry.

It is a working farm, so all attending will need to bring watertight wellingtons (they will have foot dips for bio security). Hi-viz tabards will be provided for guests to wear.