Rachel Pratt has taken the step from traditional farming to robotic and is now the farm manager for Rob and Moria Anstis based at the Bay Of Plenty.
Having been farming since she was 18 and always connected to the farm by relief milking, Rachel loves being out in the outdoors and working with the cows. Her enjoyment has increased as she’s learning more about farming working for the Anstis through the use of data and making informed business decisions.
Rachel started working for Rob and Moria about a year ago (in 2022). When she first started working with the robots it was a bit of head challenge as there are no specific times or schedules of when tasks or work was to be carried out and so there was a lot to learn.
There is a lot more information available when using the Lely’s sotfware “Horizon” and Rachel feels she’s more in touch with the animals as she can see basic information like where they are for example as she learns their names and numbers within the herd as well as the really important stuff like milk yields and health status etc.
Her daily routine has changed through using the robots. Now not being up at 5am to get the cows in or milking at set times when having to go to an event like a wedding. As once the daily chores are completed, the cows decide when they are ready to be milked and everyone can go and enjoy the event as you don’t have to race back to milk the cows at a set time.
Rachel says that “as a mum she has as gained extra time with the family which means so much more, because she’s now that mum on the side of the rugby field watching her son play, or just having time for them, working within a robotic system has allowed more flexibility with her family.
Working with Horizon is the only system she knows, the data has made her more aware of the herd and what’s happening. While still figureing the system out, Rachel has learnt the basics of the system and is coming to grips with it and is impressed with imformation is available .
She uses the Horizon phone app it’s easy to use and if she see’s a cow that needs to be drafted while out on the farm she can do so easily.
Rachel really loves farming and robotics has now given her a new motivation with the ability to make decisions on the herd based on the information collected is exciting as she keeps learing more from the system. Also being able to take in more as there isn’t the time pressure of conventional farming routines. Seeing the Horizon system with reports that show increases in margin and production keeps her really interested in farming.
If you’re a farm employee wanting to make the change to a robotic farming system, Rachel suggests to be open minded to change and willing to learn new things daily, “ She wouldn’t go back to a normal system and thinks automation is the future of farming”.