Robotic Milker Price

[User name:]

Hi, I am considering switching from suckler farming to putting in a robotic milker, i haven't decided yet which brand. I would like to have a rough idea of what this would cost to set up from scratch considering that I require a robotic milker, cooling tank, meal bin etc. aswell as everything else needed. i have a shed that could be converted without too much expense to make it suitable. So is there anyone who has done this before me starting from scratch that would have a rough idea of how much this will cost to achieve?

 

[pappuller]

Hi, I am considering switching from suckler farming to putting in a robotic milker, i haven't decided yet which brand. I would like to have a rough idea of what this would cost to set up from scratch considering that I require a robotic milker, cooling tank, meal bin etc. aswell as everything else needed. i have a shed that could be converted without too much expense to make it suitable. So is there anyone who has done this before me starting from scratch that would have a rough idea of how much this will cost to achieve?

Presume you have enquired about a milk contract ?

 

[Beef farmer]

5k/cow

 

[Rossymons]

Why robots?

 

[User name:]

Presume you have enquired about a milk contract ?

I haven't yet, i still need to convince my father that this is a good idea first

 

[User name:]

Why robots?

I was thinking about robots as there is really very little left in suckler farming and and i don't want to be tied down with milking twice a day

 

[Rossymons]

i don't want to be tied down with milking twice a day

Ah, so you'd rather be tied down 24/7, I get you

 

[User name:]

Ah, so you'd rather be tied down 24/7, I get you

haha yeah, from what i have been told, the first month or two will be awful, however after that from other farmers with robots in it seems to be only a night or two a month... hopefully

 

[Rossymons]

How many cows you thinking?

 

[User name:]

How many cows you thinking?

was thinking 65 Montbeliarde cows, they're much easier to look at than friesians to look at, but i need to price the two robot brands, and see how much a bulk tank will be and all that. even at 0.025p from 8000 litres after all expenses still leaves £200 per cow, plus you have a calf to sell. and thats a low level of milk and at a low milk price in my opinion, we are hardly getting that much out of a suckler cow for the year. what do u think? worth it or not

 

[Rossymons]

Why limit it to 65? What's stopping you going to 100? You could have 2 boxes running then - at least you have some capacity should one box need to be switched off.

The difference in time between 65 and 100 cows for basic, everyday tasks is likely to be nil so have the extra milk sales.

I'm unsure about the Montys. If its hardiness you want you'll struggle to get past a Fleckveih or Friesian and the genetics are more widely available.

 

[pappuller]

I haven't yet, i still need to convince my father that this is a good idea first

Where are you located ?

 

[User name:]

Why limit it to 65? What's stopping you going to 100? You could have 2 boxes running then - at least you have some capacity should one box need to be switched off.

The difference in time between 65 and 100 cows for basic, everyday tasks is likely to be nil so have the extra milk sales.

I'm unsure about the Montys. If its hardiness you want you'll struggle to get past a Fleckveih or Friesian and the genetics are more widely available.

The robotic milkers are only capable of handling 65-70 cows over the year including dry cows unfortunately and the shed we have is only big enough for them numbers without considerably more expense in shed altercations but that could be an option and my father had suggested we could ad another bay to the shed and put two robots in which would be much better, even for reliability.
Its not the hardiness as such that is needed but if they were crossed with a nice hereford or limousine bull i think there could be a demand for heifer calves, and also switching from beef sucklers i think that friesians are wild looking .

 

[pappuller]

The robotic milkers are only capable of handling 65-70 cows over the year including dry cows unfortunately and the shed we have is only big enough for them numbers without considerably more expense in shed altercations but that could be an option and my father had suggested we could ad another bay to the shed and put two robots in which would be much better, even for reliability.
Its not the hardiness as such that is needed but if they were crossed with a nice hereford or limousine bull i think there could be a demand for heifer calves, and also switching from beef sucklers i think that friesians are wild looking [emoji23].

Don't be going into milk cows and basing your business on the type of calves you'll sell.

 

[User name:]

Where are you located ?

im in fermanagh, so the two milk collectors would be dale farm and glanbia, however both of their processing plants are in the republic of ireland so i dont know what the situation will be like with brexit and all

 

[User name:]

i'm not basing it on the calves you could sell at all, im basing it on a realistically low milk price after all expenses and the amount of milk i am hoping not to achieve. Those are adding up to a profit by themselves, the calves are just a bonus

Don't be going into milk cows and basing your business on the type of calves you'll sell.

 

[Barmyfarmer]

Forget the robot at this stage, cheap second hand parlour 15/30 you will be done and washed out in an hour, keep it simple then complicate it further down the line if you want

 

[Rossymons]

The robotic milkers are only capable of handling 65-70 cows over the year including dry cows unfortunately and the shed we have is only big enough for them numbers without considerably more expense in shed altercations but that could be an option and my father had suggested we could ad another bay to the shed and put two robots in which would be much better, even for reliability.

I know what a box can handle but are you hampered by sheds? Acres? Budget? It's just not very often if at all that a farmer only wants one robot.

i'm not basing it on the calves you could sell at all, im basing it on a realistically low milk price after all expenses and the amount of milk i am hoping not to achieve. Those are adding up to a profit by themselves, the calves are just a bonus

Friesians will be fantastic dairy cattle AND throw a decent calves. Best of both. The Montys I don't rate at all but only my opinion.

 

[User name:]

I know what a box can handle but are you hampered by sheds? Acres? Budget? It's just not very often if at all that a farmer only wants one robot.

Friesians will be fantastic dairy cattle AND throw a decent calves. Best of both. The Montys I don't rate at all but only my opinion.

Honestly we are able to handle two in every way with a little work done to sheds, the budget would kind of be the issue, 85 suckler cows should pay for the dairy cows needed. i had initially thought of montbeliards cause of an open day i went to and was impressed by them, they were putting out over 10,000 litres each. I know a friesian will do that too if not more if bred right, and reckoned the one root would do to begin with as we would be completely new to it and to see how good one is to begin with was my thinking.

 

[Martyn]

Iv got a freind who put in two blue machines about 2.5years ago, but takeing them out now as been struggling with red water and ways to go the grazing system to prevent it, he recons milking with basic barley will result with far less time being needed for same number of cows!