Chesterton House Farm invests in smarter slurry handling

A new slurry handling system has helped improve operations at a Warwickshire dairy farm after slurry became too runny to spread and too thick to pump.

Chesterton House Farm in Harbury, near Royal Leamington Spa, has installed a new separator, pump and mixer system to improve slurry management from its 105 Holstein cows.

The village-based farm had been facing ongoing slurry handling issues, with the consistency of the material causing problems for spreading and pumping.

George Clarke, who is in a business partnership with farm owner Louise Trice, said the previous system had become difficult to manage.

“To be fair, what we had before was just a pit that all the scrapings and everything went into, so it was a mess,” he said.

He said the farm had also seen compaction in its 200 acres of grassland at silage time, with wheel marks from the spreader affecting grass growth.

George contacted Midland Slurry Systems, based nearby at Shipston-on-Stour, which has worked with Chesterton House Farm for many years.

He said seeing large puddles left by the spreader was “not good at all”, and that the farm knew it was time to make changes as part of efforts to keep moving forward.

The farm wanted a simple, cost-effective system that would largely look after itself.

Working with Giles Russell at Midland Slurry Systems, it introduced an EYS separator to mechanically separate the solid and liquid fractions of the fibre-rich slurry.

The package also includes a 7.5kW Landia Chopper Pump, which reduces particle sizes as it transfers slurry from a new 4m by 4m reception tank.

The two-metre-deep tank receives slurry through a new sewerage channel.

The slurry, which is approximately 10% dry matter, is kept fresh and homogenised by a 5.5kW Landia mixer.

The installation was completed within three days and also included an ultrasonic level sensor for the reception tank.

This allows the new slurry system to work automatically, processing around 9 cubic metres of slurry per day.

Giles Russell, from Midland Slurry Systems, said the Landia mixer had helped keep the slurry consistent and the separator screen clean.

“Because the Landia mixer does such a good job of uniformly homogenising the slurry, the fibre portion rides along the front of the auger and slides along the screen, keeping it clean,” he said.

He added that the separator had been programmed in a way that made it reversible, helping prolong its working life.

“We also know that Landia pumps and mixers will keep on running and running,” he said.

George said the new system had proved reliable, with the main challenge being incidental solids that can be found on any farm.

“So far, we’ve had a load of string, and when we got a bit keen trimming back our conifers, but overall, the whole system is very reliable indeed and frees up time,” he said.

He said the mixer runs first for a few minutes to create a swirl and blend the slurry.

The Landia Chopper Pump and separator then start operating.

During wet weather last winter, the system was running every day.

It now runs every three to four days in drier conditions.

George said that even when the slurry was reasonably thick, the system only needed to run for a couple of hours.

The farm has also invested in 50kW of solar panels, helping to reduce running costs.

“Everything is very reliable, and if we ever need any advice or help, Midland Slurry Systems are always there for us,” he said.

Liquid slurry is pumped to the farm’s new 75m by 35m by 4.5m deep lagoon by a separate pump.

Dry matter from the separator is sent to a nearby arable farmer.

George said the farm expected to see a “very noticeable improvement” in grass growth for silage.

He also said the system should help reduce the amount of bagged fertiliser the business has to buy.

Each cow at Chesterton House Farm produces around 10,000 litres of milk per year, which goes to Arla.

The farm has also diversified by introducing fresh milk vending machines.

The machines sell up to 1,000 litres of milk per week and have helped generate additional revenue.

George and Heather have since added a coffee machine and also sell products including eggs, yoghurt and cakes.

The farm’s village location has helped turn the vending area into a popular local hub and meeting place.

“It’s definitely improved our relationship with the village,” George said.

“People now have much more of an idea of the work we do.”