Lely Robots for sale

[Newdawn]

With 40% grant on new, will 2nd hand sales be difficult?

What is the best website to find out the full details of these grants? TIA

 

[buffalo_soldier]

What is the best website to find out the full details of these grants? TIA

RPDE website.
Or Google Leader grants followed by whatever county your in.
Could even phone dairy co if you want.

 

[dannewhouse]

Leader funded ours and they are more than 5 years old.

You won't get a grant on a hp ageement as you need to own equipment.

doesn't robots half defeat the object of leader funding wanting to create jobs/employment?

 

[Sid]

doesn't robots half defeat the object of leader funding wanting to create jobs/employment?

Robots save no labour. Its just distributed differently.

 

[thewalrus]

Robots save no labour. Its just distributed differently.

Would it not depend somewhat on what it's replacing?

If it's an old small parlour milking 35 cows an hour surely you'd save labour? On the other hand if it's 2 robots replacing say a 16:32 probably not?

 

[Rossymons]

Robots save no labour. Its just distributed differently.

LKL did a report on their clients that have robots a few years ago. Not one of them has dropped the labour unit that is often associated when installing robots.

Locally those that have installed robots have also kept the same amount of labour units as before they were installed.

 

[Chips]

Robots save no labour. Its just distributed differently.

I hear that time and time again ,after 9 years of robot milking I still don't believe it . No matter how big a parlour you got to compare it would still take you longer to wash it down than I actually spend on milking related tasks . Most of my cow work is work that has to be done on top of milking like drying cows off , moving fences etc . I pen roughly 1-3 cows twice a day , takes me about 2 minutes average but even if I had to pen 10 cows it would still only takes 10 minutes tops, I don't sit there and watch them , I get on with feeding calves and cleaning cubicles as they milk , all jobs to be done on top of milking in a normal parlour . Occasionally I have a difficult heifer who may take me 15 minutes twice/day for a few days over and above just penning her but that is only probably 3 times / year ,but then you get troublesome heifers in a normal parlour , in fact far more so . Yes you get break downs but they are not that often and to be fair in the old parlour used to spend a lot of time thawing the damn thing out in the winter , a problem I have never yet had with the robot . The only time it takes up anywhere near conventional milking time is if you have a mastitis outbreak and need to milk and treat cows who wouldn't otherwise need fetching , but even on those rare occasions it would still be a long way short of the time taken to milk them in a parlour with setting up and washing down time . Actual milking related tasks including washing down holding pen which should be a lot quicker if designed properly would only be 2-3 mins fetching late cows , 10mins washing down, 1 minute change filter , and maybe another couple of minutes on average over the year to tube a cow along with 2-3 minutes looking at t4c for late cows and udder health

 

[More to life]

I hear that time and time again ,after 9 years of robot milking I still don't believe it . No matter how big a parlour you got to compare it would still take you longer to wash it down than I actually spend on milking related tasks . Most of my cow work is work that has to be done on top of milking like drying cows off , moving fences etc . I pen roughly 1-3 cows twice a day , takes me about 2 minutes average but even if I had to pen 10 cows it would still only takes 10 minutes tops, I don't sit there and watch them , I get on with feeding calves and cleaning cubicles as they milk , all jobs to be done on top of milking in a normal parlour . Occasionally I have a difficult heifer who may take me 15 minutes twice/day for a few days over and above just penning her but that is only probably 3 times / year ,but then you get troublesome heifers in a normal parlour , in fact far more so . Yes you get break downs but they are not that often and to be fair in the old parlour used to spend a lot of time thawing the damn thing out in the winter , a problem I have never yet had with the robot . The only time it takes up anywhere near conventional milking time is if you have a mastitis outbreak and need to milk and treat cows who wouldn't otherwise need fetching , but even on those rare occasions it would still be a long way short of the time taken to milk them in a parlour with setting up and washing down time . Actual milking related tasks including washing down holding pen which should be a lot quicker if designed properly would only be 2-3 mins fetching late cows , 10mins washing down, 1 minute change filter , and maybe another couple of minutes on average over the year to tube a cow along with 2-3 minutes looking at t4c for late cows and udder health

How many cows do you look after including feeding ?

 

[Chips]

How many cows do you look after including feeding ?

One robot , roughly 65 cows calving AYR , but we keep all calves including bulls so usually circa 170 head on farm . Most field work undertaken myself including hedge brushing,mowing, baling etc , no way would I have time for this if I had to milk twice/day.
It's not all roses by any means , the fact it does reduce labour requirements leads to it's own issues. Like getting stock back in if they break out or hanging a gate etc . But then I have a magpie like addiction to stuff , and by not paying for labour allows me to indulge in lots of Stuff

 

[Whitewalker]

One robot , roughly 65 cows calving AYR , but we keep all calves including bulls so usually circa 170 head on farm . Most field work undertaken myself including hedge brushing,mowing, baling etc , no way would I have time for this if I had to milk twice/day.
It's not all roses by any means , the fact it does reduce labour requirements leads to it's own issues. Like getting stock back in if they break out or hanging a gate etc . But then I have a magpie like addiction to stuff , and by not paying for labour allows me to indulge in lots of Stuff

Interesting stuff . What way do you feed ? In all year or graze ?

 

[wasted years]

Robots save no labour. Its just distributed differently.

True, the person that suffers the most from robots is the dairy engineer, of that I am absolutely sure.
A parlour engineer gets called out from the start of morning milking to the end of afternoon milking, a robot one all night every night potentially.
I have had a breakdown tonight, the feeder slider seals went, I hate ringing lely through night as I don't like disturbing people sleeping but the guy was out and about and had been all night.
He was fed up to say the least but it wasn't just the breakdowns, it was one new start up guy constantly calling wanting him to drive 2 hours for a query .
Retaining good back up staff is the key issue with robots.

 

[Sid]

I hear that time and time again ,after 9 years of robot milking I still don't believe it . No matter how big a parlour you got to compare it would still take you longer to wash it down than I actually spend on milking related tasks . Most of my cow work is work that has to be done on top of milking like drying cows off , moving fences etc . I pen roughly 1-3 cows twice a day , takes me about 2 minutes average but even if I had to pen 10 cows it would still only takes 10 minutes tops, I don't sit there and watch them , I get on with feeding calves and cleaning cubicles as they milk , all jobs to be done on top of milking in a normal parlour . Occasionally I have a difficult heifer who may take me 15 minutes twice/day for a few days over and above just penning her but that is only probably 3 times / year ,but then you get troublesome heifers in a normal parlour , in fact far more so . Yes you get break downs but they are not that often and to be fair in the old parlour used to spend a lot of time thawing the damn thing out in the winter , a problem I have never yet had with the robot . The only time it takes up anywhere near conventional milking time is if you have a mastitis outbreak and need to milk and treat cows who wouldn't otherwise need fetching , but even on those rare occasions it would still be a long way short of the time taken to milk them in a parlour with setting up and washing down time . Actual milking related tasks including washing down holding pen which should be a lot quicker if designed properly would only be 2-3 mins fetching late cows , 10mins washing down, 1 minute change filter , and maybe another couple of minutes on average over the year to tube a cow along with 2-3 minutes looking at t4c for late cows and udder health

Takes an hour twice a day to milk in the parlour.
Then someone spend a similar time with the cows on the robots. Checking, watching, maintenance. Changing liners milk tubes etc is more frequent than on a parlour. Don't forget you have to set up ready more times than on a parlour get liners tools etc ready. Whereas with a parlour its only twice a year.

I also with 80 cows have done the majority of the field work etc in a parlour. So horses for courses.
When in the parlour i am also looking at cows. Locomotion scoring lookig for any changes. With the robots you have to go look, check the computer for mastitis issues twice a day.
Same time different timings.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

Takes an hour twice a day to milk in the parlour.
Then someone spend a similar time with the cows on the robots. Checking, watching, maintenance. Changing liners milk tubes etc is more frequent than on a parlour. Don't forget you have to set up ready more times than on a parlour get liners tools etc ready. Whereas with a parlour its only twice a year.

I also with 80 cows have done the majority of the field work etc in a parlour. So horses for courses.
When in the parlour i am also looking at cows. Locomotion scoring lookig for any changes. With the robots you have to go look, check the computer for mastitis issues twice a day.
Same time different timings.

Sorry but you can't possibly have 80 cows in from sheds or fields, milked and washed up in an hour through your auto tandem.

 

[Sid]

Sorry but you can't possibly have 80 cows in from sheds or fields, milked and washed up in an hour through your auto tandem.

80 cows ayr so 67 to milk. Stick it on auto so no post dip no pre dip cows next to parlour. You can fly.

 

[Sid]

28 milked in 31 minutes on full routine. Pre dipped wiped cups on post dipped and cow that done spits out milked and in shed again at start.

 

[Whitewalker]

28 milked in 31 minutes on full routine. Pre dipped wiped cups on post dipped and cow that done spits out milked and in shed again at start.

Stop the clock

 

[Chips]

Interesting stuff . What way do you feed ? In all year or graze ?

Graze for about 8 months, most months there are now cows to fetch from fields so just bomb down field on ranger , shift fence , exactly the same as parlour but then bomb home rather than plod behind a herd of cows for twenty minutes . A lot of afternoons my entire routine in the barn will be done in the time it took to walk cows home . Obviosly it doesn't always go to plan like that and the tricky thing is you never know when that day will come .
Buffer feed every other day at grass , every 36hrs when housed .But I did that when in the parlour .

 

[Chips]

Takes an hour twice a day to milk in the parlour.
Then someone spend a similar time with the cows on the robots. Checking, watching, maintenance. Changing liners milk tubes etc is more frequent than on a parlour. Don't forget you have to set up ready more times than on a parlour get liners tools etc ready. Whereas with a parlour its only twice a year.

I also with 80 cows have done the majority of the field work etc in a parlour. So horses for courses.
When in the parlour i am also looking at cows. Locomotion scoring lookig for any changes. With the robots you have to go look, check the computer for mastitis issues twice a day.
Same time different timings.

Liner changes ever 10,000 milking takes all of 4 minutes , used to be a swine of a job in old parlour. Since twin tube protectors came out milk tubes just don't get changed . Rms take care of heat detection along with heat time . Loco scoring is hardly rele ent , voluntary milking and activity meters highlight issues before you can see them but I now do it for Arla Garden but certainly not a job I could do while conventionaly milking anyway as you need to see them walk in open space and not while being herded or from the parlour pit .
Lely engineers are first class and certainly key to the success of the system but it's pretty rare to need a call out out of office hours .
Very often when carting grass I will stop to do afternoon jobs , feed calves,clean beds,move fence, wash down, filter change ,pen late cows if any and will only miss to lug one load or none if I time it with field or additive change ..
The robot's ability to remove labour is great , but it's that removal of labour that can make life hard for all those other jobs when things go wrong

 

[The Agrarian]

We lost a labour unit 15 years ago before installation. Haven't replaced it yet.

And frankly, we have a shorter day now as well. Used to start at 5am and be in the house for dinner at 645. Sack that.

 

[cowcrazy]

We lost a labour unit 15 years ago before installation. Haven't replaced it yet.

And frankly, we have a shorter day now as well. Used to start at 5am and be in the house for dinner at 645. Sack that.

What time do you do your last check around now? Whats your evening routine?