From Parlour to Robots

Installing four Lely A5 Astronaut milking systems to replace a dated herringbone parlour was driven by a desire to make dairying more enjoyable for both farmer and cows.

Graham’s The Family Dairy is a family-owned dairy company based in Bridge of Allan, Scotland. Founded in 1939 by Robert Graham with just 12 cows, the company has grown into Scotland’s largest independent dairy producer. Today, it remains a third-generation family business, led by Robert Graham Jr, Grandson of the founder.

Fast forward to 2025 and The Graham Family are currently milking a herd of 240 pedigree Jersey cows at Mains of Boquhan Farm, Stirling.

Recently, we caught up with, Leanne Bertram - Dairy Herd Manager to discuss the move from parlour to dairy automation.

Pre-robots, the Graham Family milked their herd through a herringbone parlour, housed cows in a dated cubicle shed. They came to the crossroads of update existing setup or invest in a new greenfield site.

Greenfield Site

The Grahams undertook deep research into dairy automation and visited many existing units to ensure they got their site the way they wanted and as good as they could possibly get it.

The main focus in the new setup was cow comfort and welfare. With Grahams being a dairy producer and retailing their products, this was the time to create the perfect shop window for their business.

With the research complete, the decision was made to go ahead & install four Lely A5 robots along with the walkway footbaths, two Lely Collectors, a Lely Juno and two Lely Luna cow brushes in March 2023. This decision was made on design, service & back-up that Lely Center Ayr provide.

After discussion between Smith Contracts and Jim Currie, Project Co-Ordinator, Lely Center Ayr - The shed was designed with a natural habitat in mind, plenty of air circulating and lots of light getting into the shed with a heat insulated roof.

Within the shed, there are four separation units for cows who are newly calved or who require extra assistance. Leanne added, “I would add a couple more separation units, but this is the only chance I would make within the whole setup”. General rule, if milk isn’t going into the tank, the cow is in a separation pen.

With the assistance from Jim Currie, Project Co-Ordinator from Lely Center Ayr – The Grahams were able to assess their herd and view the animals that would be suitable for the robots. With the Jersey breed being a smaller cow, not all would be robot ready. It was also arranged for cows to be out farmed to Graham producers to be robot trained in time for the Mains of Boqhuan astronauts being installed.

Herd Health

Since installing the automated systems in 2023, there has been an increase in litres - 19litres in the parlour to 28litres in the robots. Furthermore, the cows have much better overall health status. Udder health and foot health has improved dramatically. Figures currently: Bacto 10 and > 50 cellcount. This is also due to the layout of the shed, with wide passageways, excellent cow flow and no bullying going on in the shed due to the adequate space the cows have.

Leanne added, “The cows are so relaxed, the shed is never busy”, “With the milking parlour, cows are always having to stand for long periods of time waiting to be milked but with dairy automation, cow welfare and comfort really allows them to reach their maximum potential”.

Collector

With two Lely Collectors working 24/7, the cows are kept extremely clean. “We don’t get that wave of slurry that you would get with rope or chain scrapers” added Leanne.

The Collectors are programmed to undertake all the routes, working every hour and charging in between. The cubicles are bedded daily with sawdust and lime added twice per week. With regards maintenance, the Collectors are washed weekly, and the eyes of machine are cleaned three times per week. This keeps them in excellent working order.

Juno

Alongside the other equipment, the Lely Juno feed pusher ensures the feed is pushed to the feed fence 24/7. The Grahams feed the cows once per day and the Juno ensures the feed is pushed up, it is programme to work from 10am to 6pm. Leanne added, “The Jersey breed like to play with their food, so this piece of equipment is essential in our setup. “We notice the intake is down when the Juno is out of action” The Juno is very low maintenance, Leanne & her team ensure the feed passage is swept routinely to ensure smooth running of the equipment.

Service

Leanne commented, “The technical team at Lely Center Ayr are brilliant”. The new Hotline service is very useful, mostly we can sort out any issues over the phone without the need for the technicians to come out on farm. Luckly, the issues are few, but the service is always there if required.

Conclusion

Leanne concluded, “I would definitely recommend dairy automation to anyone thinking about it, the flexibility would be my main advantage. Not necessarily less staff but more flexible approach to the working day with my staff”. “You aren’t tied to a specific regimental regime; you can focus on larger jobs on a day-to-day basis or spend more time with your family”. “The cows are less stressed, allowing them to have free access to milk, feed or rest”.