Farming flexibility is the key to the Watson's future
"Our family had put so much time and sweat into this farm that we did not want to give it up" was the opening statement when Stewart and his father Thomas were visited at their dairy farm in County Tyrone. Thomas retired from milking back in 2000 whilst his son Stewart and a cowman continued to milk and manage the 80 cow herd. As the years progressed, labour became increasingly difficult to find and keep, leaving Stewart contemplating a future of 365 day milkings. Relief milking costs plus the EU Nitrate Directive required high milking yields whilst becoming an unsustainable burden. A comprehensive solution was sought which was beneficial to all. Now Stewart is able to work as a salesman for a local feed company whilst managing the farm, and Thomas is able to walk out daily to check the milking process. All of this is now possible thanks to the new LELY ASTRONAUT A3 installed during May 2007 to milk the cows plus monitor their health and welfare.
Dairying with a difference
At present 65 cows are being milked through the LELY ASTRONAUT. Herd numbers are expected to reduce as milk yields increase and cow numbers are no longer required. High yielding cows were previously fed from out-of-parlour feeders, so it was a natural development to have two LELY COSMIX out-of-parlour feeders installed. These are linked to the LELY ASTRONAUT computer system and work in harmony with the milking box feed unit. At present, cows are being zero grazed, although this will change to a LELY GRAZEWAY unit controlling paddock grazing once the cows have settled into their new milking pattern. Stewart believes that eight weeks is insufficient time to judge the success of the system as everyone is still learning, whilst Thomas commented that after this short period of operation "it is hard to believe that everything is working so well". Records show that cow visits for milking are now averaging 2.6 visits a day; average yields are 25.5 litres whilst the LELY ASTRONAUT carries out 167 milkings each day. To accommodate the LELY ASTRONAUT, a lot of discussion and planning was needed unti agreement was reached in placing it centrally with easy access both day and night. This meant rearranging some of the other farm buildings into more accessible usage with the new milking unit being placed within a covered silage store. A ‘T' shaped cubicle house was created with additional slurry storage to meet new legislation. It is in this area that one of LELY's new DISCOVERY robot works tirelessly away 24/7.