A rural landscape featuring green fields, trees, farm buildings, and a small village with hills in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

RUN BY FATHER AND SON HUGH AND BEN PALFREY, LOWER WHIPCOTT IS A MIXED 600-ACRE BEEF, DAIRY AND ARABLE FARM IN SOMERSET, CLOSE TO THE VILLAGE OF HOLCOMBE ROGUS AND MIDWAY BETWEEN WELLINGTON AND TIVERTON.

HAVING PREVIOUSLY LOOKED AFTER THEIR ORIGINAL MILKING PARLOUR, IN EARLY 2025 WE WERE ASKED TO BEGIN VISUALISING A NEW ROBOTIC SOLUTION FOR THE herd AS BEN LOOKED TO FUTURE-PROOF THE FARM.

CENTRED AROUND TWO DELAVAL V3OO ROBOTS, WE DESIGNED A FULL, FREE-COW ACCESS SYSTEM ALLOWING THE COWS PLENTY OF MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE MILKING ROBOTS, FEED FENCE, AND BEDDING AREAS AT ANY TIME.

The completed installation delivers a highly efficient, resilient and future-proof dairy operation, combining advanced robotic milking technology, comprehensive herd monitoring, energy-saving heat recovery and robust backup systems to maximise cow welfare, milk quality and farm productivity.

LOWER WHIPCOTT FARM

GROUNDWORKS | DELIVERY
INSTALLATION

VITAL STATS

WHAT WE’VE INSTALLED:


2 x DELAVAL v300 robots

2 X DELAVAL FOOTBATHS

2 X DELAVAL SEPARATING GATES

15,000 litre DELAVAL BULK MILK TANK

COLLINSON FEED AUGER

delaval optiduo feed pusher

BA ACTIVITY MONITORING SYSTEM

HEAT RECOVERY SYSTEM

ALL ELECTRICAL WORK AND PLUMBING

LOGISTICAL SUPPORT

GROUNDWORK MANAGEMENT

The first stages of construction and groundworks for a new robotic milking installation on a dairy farm in Somerset.
Pouring and laying the concrete foundations for a new robotic milking installation on a dairy farm in Somerset.
Freshly poured concrete slab for a new dairy installation on a Somerset dairy farm ready to hold a 15,000 litre DeLaval bulk milk tank.
Workers in safety gear spreading concrete at a construction site under a metal roof.
A recently built single robot room ready to house two DeLaval V300 VMS milking robots on a dairy farm in Somerset.
Inside a barn with cows, showing a two-story structure with concrete and metal construction, dirt and mud on the floor, and part of the roof visible with sunlight coming through.
Inside a barn with cattle, showing part of the pen and the roof with sunlight streaming through.
A man wearing a brown jacket and gloves is working with construction tools inside a farm building with cows in the background.
Construction worker on a ladder installing or repairing solar panels on a roof in a building under construction, with construction equipment below and dirt ground in the foreground.
A truck with a crane lifting a large cylindrical tank at a farm or industrial site. The ground is muddy, and there are stacks of pallets, barrels, and construction materials around. There are buildings and trees in the background under a partly cloud
A person in a brown jacket and black gloves working on a large blue DeLaval dairy equipment machine inside an industrial setting.
A young man with brown hair, wearing a brown jacket with a 'Ridgetline' patch, is working with a power tool in a wooden structure. The background shows wooden pallets and a barn-like setting with large windows.
A group of black and white dairy cows standing behind a metal fence at a farm, with a barn and large grain silo in the background.
A person wearing a brown work jacket and black gloves is operating a power tool with a metal handle in a workshop. The workshop has orange and yellow equipment in the background.
A worker standing on a ladder installs or repairs equipment at a construction site with metal scaffolding and a blue DeLaval machinery.
Three workers in blue and black jackets are installing a large, silver cylindrical water heater on a flatbed truck in a backyard. One worker is pointing at the heater, and a yellow level tool is leaning against the heater.
A farm with green fields, trees, and farm buildings. Cows are grazing in a pasture, and there are rolling hills in the background under a partly cloudy blue sky.
Construction site with multiple vans and trucks belonging to DAW Refrigeration, a company specializing in refrigeration, air conditioning, and dairy engineering, parked in front of a building under construction with a metal roof and scaffolding, on a
Construction workers installing a large stainless steel tank outside a building under construction, with tools and equipment nearby and a vehicle with open doors facilitating the work.
Two young men standing in a barn, wearing dark blue work shirts with 'DAW Refrigeration' logo, leaning on metal farm equipment, with cows and barn interior in the background.
A white van with blue lettering parked in front of a construction site with large tanks, a wooden structure marked 'DeLaval', and various tools and boxes on a dirt ground under a clear blue sky.
Inside a dairy farm barn with black and white cows standing on a dirt floor, above which is a blue milking machine from DeLaval, and a wooden upper level with windows and utility pipes.
Inside a concrete plant, a large blue DeLaval dairy equipment machine with various pipes, wires, and control panels.
Inside a dairy farm barn with Holstein cows lying down in neat rows. The barn has a high, metal roof with skylights, large fans hanging from the ceiling, and a partial viewing of outdoor area seen through open sides.
View inside a cow barn with metal walkways, cattle in the background, and ventilation systems on the ceiling.
Industrial equipment with blue and silver panels, wires, labels, control panel, and warning signs, installed in a construction or manufacturing setting.
Three men working on plumbing and electrical systems in an unfinished garage or utility room, with water heater and pipework.
Construction site with large stainless steel tank, several vans, and equipment for refrigeration and dairy industries under a clear blue sky.
Industrial underpass with machinery, wiring, and a blue sign that reads 'DeLaval' in a construction or manufacturing environment.
Inside a barn with cows in a pen, metal fencing, and blue plastic piping for water or feed.
Indoor livestock barn with feeding and watering systems, metal railings, and a wooden upper level with windows and a small room.
Indoor barn or stable with metal gates, blue fencing, and exposed construction elements, including pipes and a large blue panel with 'DeLaval' branding, on a dirt floor.
Interior of a livestock barn or dairy farm with metal railings, a concrete trough filled with water, and a window in the background.
Metal livestock chute and head gate inside a barn or farm building with corrugated roof panels and concrete walls.
Interior of a barn under construction with metal fencing, concrete support columns, unfinished wooden walls, and metal roofing, with some sunlight visible through openings.
Industrial dairy milking equipment branded DeLaval, with stainless steel components and blue panels, situated in a clean, wet-floor dairy barn or processing facility.
A mechanical room with water filtration and heating equipment, including blue pipes, a white tank, a red and black air compressor, and various control panels mounted on a wooden wall.
Industrial milking equipment in a barn or dairy farm, with concrete floor and blue machinery marked with the brand DeLaval and VMS
A mechanical room with water tanks, pipes, and equipment for a water system, with a concrete floor and wooden walls.
Inside a modern dairy farm barn with a black and white cow, feeding troughs, and farm equipment, with a metal roof and open sides.
A rural landscape with green fields, trees, and farm buildings under a partly cloudy sky.
Construction site with metal framework, solar panels, and partially installed roof panels, under a clear blue sky.
Solar panels installed on a building roof with a solar water heating system in front, under a blue sky.
Outdoor industrial scene showing a large stainless steel tank with 'DeLaval' logo, connected to equipment and pipes. The sky is clear with a few clouds, and part of a building with a sloped roof is visible.

FLEXIBLE FARMING

At Lower Whipcott Farm we supplied and installed a complete two-robot DeLaval V300 system operating as a free-cow traffic setup.

The design incorporates dedicated separation facilities, allowing cows to be automatically drafted for treatment, foot trimming or veterinary attention, while maintaining access to feed and bedding. Integral to the cow-flow design is an automated foot bathing system, helping to support hoof health and cow mobility without disrupting normal movement around the farm.

UTILISING a single robot room design, WE housED both robots within one clean, purpose-built area. This provides a tidy, efficient working environment that is easy to keep clean, simple to manage and convenient to service. To support herd management, fertility insights and health monitoring, we installed the DeLaval BA200 behavioural analysis system that continuously monitors cow activity, rumination, feeding behaviour and movement patterns.

The plant room was designed with reliability and redundancy in mind AND FEATURES twin vacuum pumps with automatic backup capability and a rotary oil-injected screw air compressor complete with standby capacity. This ensures the robotic system can continue operating around the clock, even during planned maintenance or in the event of equipment failure.

Milk cooling and storage are provided by a 15,000-litre DeLaval milk silo. To maximise energy efficiency, we installed a heat recovery system that captures waste heat from the refrigeration plant and produces 50°C pre-heated water. This water is THEN supplied directly to the farm's hot water system, significantly reducing the energy required for water heating and lowering overall running costs.

Our work also included ALL the NECESSARY electrical installation. This covered mains power distribution, generator integration, automatic changeover equipment, battery backup systems, lighting, power outlets, electrical services FOR THE OFFICE and all control wiring associated with the robotic milking system. The back-up power arrangements ensure the robots can continue TO operatE EVEN during power interruptions, providing additional security for the farm.

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