Scarr Hill Farm Open Day

Richard Wheelwright’s farm is a grass-based dairy business that has developed its robotic milking system gradually, adapting the setup to suit both the farm and the herd. 

 

The move to automation began in 2019, when Richard was milking around 70 cows through an old herringbone parlour. After seeing robotic milking at the Great Yorkshire Show, the decision was made to install the farm’s first Lely Astronaut. 

 

Rather than completing the full development in one go, the transition was phased. During the first year, only half of the new building was completed. High-yielding cows were brought into the new shed and calved onto the robot, while later-lactation cows continued to be milked through the existing parlour. This allowed Richard to introduce automation gradually while continuing to manage the rest of the herd through the existing system. 

 

In the second year, the building was completed and a second Astronaut was installed. Additional cows were also brought into the herd, as there were not enough homebred replacements available to expand at the pace required. Over roughly two to two-and-a-half years, the farm developed into a two-robot system. 

 

Since then, Richard describes the approach as one of continual improvement, making smaller changes over time rather than standing still. 

 

As a hill farm, grass remains at the heart of the feeding system. The land is not suited to growing cereals and there is little opportunity locally to grow maize, so the business is heavily reliant on grass and grass silage. During the summer, the herd is zero grazed from around April or May, depending on conditions, through to October and sometimes November. Grass silage is supplemented with brewer’s grains, while concentrates are fed individually through the robots. 

 

The farm has also adapted to increasingly warm summer conditions. Fans have been installed within the building to improve air movement and cow comfort. These respond to both temperature and humidity, allowing them to operate during hot weather or on particularly humid days. Solar panels on the roof have provided an unexpected additional benefit by shading some of the skylights and helping reduce hot spots within the building. 

 

Another distinctive feature of the farm is its underground milk line. Because the buildings sit on different levels, an overhead route would have created unnecessary obstructions. Running the milk, compressor and associated services underground provided a cleaner and simpler solution. 

 

What Richard’s farm really shows is that automation doesn’t have to mean going big from day one. Starting with around 70 cows and one robot, the system has grown gradually alongside the herd and the business. 

So, if you’ve ever thought your herd is too small to warrant robots, or wondered how automation could fit into your own plans for the future, come to Richard’s open day on 6 October. See the setup for yourself, hear how it has developed and explore what automation could make possible on your farm.