From five and a half Hours a Day Milking to Greater Flexibility and Higher Production

Wonwell Court Farm Facts:

• 2 x Lely Astronaut A5 robots
• 1 x Lely Discovery Collector C1
• 1 x Lely Grazeway
• Flexible grazing system in place
• Farming 500 acres, growing grass silage, barley, oats and maize silage.
• Predominantly Holstein Friesian with some Ayrshires
• Calving all year round
• Milking 105 cows / 125 total
• Supplying Arla
• Yielding 12,000 litres at 4.27% butterfat and 3.30% protein.
• Somatic cell counts averaging 182cells/ml
• Averaging 2.9 milkings / 42 litres with some giving 76 litres a day
• Sexed semen or Angus, all finished on the farm

The Challenge

Before installing the Astronaut milking robots, the herd took around 5 ½ hours to milk every day - three hours in the morning and another two and a half in the afternoon. The old parlour wasn't designed for Holsteins; the layout created poor cow flow, with cows walking uphill to be milked before exiting downhill through a narrow doorway, the existing parlour was simply no longer fit for purpose.

"We were doing around 9,500 litres in the parlour then, and the cows really needed milking three times a day. We just couldn't do it within the current system."

The family knew they needed to invest in the future of the farm. After visiting another Lely robotic milking farm, they realised there was an alternative that could improve both herd performance and quality of life.

Why Robotic Milking?

The decision wasn't simply about replacing an ageing parlour. It was about creating a more efficient, future-proof farming system.

"We visited another Lely farm near Totnes to look at their Collector system, and that's really what led us to robotic milking. We liked what we saw."

As tenant farmers, the flexibility of robotic technology also appealed.

"I can take these robots with me if we ever move, or I can upgrade them individually in the future. That flexibility was important."

A Smooth Transition

Like many farmers, they expected the start-up period to be challenging. Instead, careful preparation made a big difference.

"We only had to sell one cow and that was because of her teat placement, she had always been difficult to milk in the parlour anyway."

The key to success was investing time before start-up.

"We spent three weeks training the cows with the Texas gates after each milking and used training mode on the robot so they got used to the robot arm and the sounds before milking started."

The advice for others is simple:

“Trust the process. The cows get the hang of it much faster than you realise. Don't become obsessed with your collect cow list."

“We had TB testing on our young stock within 5 days of starting up, and it was the best thing to happen as it took Paul and me away from the robot shed for a day and we had to let the cows work things out for themselves, which they did, and we realised we could relax a little.”

“The first 3 months are hard, but after that the only ones we need to fetch were ones with an issue, eg lame, or unwell.

We have been amazed with the new heifers coming in; one walked straight in on day one and has never had to be fetched! Most “get it” within 3 weeks. We have had one who was a little more stubborn - but finally, after many different strategies, “got it” at day 147!!

The Results

The improvements have been significant, with 8-10 fewer cows

Annual milk production has increased year on year:

• Before robots: 1.082 million litres
• First full year: 1.28 million litres
• Second full year: 1.4 million litres

The herd now averages:

• 2.9 milkings per cow per day
• 39–42 litres per cow per day
• 12,000-litre rolling herd average
• High-performing heifers producing up to 14,000kg, with the best individual cow reaching 76 litres per day

More Than Milk

Although production has increased significantly, the biggest benefit has been something less measurable.

"It's not that we're working less—we're just choosing when we do the work."

Without fixed milking times, the family has gained much greater flexibility.

"Most days we have breakfast together now, which I think is the biggest difference and we can go out for the day to a show without rushing home to milk."

"During harvest, you don't have to stop for two and a half hours just because it's milking time."

The change has also made farming more family friendly.

"When the children were younger, I missed a lot of school events because I had to be in the parlour. I would have done so much more if we'd had the robots then."

Another unexpected benefit has been spending more time observing the cows themselves.

"When you're not standing in a parlour all day, you really get to know your cows as individuals."

Greater Efficiency Every Day

The robots haven't reduced the amount of work on the farm—but they've transformed how work gets done, as well as bringing about a noticeable improvement in Paul’s shoulders, back and knee discomfort.

"Previously, Dad did the yard work, while I milked. Now I can do the robot tasks and get through all the yard work myself."

"I'm ticking jobs off much quicker."

Instead of being tied to the parlour twice a day, the team can prioritise jobs throughout the day, improving overall farm efficiency.

Advice for Farmers Considering Robots

Looking back, the family believes preparation is the key to a successful installation.

• Spend time training cows before start-up.
• Use training mode so cows become familiar with the robots.
• Have extra help available during start-up week.
• Stock up on easy meals so you can spend more time with the cows.
• Most importantly, trust the cows to learn.

"If you keep fetching them all the time, they'll expect it forever."

Looking Back

Despite challenging milk prices, there has never been any doubt that robotic milking was the right investment.

"It's been hard work recently, but that's because of the milk price—not because of the robots."

When asked what they would say to a farmer still deciding between a new parlour and robotic milking, the answer was immediate.

"Put it this way... if the robots went, so would the cows."