Big changes at UCD Lyons Estate where the race is on to finish the new milking parlour and cubicle house. The 40-place Dairymaster rotary parlour is on-site and installation is about mid-way through. Dairy science lecturer Dr Karina Pierce and farm manager Eddie Jordan want the 200-cow Lyons herd to be milking on the new machine by the middle of this month. The whole facility is being built to the latest commercial specification, but with modern training facilities included for the Dublin university’s agriculture and veterinary students.

The development will also facilitate UCD’s dairy research programmes on genetics, cow health and diet. This week, new feed bins were being erected by McArree Engineering, including the 15t split bin seen on the truck in the photograph above.

They will allow cows be fed in four different streams, facilitating trials on use of supplementation to increase output and manipulate milk quality.

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