Adding a start up dairy enterprise, with milking robots

Fact file

• 1,000 + acres, grassland arable mix
• 300-cow closed suckler herd plus replacements
• All progeny, apart from heifer replacements, finished predominantly off grass or forage
• Agricultural contracting business, specialising in forage and muck handling

Spring 2023, scheduled start up

• 120-cow split spring and autumn block calving herd
• ABC grazing system
• Target 9,000–10,000kgs, 4,000kgs from forage

Adding a start up dairy enterprise, with milking robots

Automation is the way forward for the Burbage brothers, Peter and Richard. Within 12 months of investing in a Vector automated feeding system which has cut their beef enterprise fixed feeding costs by 75%, they agreed to establish a 120-cow greenfield site dairy enterprise complete with two Lely A5 automated milking systems.

“Our objective is to create a circular business. While we have the capacity to manage another enterprise, we don’t have the physical time and we certainly wouldn’t be going there without the robots. Finding quality labour is a massive issue; we regard feeding and milking robots as reliable staff,” Peter explains. 

In fact, introducing dairy was a natural progression, Richard continues: “We are passionate about growing grass, we already practice rotational grazing with the suckler herd, and want to further exploit its potential, and we hope to optimise good quality silage made on the farm, we have the machinery to do the job. We have a 125kW AD plant which is currently fed with FYM from the beef shed, and to which we will be adding slurry from the dairy unit. All digestate is spread on our land and in turn it helps minimise the fertiliser bill. Finally, we already have the Vector which has potential for more capacity and is scheduled to work alongside the grazing system.”

The Burbage’s automation journey began in 2022 after they agreed to swap a drawn feeding tub for the Vector and found it freed up 2.5 hours a day and made the office work easier and more efficient during the suckler herd’s five-month housing period. The robot works 24/7 managing seven different mixes - precisely weighing forage-based ingredients, mixing, feeding out and kicking up.

“We were trying to be efficient as we could with the system we had in place,” Peter explains. “We were feeding three different mixes, and they were as accurate as humanely possibly, to around 75% – it was easy to overfill the bucket. Then we found ourselves clearing away leftovers from the previous days mix or feeding on top of it.

“We looked to simplify the job, reduce the number of mixes and upgrade our 11-year-old tractor drawn tub feeder wagon with a bigger one, however when it came to working out labour, fuel and depreciation plus the wear and tear on the concrete yard and passageways, then the Vector always came out on top as the most cost effective; the robot just made sense. A few months on and we wouldn’t want to manage without it.”

Vector benefit summary

• Improved time management
• Ingredients weighed to 96% accuracy
• Consistent fresh feed
• Stress free shed
• Marginal gains - eliminated trough waste, clamp waste and forage heating
• Profit insight from Lely’s software programme

“Finally, we feel more relaxed walking through the shed knowing all the feeding jobs are being completed by the robot,” Richard adds.