In dairy farming, milk quality is not just the result of good breeding, feed or health management - it’s also a product of superior hygiene. Keeping cows clean and comfortable not only enhances milk production, but it also helps to prevent diseases that can affect both milk quality and animal welfare. Cleanliness directly impacts cow health, which in turn impacts productivity. In short – better hygiene, better milk!
One of the most effective tools for ensuring optimal hygiene in dairy sheds is a farm scraper. This is where a Westermann Farm Scraper comes in! The Westermann WS800 Vario Farm Scraper is a battery-powered, walk-behind muck scraper that offers three different scraping attachments to suit your cleaning needs. We also have the Westermann CMA 800 Electric Farm Scraper, a robust stand-on scraper that’s designed to help clear in narrow passages.
Whether you’re looking for an alternative to manual scraping, a backup to your tractor system, or to reach those awkward places your robot scraper can’t reach, a machine-powered yard scraper from Westermann is just the solution to your farming maintenance needs.
Let’s explore why cow hygiene is critical for milk production, and how a Westermann farm scraper can help transform cleanliness on your dairy farm.
The importance of barn hygiene for milk production
Dairy cows spend most of their day in stalls, lying down or standing on bedding or solid barn floors. However, the accumulation of manure, urine and other organic material in the barn is inevitable and can have multiple negative impacts, such as:
- Udder health: When cows lie down, manure-covered barn floors and bedding can increase the risk of bacterial infections in their udders, like mastitis. Mastitis is one of the most common and costly diseases in dairy farming, reducing milk yield and quality, and often requiring antibiotic treatments.
- Hoof health: Constant exposure to manure and urine can lead to hoof infections and conditions like foot rot and digital dermatitis. Poor hoof health affects cows’ mobility and comfort, which can reduce their feeding and resting times, ultimately leading to lower milk production.
- Air quality and cow comfort: Accumulated manure produces ammonia, which can affect air quality in the barn, leading to respiratory issues for both cows and workers. Cows are also more likely to avoid lying down on dirty surfaces, reducing the amount of rest they get - a key factor in efficient milk production.
- Food safety and public health: High levels of bacteria can lead to contamination risks in milk. Good hygiene practices reduce the risk of pathogens in milk, which translates to better-quality, safer milk for consumers.
How a farm scraper contributes to a cleaner dairy farm
A machine-powered farm scraper is an invaluable asset for maintaining dairy shed hygiene. By helping workers consistently and efficiently remove manure and waste from barn floors, it can directly contribute to clean and productive dairy farming.
Consistent cleaning for healthier environments
A machine-powered farm scraper makes regularly passing through barn alleys to collect and remove waste a much simpler task compared to manual scraping, helping to keep a consistent cleaning schedule. This consistent scraping keeps barn floors much cleaner, reducing the bacteria and pathogens that cows might otherwise encounter.
Reduced labour and time efficiency
Manual cleaning is labour-intensive and can be inconsistent. A battery-powered yard scraper saves farmers valuable time and reduces the physical labour involved in regular cleaning, allowing workers to focus on animal care and other important tasks.
Enhanced udder and hoof health
Farm scrapers contribute significantly to improving the overall health of cows’ udders and hooves by keeping surfaces cleaner. This reduction in bacteria-heavy waste contact lowers the risks of mastitis and hoof-related illnesses, both of which are expensive to treat and detrimental to milk production.
Better air quality in barns
By regularly removing waste from barn floors, farm scrapers help reduce ammonia levels, which improves air quality and minimises respiratory irritation for both cows and barn workers. Cleaner air leads to healthier cows, and healthy cows produce better milk.
Increased cow comfort
Cows are more likely to lie down and rest on clean floors, resulting in more time for rumination and relaxation - both of which are essential for high milk yields. Clean, dry floors also provide better footing, reducing the risk of slips and injuries, which can impact feeding behaviour and overall productivity.
Why choose a Westermann Farm Scraper?
A Westermann Farm Scraper is an ideal choice for farms with cubicles that don’t have automatic slurry scrapers, and a sound alternative to an expensive robotic scraping system. Its lighter weight makes it easy to manoeuvre while being able to take on scraping large volumes of slurry. Despite its light weight, its fully galvanised body ensures it can still withstand the corrosive elements typically found in farm settings.
Although powerful, a Westermann scraping machine is designed to work quietly and emission-free so as to not disturb your animals’ environment. With its narrow stall passage cleaning capabilities, it effortlessly manoeuvres through tight spaces with a thumb throttle on the handle to control the speed, leaving no slurry, feed, or bedding behind. Its reliable battery system lets you enjoy up to 100 minutes of continuous operation at a top speed of 7 km/h when fully charged. All of these great features mean stress-free stall cleaning for both farmer and livestock!
The two farm scraper attachments, the Waste Scraper and the Pushing Shield, are invaluable tools for maintaining dairy hygiene on farms. The Waste Scraper is designed to efficiently remove manure, mud and other waste materials, keeping surfaces clean and minimising the risk of contamination. Similarly, the Pushing Shield is ideal for gathering and pushing waste into designated areas, ensuring that high-traffic zones remain free from debris. Together, these attachments help create a cleaner, safer environment for livestock, supporting the overall health and hygiene of dairy operations.
A farm scraper represents a vital tool in any dairy farmer’s toolkit, maintaining good dairy hygiene practices and creating a healthier, more productive environment for cows. The result? Better cow health, higher milk quality and more sustainable dairy farming. For farmers looking to boost both productivity and profitability, investing in a Westermann farm scraper is a great step toward a cleaner future.
Contact us
If you’re looking for new agricultural farming machines, here at SPA Power Machinery we stock a range of Westermann equipment, from ride-on brushes to scrapers and silage pushers, that are ready to get the job done.
If you’d like to know more about using Westermann machinery for farming and livestock purposes, please get in touch with us via the contact form on our website, or you can call us on +44 (0)114 2699 119 or email info@spapowermachinery.com.