Innovating Slurry Management Since 1973
We empower farmers to achieve more with less. For over 50 years, we’ve been designing solutions that make farms safer, more efficient, and more profitable. From automating time-consuming tasks to optimising the nutrient value of slurry, our groundbreaking technologies transform how slurry is managed.
Our innovations don’t just solve problems—they deliver measurable benefits to your farm:
Save Time and Labour:
Boost Fertiliser Savings:
Increase Safety:
Achieve Sustainability:
Our Groundbreaking Innovations
At the heart of every Dairypower innovation is a farmer’s challenge, a family’s determination, and a drive to do things better. Here are the key breakthroughs that shaped our journey:
The Hydraulic Ratchet Scraper System
In the early 1980s, founder John O’Donovan set out to solve one of the most frustrating and labour-intensive problems on Irish farms — clearing slurry from sheds and passageways. At the time, chain scraper systems were messy, prone to failure, and dangerous.
Working out of his own shed, John spent long nights reimagining how the job could be done better. He knew the key lay in the drive mechanism. After months of trial and error, he created a new hydraulic ratchet system unlike anything else on the market — robust, weatherproof, and easy to customise for different farm layouts.
His breakthrough came in 1984 when a local farmer, Donal O’Connell of Whites Cross, gave him the chance to install the prototype. It worked — brilliantly. Ten more farms followed before the year was out, and Dairypower’s first product was born.
When a major European manufacturer tried to copy the scraper without a deal, the setback only strengthened the O’Donovan family’s resolve. John sold his beef farm in 1986 to fund the business, and his brothers Liam, Denis, and Michael joined forces with him to turn the invention into a national — and eventually international — success.
The Smart Slurry Aeration System
In the mid-1990s, John turned his focus to an even bigger challenge — eliminating the need for tractor agitation. At the time, farmers had to risk their lives climbing into sheds to agitate dangerous, gas-filled slurry tanks. John believed there had to be a smarter, safer solution.
Back on his home farm in Leamlara, Co. Cork, he began experimenting with a completely new idea: what if, instead of churning the slurry, you aerated it from below?
He installed a makeshift air-pumping system into his own slurry store and spent months testing it at night. The results were promising. Soon, neighbouring farmer John Joe Carey offered to trial the prototype system. It worked — not just in safety, but in slurry quality, pumpability, and nutrient retention.
Over the following year, several more systems were installed and refined. By 1998, the Smart Slurry Aeration System was officially launched, changing slurry management forever. The system was later adopted and tested by Wageningen University in the Netherlands, confirming its environmental and agronomic benefits. Today, the system operates on more than 4,000 farms across the globe — helping farmers save time, money, fuel, and lives.
The Eco-Clean Electric Rope Scraper System
In 2010, DairyPower developed the Hydraulic Rope Scraper System that was later replaced with the Eco-Clean Electric Rope Scraper System. Led by Pat O’Donovan, this system was developed to meet growing market demand for simpler scraper solutions. A game-changer in scraper technology, this patented double-winch system halves running and maintenance costs. Its efficient, compact design cleans two passages with one drive unit and is now trusted across farms in Europe and North America.
The Easy-Flo Backing Gate System
Integrating Dairypower’s hydraulic scraper technology with cattle control, the Easy-Flo system streamlines milking operations by guiding animals safely and hygienically through the parlour. Farmers gain full control from the pit — and a perfectly clean yard every time.
Cattle Clean Cow Brush
Adding animal welfare to the innovation roster, this system improves cow comfort and reduces parasite issues while promoting milk yield. It’s a simple, effective solution for happier, healthier herds.
Driving Sustainable Farming
Sustainability is central to our mission. By automating slurry management, we help farmers:
Reduce Emissions:
Our aeration system cuts methane emissions by up to 40% and ammonia emissions by 51%.
Maximise Nutrients:
Proven to increase total nitrogen content by up to 48% and ammonia nitrogen by up to 71%, reducing reliance on chemical fertilisers.
Lower Carbon Footprints:
Efficient, sustainable farming practices yield measurable environmental benefits.
Partnering for a Better Future
At DP, we believe innovation is the key to advancing farm profitability, safety, and sustainability.
By working with farmers and dealers who share our commitment to excellence, we continue to revolutionise slurry management for the better.
