GEA Farm Stories

• Cow scout collars for measuring activity and eating minutes
• Quarter conductivity
• Cell count measuring

• GEA 4800 Feed pusher
• 2 Joz slurry collectors 

The original herd consisted of Pro Cross breeding, which is a combination of Holstein, Viking Red and Montbeliard genetics, which were ideally suited to grazing and averaging 8500 litres. 

” We knew that we would get a certain yield response, with the robots due to the more frequent milkings,” explains Chris “but we also decided to introduce more Holstein blood back in to the herd, in order to maximise the output from the robots. To help achieve this we bought eighty Holstein from The Willsbro herd in Cornwall. Our long-term aim now, is to move the herd’s breeding back in this direction.”

The robots started up in July 2024 and since that time the yield per cow has risen from 28Kg per day to 38Kg whilst maintaining excellent milk quality.

The herd is fed with a partial mixed ration once a day of 60/40 maize to grass silage as well of as a concentrate blend which is worth maintenance plus 25KgThe cows are then fed to yield in the robots to encourage the optimum number of milkings per day.

 A 34,000 litre milk silo was installed, operating in conjunction with a 1000 litre buffer tank, so that milking can continue uninterrupted when the silo is being emptied. In this way the operation is only losing one hour of down time a day, when the robots are washing.

The robots were installed by Venture Dairy services, near Holsworthy, who have 21 engineers on the ground and they also carry out regular servicing three times a year on the machines. ” We know that regular servicing is essential to maintain the robots’ reliability,” explains Chris, “and to date, we have had very few issues.”

The Farm is ably supported by head herdsman Paul Forbes, his son Alfie, tractor driver and general farm worker Finley Simpson. In addition, they employ two student apprentices, James Marshall and Jay Dingle.

“We are delighted with the progress that we have made so far, “continues Chris” and so the next stage is to install two more robots for the remainder of the herd, in the new unit so that we can switch off the parlour. We do have plans, further down the line, to get up to eight machines with 480 cows in milk. However, at this stage we are just taking it, a step at a time!”

“We looked at several of the manufacturers but decided on GEA for various reasons”, explains Samuael. ” Initially, we knew that we were going to running a herd of heifers and so being able to index them in the robot was really important to us and not all of the machines offer this. We also liked the pit and manual attachment option”

• Cow scout collars for Identification, activity monitoring and measuring eating minutes
• Quarter conductivity
• Cell count monitoring
• Dispensors for 2 concentrate types
• Liquid feed

Local dealership FTS Dairy Services installed four R9500 in the summer of 2024 on a free access system for 240 cows in milk. They also incorporated a separate high attention area behind the robots where cows could be separated with cubicles and feed but also access back to the robots for voluntary milking. In addition, one automatic footbath was included for each pair of robots positioned away from the milking area.

A 24,000 litre silo was installed to give plenty of capacity for every day collection, working in conjunction with a 900 litre buffer tank, to get the maximum capacity from the robots.

The Baileys began milking in September of that year as their heifers calved in and within six months were running at full capacity with numbers. ” Our aim is to produce at least 8000 litres per day from this building explains Samuel as the herd matures over the next few years.”

The herd is fed a base total mixed ration on the feed fence which is made up of the following:
 

• 10Kg Maize silage 
• 32Kg Grass silage
• 5Kg Maize meal
• 2Kg Soya

In addition, they are fed to yield in the robots with the option of two concentrate types and liquid feed for the early lactation cows.

We know that we have got the right genetics, the ability to feed accurately and the right milking technology” explains Samuel “and so having made the investment in to this new unit we have everything in place, to become highly efficient as this young herd matures.” 

Wilson Frame farms his herd of 185 Friesian Holsteins at Craigthornhill in Lanarkshire with his wife and young family. He is a fourth-generation dairy farmer and his father; Wilson senior is still very much involved with the day to day running of the herd.

In 2022 they started to consider robotics as they were taking seven hours a day to milk through their 16/16 herringbone parlour. They looked at various brands but decided on three GEA G9500’s which were supplied by their local dealership, Dairyflow.” We just had to extend our existing cubicle shed by 60 feet,” explains Wilson Jnr,” to accommodate the three robots, a loose housing area, office and new tank room.”  They opted for a free access housed system as this worked well with the existing building layout. The robots started up in July 2023 and since then the family haven’t looked back.

“Dairyflow had been servicing our herringbone parlour for years and so we were confident that they would continue to offer us great backup,” explains Wilson Jnr,” We also liked the idea of having an operator’s pit for manual attachment, which not all of the other manufacturers offered.”

•   Split exit for segregation in to lose housing area
• · Quarter conductivity
• · Activity and rumination monitoring with Cow Scout
• · Cell count monitoring was available but not included

The three robots were installed in a row with a loose housing area, for fresh or hospital cows provided behind them. They have access from the straw yard in to one robot and then the split entrance on the G9500 diverts them automatically back in to the loose housing area.

 A partial mixed ration is fed on the feed fence for maintenance plus 28 litres, before being topped up in the robots with concentrates, which are fed to yield.
 

The herd is currently yielding 10,700Kg which is an increase if 15% since leaving the parlour. It is also made up of 30% heifers and so Wilson is expecting to see a further increase here. ” We are currently producing 33Kg per cow per day, with 20% free time on the robots and so we still have spare capacity on the machines to produce more milk.”

Currently this is carried out with the use of potable footbaths which are placed at the exit of the robots two days a week. ” The only issue with this system,” explains Wilson “is that it can upset the cows, because it doesn’t form part of their daily routine. So, it slows down their exit from the robots as they look to avoid them by stepping to one side if at all possible. We have spoken to Dairyflow and we are now considering a guided exit race, which will be placed in front of the robots, which will result in cows being marshalled down one raceway to an automatic footbath, away from the milking area.”

"We are in quite a nice position of having spare capacity,” continues Wilson “and so the focus is very much on producing more milk per robot, as the herd matures and reaches its full potential.”