Robotic milking

Chips

Member
Location
Shropshire
And what area do you graze for a cow? @Chips
54 cows in milk have just completed their first round with just over 11 acres for the B block , they haven't got around the A block yet as they started that much later as we introduced grazing gradually but will probably be 16 acres , but this is much poorer land as we are on steep ground with some fields being shallow soils of shale over rock , the A block is far better ground . Later in the year some of this ground will grow nothing if dry and so acreage will increase dramatically for grazing
 

Seasider

Member
Location
Lancs
54 cows in milk have just completed their first round with just over 11 acres for the B block , they haven't got around the A block yet as they started that much later as we introduced grazing gradually but will probably be 16 acres , but this is much poorer land as we are on steep ground with some fields being shallow soils of shale over rock , the A block is far better ground . Later in the year some of this ground will grow nothing if dry and so acreage will increase dramatically for grazing

What size are your day paddocks? Would an acre be sufficient for 55 ish? Cows out 22hrs a day but just loaf paddock from 6pm to 4 am with zerograze grass plus bit of silage in shed.
 

Seasider

Member
Location
Lancs
Paddocks are all different sizes and I just strip graze them would be about half acre for 12 hrs at a rough guess thus an acre day .

Cheers. Have 3 grazeable day fields-3 acre-4 acre and 7 acre. Lend themselves to fairly easy acre size split ( tracks, water etc) giving a 14 day rotation. Do you think it would be ok to try? Have never used leccy fence and don't want to spend too much .
 

Chips

Member
Location
Shropshire
Cheers. Have 3 grazeable day fields-3 acre-4 acre and 7 acre. Lend themselves to fairly easy acre size split ( tracks, water etc) giving a 14 day rotation. Do you think it would be ok to try? Have never used leccy fence and don't want to spend too much .
How will you let them out , i.e through a grazing selection gate or straight after milking ? If just through robot somecows wont get to the paddock intil nearly all the grass is gone as it takes about 8 hrs to milk herd . If just going to open the door and allow free access to grass they will all go at once leaving no one milking and then all return at once as grass runs out
 

Seasider

Member
Location
Lancs
How will you let them out , i.e through a grazing selection gate or straight after milking ? If just through robot somecows wont get to the paddock intil nearly all the grass is gone as it takes about 8 hrs to milk herd . If just going to open the door and allow free access to grass they will all go at once leaving no one milking and then all return at once as grass runs out

Been using A/B grazing gate for years, problem is fields too big so when growth cover is high cows get lazy , more to fetch. Fine when growth slows from late June - Aug . Don't like wasting grass!
 

Chips

Member
Location
Shropshire
Been using A/B grazing gate for years, problem is fields too big so when growth cover is high cows get lazy , more to fetch. Fine when growth slows from late June - Aug . Don't like wasting grass!
I don't back fence as I'm too lazy ! Even in 10 acre silage aftermaths , just get the front fence right , I never loose into the whole paddock . Quad bike and speed reeler means it's only a couple of minutes twice a day
 

Scholsey

Member
Location
Herefordshire
IMG_1492864574.944800.jpg


Finally, after a week got the whole lot to come back in on their own from free access grazing to have their lunch.

Strip grazing them but both groups went straight through the fence during their freshly turned out madness so let them run the whole field for a few days as was getting away from them.

Had 30 visits in 6 hours when they were out on Wednesday when I looked back through MerlinView, was much better today now strip grazing is back under way.
 
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pappuller

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
M6 Hard shoulder
View attachment 504958

Finally, after a week finally got the whole lot to come back in on their own from free access grazing to have their lunch.

Strip grazing them but both groups went straight through the fence during their freshly turned out madness so let them run the whole field for a few days as was getting away from them.

Had 30 visits in 6 hours when they were out on Wednesday when I looked back through MerlinView, was much better today now strip grazing is back under way.
How much 0 grazed grass u chucking at them ?
 

AlexBY

Member
When our SF4 compressor broke down, we ordered an internal compressor element in the assembly. Later another element was ordered for stock.
open

Now, I have spare parts for the next 7 years,
and in the event of a breakdown, I can rearrange the compressor element for two hours. It cost us 5000£ for each,together with detailed instructions for self-replacement. While the local dealer offered to buy a new compressor at a price of 8500£ and claimed that it was impossible to change the internal element:mad::banghead::banghead::banghead:
Some ask in private messages how this can be done. There was an opportunity to photograph - yesterday because of the heat another compressor element broke down. In the photo below the new compressor elements & compressor with the removed old broken spiral block
13658937m.jpg
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Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
SID. are robot cows grazing yet ..! Do you have good news to report. .. hope so. jtt​
Cows went out on Tuesday, have had a issue with secondhand smart gates but that will be resolved today.
50% are volunteering to use the robots even on free access. When the gates are sorted then they will be able to have fresh grazing every 8 hours
 

Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
How do you robot users tube cows at drying off. Been told not to do anything but milk in the robots but i don't fancy drying off a cow either in a crush or in a s/l yoke with me crouching beside her.
 

Chips

Member
Location
Shropshire
How do you robot users tube cows at drying off. Been told not to do anything but milk in the robots but i don't fancy drying off a cow either in a crush or in a s/l yoke with me crouching beside her.

We got told that , lasted all of 5 mins , thing is when you have them trained nothing will stop them coming to the robot , we demolished and built a new shed around them as they milked 4 years ago with sthil saw firing sparks everywhere , no problems and today concrete grooving all around them , again no problem . The fact is when teat sealing you need cows to be as calm and comfortable as possible while being in a spotless environment and the robot is the only place that ticks those boxes . I have self lockers and they are hopless for tubing cows as you are too prone to kicks and they have to much movement , they are not used to being touched when feeding but in the robot they expect it . I inject in the robot too .
Crush is next best but still robot cows are not used to being separated out and going down a race thus are not calm like in the robot
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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