In receipt of several prestigious accolades, Wormanby Holsteins is a household name amongst many Holstein breeders. What’s perhaps less well known, is that for a quarter of a century, KEENAN has played a key role in the farm’s success.

Located to the north west side of Carlisle, Wormanby Farm is your typical family-run British dairy farm. In the early 2000’s, husband and wife, David and Louise Hodgson, took on the farm from Harry and Margaret – who are still today involved in the day to day running of the business. Their children, Matthew (13) and Rosie (10), are both active in Holstein Young Breeders (HYB), showing the best of their youngstock in the most prestigious showrings throughout the UK.

In his time managing the farm, David has spearheaded some significant advancements to progress breed performance and farm efficiency. In more recent years, they have invested in a GEA 32:32 rapid exit milking parlour; cutting milking time down to just an hour and 45 minutes. But going back to the beginning, he made the move from bucket feeding to TMR feeding in a bid to progress feed efficiency and herd performance. And they continue to utilise the benefits of the KEENAN system today.

Choosing a diet feeder

“We’ve stuck with KEENAN for 25 years, mostly because there really isn’t a lot that can go wrong with them. It’s a stable and solid machine and I’ve never had any issues. It’s bombproof”, says David.

Peter Woodhouse and Co is the farms’ local KEENAN-approved service engineer. “The back up is very reliable. Woodhouses will always turn up on the same day to keep us feeding”, adds David.

Three months ago, David chopped-in his fourth KEENAN diet feeder for a KEENAN MechFiber340+ — the latest in the range benefiting from cutting-edge design engineering advancements. “We feed everything in 4 loads, it’s really quick and efficient. By the time I tip in the last bucket, its ready to go. There’s no wasting diesel”, says David.

The ration is formulated by Gareth Brolly from Carr’s Billington and consists of silage, maize, maize distiller, rolled barley, and a dairy blend. “We keep the diet as similar as possible through the year. With the KEENAN, there is absolutely no sorting whatsoever. The old machine was still doing a good job, but we can definitely recognise an improvement since using the new wagon”, concludes David.

The KEENAN MechFiber+ that David has upgraded to represents the newest advancement in KEENAN's legacy of innovation.

This latest model includes re-engineered rounded castellations on the six paddles, enhancing material movement for improved mixing with reduced friction and wear. An automatic oiling system extends the lifespan of the drive trains, increasing the machine’s durability even further. Additionally, the feed-out door has been enlarged by 40%, and newly designed moulded lights have been added, making feed-out faster and more efficient.

With unbeatable build quality and unrivalled service support, KEENAN diet feeders deliver ultimate feeding precision and unique cost benefits - making them unbeatable for value for money.

Farm Facts

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