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Lactalign is a simple but effective addition to the milking parlour that can help in the prevention of mastitis.
Designed to counter the often-costly impact of uneven weight and vacuum distribution of a milking cluster, Lactalign has scooped a gold award for livestock innovation at the recent UK LAMMA 2023 Event.
With mastitis still being the biggest disease cost on dairy farms, typically averaging $430 per case, Lactalign is a simple but effective addition to the milking parlour that can help in the prevention of mastitis.
The product was developed after the herd management software used by Metcalfe Farms in North Yorkshire UK revealed twice as many mastitis cases in front quarters compared to the rear quarters, despite the herd having below average cases overall.
Individual and pivoted supports at each milking point just require the milking staff to raise the supports and quickly select one of three slots in which to place the long milk and pulsation tubes after attaching the cluster, depending on the profile of the udder. The ACR cord is slipped in or below the same slot, and when milking is complete and ACR activated, the retracting cord causes the support to pivot back to its rest position.
Lactalign was installed on all 72 points of the Metcalfe Farms Boumatic rotary milking parlour at its Washfold Farm in December 2020, resulting in a 59% reduction in liner slip, a 47% reduction in kick-offs, a 65% reduction in re-attachments and a 50% reduction in mastitis cases in front quarters.
Philip Metcalfe, who runs the 1,300-cow dairy unit on this diverse family business, says, “The significant impact has been better than we could have expected. The supports have paid for themselves several times over in the reduction of mastitis but also reduce operator frustration and improved animal comfort with less liner slip, kick-offs and re-attachments.”
Metcalfe also notes that the Lactalign supports have completed nearly 3 million milkings with only two parts requiring replacement, showing the quality and durability of the supports.
“We are extremely proud to receive the LAMMA Innovation Award for Lactalign,” says managing director of JF Hudson Ltd, James Hudson. “Helping farmers to maximise their operations while reducing inputs motivates us when designing products. Lactalign is a prime example of this philosophy.”
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With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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