They are among substantial development plans for Meadow Court Farm which have been submitted to the Development & Planning Authority.
The farm in St Andrew’s, which has a herd of about 150 to 180 cows, was bought by the Mallard family in 2022.
The family, which also owns and manages two farms and a vineyard in France, bought the local farm with a vision of improving the herd’s genetics, as well as supplying milk to the dairy in a sensitive and sustainable way.
The proposed plans aim to modernise the farm to provide best practice for animal welfare.
Works which could start in the summer would be carried out in three stages while the farm continues to run, milking twice each day.
The first phase would involve developing new cowsheds on a flat and vacant site next to the existing facilities.
Attention would then turn to upgrading the rest of the farm buildings, including the milking parlour and ancillary accommodation.
Phase three would convert the old cowshed area into a much-needed storage site for silage, which is animal winter food.
Current storage is insufficient for the size of the herd at Meadow Court.
All the land connected with the farm is either used for pasture or growing cereal for animal feed. Concrete floors in existing cowsheds are uneven and cracked, creating a hazard to the animals. The structure of the slab and buildings above it do not meet the requirements of a modern cowshed, and would be expensive to repair.
The existing milking parlour is also sub-standard and awkward to clean, with uneven floors, poor ventilation and inadequate space.
Feeding troughs are mostly outside, requiring the cows to go out in harsh weather, and the flow of cattle around the existing buildings was described as inefficient.
The proposed improvements aim to ensure the wellbeing of the animals and staff, and provide a long-term, sustainable future for the dairy herd.
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