As life becomes more digital, so does farming – and Lackham is no exception! Our specialised campus for land-based learning has recently undergone a transformation with the addition of a robotic dairy parlour in 2020, and the completion of our AgriTech teaching centre earlier this year, thanks to funding from the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP).
The 120 cow robotic dairy parlour, situated at Home Farm, was built by T H WHITE and in partnership with DeLaval. It houses state-of-the-art equipment and software including two DeLaval V300 milking robots, two silage pushers and a robotic scraper for passageways. The new robotics allow cows in the unit to be milked as and when they choose, increasing not only their output but their welfare. DeLaval's technology enables faster detection of conditions such as mastitis and lameness, and assists in monitoring overall herd health.
As part of the new development, Lackham's Home Farm also features new, purpose-built classrooms for teaching Dairy Engineering, that include model robotic milking units. And thanks to these new facilities, the College is now able to offer Higher National qualifications (HNs) in Dairy Engineering, keeping our teaching at the cutting edge of industry and giving our students experience in using the modern technology they’ll be using in their careers.
Whether you’re leaving school or college or you’re already a professional in the dairy industry, our new Dairy Engineering qualifications
will give you an insight into dairy farming as well as the engineering behind new software and equipment. You’ll learn not only to run a robotic dairy, but also how to maintain the equipment, giving you the key skills to lead the next generation of dairy farmers.
Interested? Click here to find out more and apply.
