Bloomfield Dairies and Lely Juno

For John and Cobie Giliam, upgrading their 320-cow free stall barn wasn't just about reducing physical labour; it was about removing the constant mental clock ticking in the background. By integrating the Lely Juno and Lely Calm feeders, they have transformed their daily routine.

For nearly 20 years, John and Cobie Giliam have successfully run their farming business together in Nilma North. Operating a 320-cow free stall barn requires immense dedication, but the couple has recently shifted their focus towards efficiency. As John perfectly summarises their philosophy: "It definitely is work smarter rather than harder".
 

Before embracing automation, ensuring the cows had constant access to feed was a demanding and rigid daily task. "A typical day was we’re pushing the feed with the tractor probably anywhere up to six times a day just to make sure that the feed was in front of the cows," John recalls.

This chore took at least an hour out of their day, with the final push requiring John's attention right before he went to bed. The physical work was only half the battle; the mental load was just as heavy. "You always had it in the back of your mind that you had to be regular," he explains.

 

Three years ago, the Giliams decided to change their approach by installing a Lely Juno feed pusher. The success of this initial step into automation gave them the confidence to go further, subsequently installing Lely Calm feeders for their automatic calf feeding.

Reflecting on the changes, John is overwhelmingly positive. "It’s an investment where we just saw so much benefit," he says. The most immediate impact was seen at the feed fence. Because the cows now have feed in front of them all the time, John noticed an increase in dry matter intake right from the start. "So financially it probably has increased production to a certain degree," he adds.

Today, the stress of the feeding schedule is a thing of the past. "It’s just such a big benefit to our business because we don’t have to really worry about it," John notes. He praises the beauty of the system's simplicity, highlighting how easy the app is to use and how simply they can change the time routes to fit in with their day.

Knowing they have reliable backup makes the transition even smoother. John credits the Lely team for their excellent support. "If there’s a problem, I call, if I can’t fix it on the phone, someone will be out here looking at it," he says. He also appreciates that the team is highly proactive, actively looking at different ways to improve operations.

For farmers who are still on the fence about automating their feed pushing, John offers straightforward advice. "You mightn’t think that it’s worth it at the start, but once you’ve got it operational it’s just... It is a no-brainer".


*Results have not been verified by Lely or an independent party. Your results may vary.