September 11th 1999

'Astronauts' employed to milk cows in Meath

From late September the phrase 'milking cows' will be replaced with 'managing cows' at Tom Clinton's farm in Carlanstown, Co Meath. PETER YOUNG reports.

Tom is in the process of installing three Lely Astronaut robotic units.

From late September they will take over putting on clusters from human hands on the 180 cow liquid milk herd.

The robotic system is popular in Holland; however, the system is new to Ireland.

The decision for the Clinton family dairy enterprise was not made lightly. "The main reason was that the original eight unit parlour was built in 1975 to milk 60 cows. Despite being increased to 10 units in 1985, milking was taking six hours a day," says Tom. "When I looked at conventional parlours the throughput was still 100-110 cows per hour, which would be four hours per day or half a labour unit just for milking," he says.

With his family and some friends they visited Scotland and Holland to see robotic milkers in action.

Tom quickly saw that robotic milking machines suited:

• high yielding cows
• milking all year round.
• farms with very high stocking rates around the parlour
• housing for long periods
• where getting and keeping labour was a problem.

Living just one hour from Dublin the Celtic Tiger has bitten sharply into the labour market, a problem for many liquid milk herds in the area. The herd's average yield is 1,715 gallons (7,800 l) this year and with just 75 acres around the parlour the stocking rate is just 0.42 acres per cow.

This leads to long winters of five months. Tom could quickly put a tick beside each of the initial requirements.

Cost - the biggest negative

Max Simpson of Lely, quoted the list price for the first Lely astronaut at £90,000 with each one after that at £85,000. Each machine milks 60 to 65 cows; multiplied by three, the initial cost adds up to over £200,000.

The development of this new technology was a costly business. Farmers who buy into the technology now are being asked to contribute to its development in its cost price. But will the price come down?

"It will be more likely that the specifications and extra modifications will be added for the same price in the future rather than the price coming down," says Max.

Maybe, but with more players entering the market competition and time usually drive prices of new technology down.

The two main players in the market so far have been Lely and Prolion. Alfa Laval Agri and Westfalia are also developing their own systems while Fullwood and Gascoigne have bought into existing technology.

Lely appears to be significantly ahead in units sold.

"There are nine Lely units working in the UK and up to 500 units across the globe," says Max.

For the Clintons the decision to put in the three robots was made in conjunction with major renovation to the yard.

A new shed, combined partly with the old ones to ensure the 180 cows are housed in comfort, was developed. It will help cow flow and correct animal identification that is critical for the system to work.

The three robotic milkers are being erected in a line, in the shed beside a waiting area.

Cows due to be milked (all with ID tags) access the waiting area through a three-way drafting gate linked to the computer system.

The cows then enter a robot chamber when one becomes free. The cows is identified and a small amount of meal is give as a reward. Teats are then cleaned and the robotic arm, guided by a laser, puts on each cup individually. Each teat is treated as a separate unit, with vacuum started once each liner is in place and taken off when milking is finished.

The foremilk is discarded and the somatic cell count monitored at each milking.

"Along with three times a day milking this increases udder health," says Max.

After milking, cows pass through a second three-way drafting gate when they are drafted for AI, treatment, etc. This reduces the labour of sorting cows.

Tom hopes yields will increase to over 8,000 litres once the robotic milkers start.

"We hit 8,000 litres when we were three-times-a-day milking a couple of years ago," says Tom.

"When you are going for high yields cow need comfort," says Eddie O'Donnell who is helping with the project.

Eddie, who managed a 1,400 cow herd for Masstock in Saudi that averaged 10,000 litres, believes that the system suits high yielding cows as the emphasis is on cow comfort and feeding.

His view is that all-year-round calving would allow you to get the maximum output from the robotic system.

"What is the point in striving for a 365 interval when cows are doing six gallons when you should be drying them off and also when cull cow prices are so low," he says.

"I have no doubt the system works well indoors but grassland management is the biggest area of uncertainty," says Tom.

"The biggest problem I believe will be getting cows out to the paddocks after being milked," says Tom.