Jerseycowboy54
Member
What percentage is your cull rate? We have jerseys on lelys running at 29% cull/replacement just wondering how this compares to other herds, breeds and makes.
Last edited:
Robotic milking
- Thread starter newholland
- Start date
Jerseycowboy54
Member
Yes we do find that to be a big problem especially on fresh calvers. We have a lowering kit which helped a lot to start off with but since software updates seems to have got worse it also seems what you gain at the bottom you lose at the top as connecting to high uddered heifers. Also on loose housed straw yards so unfortunately do lose more than we would like to ecoli but touch wood with a lower stock rate and improved ventilation in the shed this winter has been lots better than last.
Chips
Member
- Location
- Shropshire
I think the Lely is quite good at going for low udders now, it has got better with software updates over the years , basically if the arm can get under it will milk and the cups only sit about 1-2 inches off the floor if need be , where in my mind the delaval would be better is on very wide spread teats ,as with the lely once one cup is attached the moving up and down of the arm to attach the second cup can be greater than the length of acr rope and thus pull the first cup off , a problem the delaval would not have . These are pretty well knackered cows at that stage mind but it is always nice to get that last lactation out of them .Also this problem will go away after a few days post calving once any swelling goes out of the udder , again it's far easier on the delaval to milk them for that first few days if needed by manualy attaching which is a right faff cheating the lely into manually attaching
Jerseycowboy54
Member
What lelys do you have chips? We are on A4s and even on very recent software find it a problem. We took to milking every fresh calver in the crush for the first few days which is as fun as it sounds. Do you ever struggle with high udders?
- Location
- South Molton
Chips
Member
- Location
- Shropshire
I am on A3 robot and cubicle housed. Can't say as I have failed due to high udder but arm is on limit occasionally
Last edited:
- Location
- M6 Hard shoulder
got 3 jerseys here older cows all on the dnb list after calving short legged little buggers, a4s here
Chips
Member
- Location
- Shropshire
One thing just to check with the Lely's is that over time when you keep replacing the acr ropes/ shortening them, that they aren't gradualy getting shorter as happened to me after a couple of years , A trick the lely engineer showed was after adjusting an acr rope loose that cup with all the others tight in upright position , the newly adjusted one should be able to lift until the base is just shy of the top of the other cups , any longer and they will wobble when it goes to attach but much shorter and you can struggle on wide placed teats on knackered udder cows
arf
Member
- Location
- Cheltenham Gloucestershire
From the pictures it's the same as an SAC ( S A Christienson ) sp ? Robot .
I know of a UK user , I could ask him if he would chat to you whe I next see him ?
Personally I would go for DeLaval or one of the established brands .
But then I work for a DeLaval dealer !
- Location
- Cumbria
There is allot more to Robotic Milking than just the machine that attaches the cups !!
Chips, do yourself a favour and get rid of some of the Antiques
Chips, do yourself a favour and get rid of some of the Antiques
Chips
Member
- Location
- Shropshire
There is allot more to Robotic Milking than just the machine that attaches the cups !!
Chips, do yourself a favour and get rid of some of the Antiques
Why ? Far better to get that last lactation of milk out of her worth around £3k then sell her at the end when she will be in fit condidtion and worth good money , than just give up cause the robot won't attach for the first couple of milkings post calving and lose all that milk . I'm in the job to make money thanks . If I can do that with just one cow per year it pays the service contract ;-)
Robomilker03
New Member
Just heard the other day that lely are vastly increasing the master contact on A3s, just like they did with the A2s, not only do they try to force you to buy there new machines because you can't put a new one alongside you're existing, they make the older machines to expensive to run! When will people learn? Fullwood and Delaval encourage the operator to do the simple jobs themselves, reducing a muppet doing hundreds of miles in a van at the farmers cost, therefore can't help but be cheaper, talk to them. may be a bit cheaper now but will be shitloads cheaper in 5 years time, soon comes round
Chips
Member
- Location
- Shropshire
The A3 will work alongside an a4 I believe, also they have a number of different options for service , from you do everything and pay for everything to the all inclusive master contract . On the master contract you get a discount if you don't have a call out between services and so you can also benefit from doing the simpler repairs on farm . To accommodate this they tend to leave some of the more common parts on farm for me like festo valves etc. this way I'm up and running quicker and we both save money
Hi all new to this forum but have been following for the last couple of years.
My story is I stopped milking in 2001 due to farm (100 acres) been fragmented and the council at me to build a new setup quota was only 40k gals so didn't seem feasible. Tried nearly everything with the farm at this stage from suckling, calf to beef, ag contracting, mow the whole place and sell in bales even rented it all out back in 01 for 4 years. But NOTHING has come close to the milk cheque every mth and tbh iv always missed the whole dairy thing I spent my first 30 years doing nothing else. Anyway to fast forward to now I'm getting back in to milk, old parlour is gone so a new shed for 70 cows, robot,tank,60 high yeilders. Have no farm debt or machine loans. Everyone is saying I'm mad and start with old sheds small 2nd hand parlour etc but I feel spend once and spend right and be finished with it. We're getting double grant on it and can do some of the work ourselves going mainly indoor with zero grazing also. Now u can imagine my teagasc advisers face when I put all this to him before Xmas but he started out my business plan (to prove me wrong I'd say) and brought me in again this week to c had he missed something he was surprised and almost shocked that my plan would stand up (barely) iv spent the last 2 years travelling the whole country looking at all systems unfortunately the most expensive one is best suited to my farm. Like to hear ur views (a few positive ones would be nice for a change ) baseiclly should the wife have me sectioned or go for it. Promise my replies won't be as long as this Thanks.
My story is I stopped milking in 2001 due to farm (100 acres) been fragmented and the council at me to build a new setup quota was only 40k gals so didn't seem feasible. Tried nearly everything with the farm at this stage from suckling, calf to beef, ag contracting, mow the whole place and sell in bales even rented it all out back in 01 for 4 years. But NOTHING has come close to the milk cheque every mth and tbh iv always missed the whole dairy thing I spent my first 30 years doing nothing else. Anyway to fast forward to now I'm getting back in to milk, old parlour is gone so a new shed for 70 cows, robot,tank,60 high yeilders. Have no farm debt or machine loans. Everyone is saying I'm mad and start with old sheds small 2nd hand parlour etc but I feel spend once and spend right and be finished with it. We're getting double grant on it and can do some of the work ourselves going mainly indoor with zero grazing also. Now u can imagine my teagasc advisers face
when I put all this to him before Xmas but he started out my business plan (to prove me wrong I'd say) and brought me in again this week to c had he missed something he was surprised and almost shocked that my plan would stand up (barely) iv spent the last 2 years travelling the whole country looking at all systems unfortunately the most expensive one is best suited to my farm. Like to hear ur views (a few positive ones would be nice for a change ) baseiclly should the wife have me sectioned or go for it. Promise my replies won't be as long as this Thanks.jockthethistle
Member
Hi. ...So ELVIS is coming back from the dead. .. Welcome back .... As to your predicament !! MILK CONTRACT. All will work out if you have the right contract .. Shortly you will pick up cows that are good value and ready to milk well ....don't worry about robots ... They work as well as your prepared to make them. Go for it and good luck. Hoho jtt.