Transforming Shed Hygiene and Cow Health at Yarde Farm with the Lely C2 Collector

Andrew & Di Heard farm a 174-cow dairy herd near Barnstaple in North Devon. In 2025, they added a Lely Collector C2 slurry robot to their shed after transitioning to a 3-robot Lely Astronaut milking system in 2022.

Farm Facts

·        174 cows / 155 milking

·        1 x Lely Collector C2

·        3 x Lely Astronaut milking robots

·        3^rd generation family farm

Since installing the slurry collector in late November 2025, Andrew and Di Heard have noticed a significant difference in shed cleanliness, whilst also seeing improvements in cow health. The decision to replace the old automatic scrapers came after 12–13 years of continuous use, during which they had performed well but had simply worn out. When a grant opportunity became available, the pair chose to invest in a Lely C2 Collector, ordering it even before seeing one working in person. It has since proven to be one of the best decisions they have made.

Lead Barn Products engineer Ian, from Lely Center Holsworthy, visited the farm to assess the layout and confirmed that the system would suit their setup. After visiting another farm to see a Collector in action, Andrew and Di realised just how effective the machine was. Installation went smoothly, and aside from a minor adjustment to the charger angle in the first few days, the Collector has required no intervention.

“It simply gets on with the job.”

From the very first weeks, the improvement in cleanliness was clear.

“It’s lovely coming out in the mornings and seeing those clean yards. You can see a noticeable difference from the old scrapers.”

Di likes the feeling of walking into the shed early in the morning, as the passages are spotless, the beds noticeably fresher, and the cows’ feet and legs cleaner than with traditional scrapers. The yard in front of the robots also remains far cleaner, making daily routines easier and more efficient.

“Cows’ feet are cleaner, legs are cleaner, and their beds are cleaner too.”

Foot health has seen some of the biggest gains. Previously, as scrapers filled up, cows were effectively walking through slurry, leaving their feet constantly wet. With the Collector C2 in place, cows no longer stand in slurry, resulting in harder, drier hooves at trimming—much like a fingernail that dries and hardens when not constantly wet.

Di has noticed that digital dermatitis cases have dropped by around 3%, and any lesions that do appear are significantly smaller, often no bigger than a fingernail.

Andrew feels that with drier feet, bacteria simply do not thrive in the same way.

 

Using the app, Andrew was able to confirm that the Collector had cleaned his barns 42 times in the previous 24-hour period whilst following 7 different pre-determined routes.

Milk quality has also benefited. Cell counts have fallen by around 15–18 points. While multiple factors always contribute to such improvements, Andrew feels that the cleaner environment and bedding have definitely played a role. Cows are no longer flicking dirty water onto beds, and the difference is visible.

The task of hand-scraping crossover passages after feeding has now disappeared entirely, and labour savings have been another benefit.

“We’re saving 20 minutes at each end of the day by not having to hand-scrape the crossover passages.”

The Collector reaches areas the old scrapers never could—right up to the cubicles—without leaving slurry spilling out the sides. It is low maintenance and operates quietly in the background.

Cow flow has improved as well. Around six weeks after installation, robot visits increased, suggesting cows were more confident and comfortable moving around the shed. For a herd housed year‑round on concrete, this improvement in flow and comfort was particularly valuable.

The cows adapted to the Collector almost immediately and remain completely relaxed around it, even when it operates near the Astronaut milking robots.

When asked for advice for a farmer considering installing the Lely Collector, Andrew said, “Anyone installing a collector should dump both ends to get the most out of its capacity.”

“If we were putting up a shed again, we wouldn’t even consider auto-scraping.”

Conclusion

“Overall, installing the Lely Collector has been 100% the right decision for us. Cleaner shed, healthier feet, lower cell counts, less labour, and better cow flow. We simply wouldn’t go back.” Concludes Andrew.

 

At a Glance

The Lely Collector C2 manure robot navigates independently using built‐in sensors.

·        Cleans shed 42 times during a 24-hour period, following 7 predetermined routes around passageways

·        3% fewer incidents of digital dermatitis per year

·        40 minutes of manual scraping saved per day

·        Cows’ feet, legs and beds are cleaner

·        Reduction in cell count