Technology at the Heart of Castlesteads Farm

At Castlesteads Farm near Penrith, the Gibson family farms 850 acres with 400 Holsteins (360 milking) and 930 head of stock, including Wagyu-cross beef calves reared for Warrendale Wagyu. Milk is sold to Meadow Foods, with cows yielding 12,000 litres annually at 3.67% butterfat and 3.3% protein. Farming is supported by two full-time and one part-time staff member alongside family labour.

The Gibsons operate a fully automated Lely system: six A5 Astronaut milking robots, two Calm automatic calf feeders, a Juno Flex feed pusher, a Discovery manure robot and the latest Discovery C2 Collector. They also run a 250kW anaerobic digester, producing enough electricity to make the farm 97% self-sufficient.

Automation has brought real results. Robot adjustments, supported by Lely’s Farm Management Support team, boosted milk sold daily from 12,000 to 14,000 litres. By reducing maximum daily milkings from six to four, the team increased robot free time, allowing 20 extra cows to be milked. “Box time has increased from 6 minutes 50 seconds to 7 minutes 6 seconds, but free time has gone up from below 8% to 9.5%,” explains Richard Gibson. “Daily yields have increased from 37 litres to 38.9 litres, and milking failures have lowered from 2.4% to 1.8%.”

The family initially installed two Lely A4 robots 14 years ago, switching to A5s after being impressed by faster attachment times and greater efficiency. “We could milk an extra five cows per robot,” says Richard.

Cleanliness and labour savings are major benefits of the Lely Collector C2, installed in late 2024. A previous attempt to automate scraping failed due to uneven slats in a 50-year-old shed. The C2’s power and adaptability made it a success. “It never missed a beat,” says Richard. “We purchased a new machine just before Christmas. It’s a bigger machine and has more power to handle the uneven floor.”

The C2 runs six times daily across six alleyways, saving £10/day in labour and improving hygiene. “The Collector is good at getting into corners, and we simply put out fresh bedding while it is charging.” Richard’s favourite feature? Water nozzles that spray just enough to reduce slat grease and cow slipping.
Foot health has also improved, with digital dermatitis cases around 10%. Footbaths are used after each milking, alternating formalin and a soap-based wash. Cleaner conditions have likely contributed to a drop in mastitis. “In July 2023, we used 26 antibiotic tubes for mastitis, but by February 2025, we were at zero,” says Richard. “The only thing we changed was the addition of the Collector.”

Richard also credits the farm’s anaerobic digester for strong financial returns. “We sell 70-80% of electricity to the grid. It was a big investment but a better payback than increasing cow numbers.” With two young sons keen to farm, he adds: “Technology is the future to engage the younger generation.”

 

If you would like to know more about how Lely Robots can help your farm, like they have at Gibsons, please get in contact with us.