Over the last couple of years, there has been a significant increase in the number of milking robots working on dairy farms in Northern Ireland (NI), with estimates suggesting that up to 10% of the herd (over 30,000 cows) is now milked in this way.

There are multiple drivers that explain the switch to robotic milking, but perhaps the main one is the difficultly sourcing labour on many farms. It should also be recognised that many who have invested in robots are happy with that decision, and believe they have achieved a better work to life balance.

Father and son Hugh and Michael Morgan, with farm staff David McNamee (left) and farm manager Simon Byrne (right).

However, robots come at a significant cost, with an annual maintenance fee, and probably are best suited to high input-high output herds. So the decision requires careful consideration.

It also doesn’t work for everybody, and some of the early adopters in NI are now moving back to milking cows in conventional parlours.

That includes father and son, Hugh and Michael Morgan, who run Bavanmore Farm outside Newry in Co Down.

Milking around 100 to 120 cows annually in a containment system, the Morgans installed two Galaxy starline robots in 2010. By the end of September, they hope to have completed work on a new 16-unit swingover GEA parlour, bringing an end to robotic milking on the farm.

The existing two robots were installed on the Morgan farm in 2010.

The parlour being installed is a EuroClass 800 herringbone with a PosiSwing positioning arm, a Dematron 75 Milk control unit with an ICAR-approved milk meter, and a field-to-yield system linked to Dairyplan herd management. It will also be one of the first parlours in Ireland fitted with GEA’s new Apollo milk system, which automatically applies post-dip through the head of the liner at the end of milking.

“It will do everything the robot does, except put the clusters on,” said Hugh Morgan.

Getting cows back into a parlour is clearly a day that can’t come quickly enough for Hugh and Michael. Their experience of milking robots has generally been a negative one.

However, both accept that putting in two new robots would be a significant upgrade on the system currently installed, which has increasingly become more unreliable as the years went on.

They are also different to most farmers as they both work off the farm – Hugh Morgan is a well-known businessman in the Down and Louth area, and Michael also works with him in the family oil business. It means the Morgans generally rely on paid labour to look after the cows.

But even the most hardcore advocate of robots would probably acknowledge that an unreliable piece of technology, combined with a reliance on hired labour, isn’t a combination likely to encourage anyone to invest again.

In total, the Morgans were looking at a cost of around £165,000 (€179,350) to upgrade the robots, plus an annual maintenance fee of £10,000 to £12,000. Last year, the two existing robots cost them £1,300 per month in maintenance fees. When parts and other equipment were added in, it was a total cost of £25,000.

The new building and parlour is expected to cost around £240,000.

The new parlour, along with new building, and collection yard with tank, is a total investment around the £240,000 (€261,000) mark. So it is a significant outlay, but one Hugh hopes will last 25 years.

He believes he made a mistake installing robots in 2010, but a philosophy he has learned after many years in business is to recognise a mistake, and quickly move on.

“In my opinion, robots are being oversold to some farmers. We were told that robots would reduce our labour requirement. They haven’t – they increase our labour cost. Someone has to be available within five miles of the robots day or night,” said Hugh.

He pointed out that you cannot expect a farm manager to work all day, and then come in at night when something goes wrong. It means that any problems outside of normal hours must be dealt with by either Hugh or Michael. “You need to sleep with one eye open,” suggested Hugh.

Second employee

Outside of the farm manager, the Morgans have a second person employed who spends most of their day pushing up cows that haven’t been milked or making sure clusters are attached properly to cows.

“We have also culled good cows that are not suited to the robot. We are not getting as much milk from the cows as we should be. Granted, the robots give you a lot of management information – but for us, there is so much of it, it is nearly baffling at times. Once the cows are milked in the parlour, we can walk away knowing it is done,” said Hugh.

With the new parlour in place, it also means the Morgans can expand the herd without worrying about whether there is sufficient capacity in the existing robots to milk more cows. They potentially could milk up to 200 cows in the next few years, and also go to three times per day milking to maximise yields.

So is he concerned about getting labour to milk cows in the new parlour? “Our farm staff are treated like any other employee. They work set hours and have the same time off as everyone else. If you treat people properly, I’m not concerned about getting people to milk the cows.”

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