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Rushton family’s retrofit dairy brings flexibility and balance
Northern Victoria - The Rushton family has successfully transitioned their Jersey herd to robotic milking, transforming a traditional dairy into a modern, automated operation.
A new dairy designed for future growth
The Rushtons currently milk around 300 Jerseys in a pasture-based system using four Lely Astronaut A5 robots, with plans to expand to six in the future. Their retrofit approach allowed them to keep much of their existing dairy infrastructure, requiring only minimal construction work while helping preserve the character of the farm.
Their paddock layout was already well-suited for ABC grazing, with laneways in place to access different paddocks. Now, the cows can move freely between the paddocks and the dairy throughout the day, supporting both cow flow and pasture utilisation.
The local Lely team supported them every step of the way, offering continuous technical guidance, training, and reassurance during and even after the transition to ensure the farm is optimised to their choice and the system is running well.
For the Rushtons, the shift was motivated by a desire for more personal freedom and a better work-life balance. With automation now embedded in their daily operations, the Rushtons will be reaping the rewards, more flexibility, and a more sustainable, balanced way of farming.
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