From Parlour to Robot

The Yates family has been dairy farming in Kedleston, Derbyshire for four generations, with Peter Yates representing the third generation and his son Chris the fourth. Their pedigree Holstein herd currently milks 120 cows across 125 hectares, supplying Arla for ASDA on an all-year-round calving system with an autumn bias. Looking back at the farm's history, Chris reflects: "Grandad has milked on this farm by hand, direct line, in a parlour and now on a robot. Not many people can say that."

In December 2025, the family took their next step in that journey by installing a Lely A5 Next Astronaut robot, initially milking 50 cows through the automated system while continuing to milk the remaining 70 cows in the parlour. The decision was driven by a desire to reduce labour requirements and free up more time to focus on other areas of the business.

The results were almost immediate. "Within the first week, milk yield was up by 20%," says Chris. For a family that places a strong emphasis on breeding for production, this was significant. Peter leads the breeding programme, selecting genetics from World Wide Sires such as Taos and Locke, with yield remaining a key focus. Comparing the two systems on the farm, Chris believes the difference is clear. "The cows in the parlour will never reach their full yield potential. Production is what we've bred these cows for, and the robot is helping them achieve their breed potential."

Before investing, the family carefully evaluated both Fullwood and Lely robotic milking systems. However, local service, ongoing support and confidence in the technology ultimately led them to choose Lely.

"The technology on the Lely robot is much further ahead," explains Chris. "Lely is always developing its systems, which gives you peace of mind knowing improvements and updates are constantly being made and uploaded by the service team."

Yet for Chris, the deciding factor wasn't just the technology. It was the people behind it.

"A big reason we chose Lely was the farm management support team," he says.

The support provided by Izzy Lester from the Lely Center Midlands Farm Management Support team has been a standout part of the family's robotic milking journey.

"Izzy is the best thing since sliced bread!" Chris laughs. "From the very beginning, she was involved in every stage of the process. During pre-start-up preparations she worked alongside our vet, Kite Consulting and our nutritionist, making sure everything was in place before the robot was commissioned."

Transitioning from conventional milking to robotic milking can seem like a daunting prospect, but Chris says the support made all the difference.

"It is daunting going from a parlour to robots, but Izzy made the whole process feel relaxed and easy. Her knowledge and experience are exceptional. She's always been at the end of the phone or in the yard when we've needed her, helping us troubleshoot, advising where necessary, tweaking settings for individual cows and supporting us with Lely Horizon whenever we've needed it."

The wealth of information generated by the robot was another area where the family valued the Farm Management Support team's expertise.

"The robot collects over 200 pieces of data every day from milking the cows. It's a huge amount of information, and the reports available are incredible. Izzy helped us understand which reports were most important to focus on straight away. As time has gone on, we've grown in confidence and started exploring more of the data available to us."

Reflecting on their experience, the Yates family believes the support available before, during and after installation has been just as important as the technology itself.

"The Farm Management Support team really is an incredible resource for dairy farmers moving from conventional to robotic milking. Whether it's pre-start-up planning or post-start-up support, they have the knowledge, experience and practical advice you need to make the transition a success."