The milking cows all live together in a large shed.  The robots are also in the shed so that the cows can get to them at any time day or night.  In the cow shed we will explore all of the things that we do to make sure that the cows are well looked after and produce high quality milk.  

Here we will have a close up look at the cows.  Our cows are very friendly and will come and say hello.  We can look at all of the different areas of the shed and consider why they are important for cow health and wellbeing. We will use all of our senses in the cow shed to develop our understanding and experience. Other key questions could include what breeds of cows do we have and why?  How do we know which cow is which?  What do the tags in their ears mean and why are they important?  We can also look at the traceability of the cows and how we monitor their well being as well as milk production.  We can also have a close look at the cows, what do they look like?  How do they produce milk?  What does their hair feel like? What can you smell?

We have two milking robots that run all day, every day.  This means that whenever you visit, you will always be able to see a cow being milked up close.  We will look at how the robot works, what happens when a cow is milked and learn why the cow goes into the robot.  From the safety of the large robot rooms, we can get close to see the cow’s udders and the milking process.  We can feel the temperature of the milk compared to the milk that is stored in the tank and look at the huge computers inside the robots.  Cows like consistency so we can discuss the health and wellbeing benefits for the cows through the robot system and other things that happen as part of the milking system to keep the cows healthy. 

Our cows calve all year round so we always have calves to look after at the farm.  

In the Nursery we can learn all sorts of things about the youngest animals on the farm.  Some examples include: – how do we feed the calves at different stages of their life, what types of calves do we have and why they are different? What happens to the different calves?  What is colostrum and why it is important? When does a calf become a heifer?  What is weaning? … and so much more

This is Rupert, he is our bull, he lives in a pen with the heifers.  You can learn all about our breeding policy, what heifers are and the role of the bull on the farm.  Does anyone know what breed of bull Rupert is?

Alongside Rupert is the Maternity Ward, this is where the “dry cows” live when they are on Maternity Leave.  We can see the pregnant cows and what is needed to look after them.  

Cows have a very different digestive system to humans.  In this area we will have a look at how much food a cow eats in one day and the different ingredients that go into the mixer to make the daily feed.  We will use our touch, sight and smell to investigate the different feeds.  We will consider the benefits of each type of food for the cows.  We will discover how the digestive system in a cow allows them to eat the diet and how their digestive system is different to humans.  Some of the food is actually a by-product from human food production, so here we can also look at sustainability in farming and how we can help to reduce waste.  We also look at the silage, discuss what it is and how it is made linking into the recycling of slurry to help grow the grass and reduce fertiliser use.

This is where the milk is stored until the tanker comes.  In here we can learn about how we store the milk, how we make sure that the milk is hygienic and the tests that are carried out to check the quality and hygiene of the milk.  We also need our maths skills when we look at how much milk we can store and an understanding of temperatures. 

The farm office is a very important area of the farm.  In here we monitor the cows and have a huge amount of data and information that we use on a daily basis.  Lots of opportunities to use our maths skills in here!

Our woodland area provides an opportunity to explore the smallest creatures on the farm and the big role that they play.  We can explore tree species, go in search of minibeasts and get our hands dirty doing lots of practical investigations.   

As a working farm, we have lots of open space.  The fields give plenty of opportunities to go for a walk and experience the countryside.  We can look at the grass and how it grows.  We can get “hands on” and investigate the importance of worms and the soil.  What makes healthy soil, can we test the soil to check how healthy it is?  We can also use our skills to identify the wide range of trees, plants and insects that work together to create our countryside.  Our outdoor space gives us lots of opportunities to make use of all of our senses.  We can also share with you all of the things we do for the environment and to ensure that we farm in the most sustainable way possible as well as plans for improving further. We might even see some young animals or dry cows in the fields, giving us chance to practice our knowledge about the countryside code and learn how to walk through a field of cows safely.  The outdoor space also allows us to consider the seasons, what can we see, hear, smell and feel at different times of year?  What happens in each season?  Why is this important?