Clydevale Holsteins - From Cable Ties to Cutting-Edge

August 2026. Article by: Rick Majoor

Since 1980, the Dee family has operated Clydevale Holsteins, a stud farm located in Macorna. Founded by Cheryl and Adrian Dee, the operation is a true family affair, now involving Mark and Mandy Dee, Mark’s brothers Adam and Colin, daughter Hannah, and additional farm workers. However, managing a high-end Holstein herd in an aging 22-swingover dairy held together by "cable ties, duct tape, and hopes and dreams" was taking a massive toll on both the family and their cows.

Prior to their major facility upgrade, milking roughly the same number of cows was consuming 10 hours a day for the three primary milkers, leaving very little time for other essential farm work. The conditions were equally gruelling for the animals; during summer heatwaves that can soar above 46 degrees, the cows were forced to stand on hard concrete for four to five hours at a time, putting immense pressure on the herd.

While Mark, Mandy, and Colin initially considered upgrading to a rotary, a 26-stand herringbone, or a rapid-exit system simply to get the cows under shade and speed up the milking, it was Mark's father, Adrian, who strongly pushed for robots. Having seen robotic dairies during Holstein tours in Canada, Germany, and Holland, Adrian recognised the potential for a calm, low-stress milking environment.  

Working closely with their builder, James Green from Greencon, the family undertook multiple overseas and domestic tours to design a massive compost bedded pack barn equipped with eight Lely robots. The barn is designed to hold up to 500 cows, though they currently milk around 440.

To keep operations running smoothly, the barn is split into four distinct herds of roughly 110 to 125 cows each. Once a cow is placed in her herd, she stays in that specific group for her entire lactation. One of these groups is dedicated exclusively to heifers; this allows young cows to learn the robotic routine, locate their feed, and adapt to the system without having to compete with older, dominant animals.  

Initially, the family harboured serious doubts about whether barn-housed cows would voluntarily walk up to the robots to be milked. Those fears were quickly dispelled, leading to what Mandy affectionately calls the "invisible cow" - an animal that manages her own milking schedule flawlessly and is only seen by staff for specific treatments, joining, or dry-off.

Because cows are now voluntarily milking up to 3.5 times a day in a highly comfortable, climate-controlled environment with consistent feed, production has skyrocketed. The herd's average milk production experienced a massive leap, jumping from around 9,100 litres up to an astonishing 12,300 litres per cow. 

Beyond the financial and production gains, the robotic system completely revolutionised the family's work-life balance. Workdays now run from a much more manageable 6:00 AM to 4:30 PM, compared to the old 5:00 AM to 8:30 PM grind. The family can now schedule every second weekend off without feeling guilty or stressed. Mandy notes that farming with young kids is incredibly hard, and if given the chance, she would have installed robots over a decade earlier just to get that precious time back.

For farmers considering a similar leap, Mark advises talking to a dealer to visit existing robotic barns before putting a peg in the ground. The massive gains in cow comfort and lifestyle have left the Dee family with absolutely no regrets regarding their jump into robotics.