The introduction of a slurry separator that is compatible with single phase electricity has enabled a dairy unit in Devon to reap the benefits of separation and a green bedding system which is cutting costs and helping improve nutrient use efficiency.
Mike and Caroline Hawking are the first to have fitted a Vogelsang XSplit separator with a converter to enable a three phase separator to be run off conventional mains electricity. The separator has helped slurry management by reducing the burden on the farm’s storage, reduced the number of applications needed and facilitated a green bedding system that is saving Mike and Caroline thousands of pounds.
“It has been a long time in the making, as we have grappled with the convoluted grants system, but now we have our new store, separator and bedding system up and running. We started with the grants over three years ago and, while it has been a long time coming, the new system adds value to every aspect of the farm,” says Mike.
The couple, who farm in partnership at Highweek Farm in Devon, were runners up in the British Grassland Society Farmer of the Year in 2025 and Mike prides himself on sustainable and efficient grassland management.
“I like to walk the fields to see how the grass is responding to the weather and our use of nutrients. It is important to target nutrient use efficiency, and separation is an important part of achieving that.
Initially a tenant farm, Mike and Caroline bought the farm in November 2021 and have since been investing in improving the system to maximise their yield from the 210 pedigree Holstein milkers. The herd is grazed in the season and the farm’s 230 acres is split between pastureland, 100 acres of silage land and 58 acres of maize.
“Since we took on the farm having increased the herd from 157 to currently 210 cows, slurry storage and application has been a major concern. With stipulations from the environment agency about how much storage we needed came the need to invest in a new 1.2 million gallon, covered tank. Our old storage was only 300,000 gallons and had no cover so we were having to apply slurry far more regularly,” says Mike.
Increased storage has reduced the number of applications significantly, which is saving on time, fuel and contractor costs. However, the new covered store also came with a new issue.
“Covering slurry makes it even thicker and so we were finding the slurry difficult to store, pump and apply. We now have over six months of storage capacity, but quickly reached the decision that the only way to make the volume of slurry workable was to install a separator,” he says.
This came with a conundrum for the Vogelsang installation team, because the farm doesn’t have three phase available.
“We are the first farm that Vogelsang has fitted a converter to. It means the three phase XSplit separator can be run off our single phase electricity. I suspect this may be a barrier for many farms, so it’s good that there is an option to enable separation without the need for three phase,” he says.
The farm was spending upwards of £12,000 on sawdust bedding each year. By separating up to 40 percent of the solids from their slurry, the couple is making a more sustainable green bedding alternative that is saving them a huge amount of money.
“It makes so much sense, but we were put off initially by the farm not having three phrase. When Vogelsang said we could overcome this by installing a converter, it seemed like the obvious choice. We have been making green bedding with an average of 37 percent dry matter, which is a great start and the cows seem very happy with the change,” he adds.
The separator was partly funded by a grant, which, although time consuming for the farm, has covered almost 50 percent of the cost.
“We applied for grants to help with the new store, the separator and other equipment that qualified. It has been a slow and arduous process, but now we are on the other side it is great to see how well the system works,” he says.
Slurry is scraped from the shed to a channel which feeds a settlement pit with an integrated stirrer. The separator is situated above the pit, so the raw slurry is pumped eight metres up. The separator removes the solids, which drop down into a neatly built shed, and the liquid is gravity fed into the covered concrete tank which is located next to the separator. It is a compact solution that sees all aspects of slurry management located just a few metres from the main cow shed.
“We add lime to the solids at a ratio of 50 kilos per tonne. This means we don’t have to apply so much to the fields. The liquid is so much easier to pump umbilically and it flows more evenly, which is only going to help absorption and reduce our bought-in fertiliser costs,” says Mike.
He operates a multi-cut silage system, taking four cuts a year. However, due to the constraints on slurry storage, he had to apply slurry during the winter so left very little to apply in the growing season.
“It is a cost and it’s time consuming. I also see slurry as key to grassland productivity, so being able to manage it and apply it more efficiently is more cost-effective for the farm and it’s helping us to grow better forage,” he adds.
He chooses to apply in two phases, which helps nutrient distribution, absorption and uptake. This is complemented by an application of 27 kilos of N per acre, a figure that he intends to reduce to save the farm money.
“Going forward, we will be testing slurry more regularly to offset the amount of bought-in fertiliser we have to apply. I have just applied the liquid with our 7.5 metre dribble bar to some grazing land at a rate of 12 cubes per acre with no fertiliser and it’s come up thick and lush in no time,” he says.
He works closely with a nutritionist and soil tests every five years. This, along with more frequent slurry testing and having a more homogenous slurry to apply, will only stand to improve his grassland productivity.
“What you put in is what you get out, but in the case of soil it is also about understanding what is needed to provide the optimum amount of nutrients when they are needed the most. That is why having separated slurry that can be applied when we want to is so much better for our grassland management,” he concludes.
More information about the XSplit Compact.