Cheap and hygienic box filling with the Beddingmaster
How the Talsma dairy farm was made future-proof

The image of the Talsma family's business near Welsrijp in Friesland changed drastically last year. Two large stables almost destroy the existing cubicle barn. The largest barn can house 250 dairy cows, the smaller barn houses the milking parlor with waiting area, a separation area and straw pens. The old cubicle barn is now used for housing young cattle and dry cows. The milking parlor is separate from the other barn; the cows have to go "outside" to enter the waiting area.

Reinforced gratings have been installed in the walking route between the two stables for this purpose. Logistically, this was the best solution, says the dairy farmer. The milking parlor - a 2x24 swing-over - is back on the farm of Auke and Aafke Talsma. In 2004, the partnership commissioned three milking robots. That initially went well, but over time, more and more problems arose. Cows were not milked properly, milk production decreased and there were problems with the cell count.

At some point you will be completely done with it. We decided to dispose of the robots and invest in a milking parlor and then immediately tackle the entire barn. "Son Yde Klaas's decision to choose the parental company also had an impact on the construction plans. Vulnerable The Talsmas have become accustomed to milk again now. A milking robot has social benefits, but you are vulnerable. When there is a malfunction, the whole thing stops. We now milk 230 cows in an hour and a half and are therefore really ready. "

The partnership is not yet using all the capacity of the stable. There are currently approximately 270 cows and 140 young cattle on the farm; the goal is to grow to 300 dairy cows. Around the company is 70 hectares of grassland, while Dearsum - where the company was originally located - still uses 30 hectares of land. That 100 hectares is not enough to sell your own manure.

Manure separation with the Beddingmaster
 
That is why the possibilities for manure processing and sales also left an important mark on the investments and business set-up. Part of the manure is now sold on-site and used as box filling. Talsma fills the cubicles with litter once a week and visits the boxes twice a day to remove the manure. The litter comes from the BeddingMaster from DariTech. Talsma was looking for a manure separation installation, so that he could use the thick fraction as a box filling. That use is up for debate because of the possible presence of germs in the litter. The BeddingMaster addresses that risk. The BeddingMaster is a drum in which the thick fraction is heated to 75 degrees Celsius. This kills harmful germs, while increasing the dry matter content of the final product to 40 percent. The manure was processed into an odorless, soft litter within 24 hours.

Half of the processed slurry - currently 12 cubic meters per day with a total capacity of 20 cubic meters per day - is needed for box filling, the other half can be used for own fertilization or for marketing. The processed manure may also be sold abroad; the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority has officially approved it as worthy of export because it is hygienic.

Additional sales opportunities

The BeddingMaster also provides additional sales opportunities, "says the Frisian dairy farmer. "Every year I now save 16,000 euros on litter anyway. Due to the processing, the manure has regained its value instead of being a waste. "For Talsma, the hygienic box filling was the main reason for investing in the manure processing system. The fact that the litter is free from germs has also aroused the interest of the dairy industry."

In the six months that we have been using it now, the cell count has dropped. We have few problems with udder health, but that could of course also be due to other factors. "A low cell count will also make money for the partnership. The milk will still go to DOC until 1 January, after which A-Ware will be the customer. And this applies a quality surcharge based on the cell count. Milking robots replaced the milking parlor ten years ago, now a new twist has been given to the company. And in ten years? The Talsmas themselves are also curious about that.

"Developments are moving fast, so there is not much to say about that yet. In any case, you shouldn't think too rigid and go with your time. "Processing adds value to manure Talsma partnership invests in BeddingMaster; processed manure now officially worthy of export Manure is an undervalued product, says dairy farmer Auke Talsma from Welsrijp. Partnership Talsma-Van der Valk invested in a BeddingMaster. The Dutch Food Product Authority now assesses this manure as worthy of export. In this way, the partnership secures sales.