Leading the way in robotic milking

The latest version of the Lely Astronaut was launched in 2018. It represents a big leap forward in the evolution of robotic milking.

The stainless-steel box frame and arm structure is stronger and longer lasting with 10 year structural warranty. The Hybrid-arm uses air and electric, only 0.18kWh to 0.23kWh per milking with 80% less air, 20% less energy resulting in lower running costs and a quieter and quicker milking. Per quarter individual vacuum and pulsation the 4Effect system means each teat is milked individually in a circular pulsation pattern, so there is no over or under milking resulting in better milk let down, yield and udder health.

There are over 400 Lely milking robots running in Northern Ireland and Donegal, from A2’s installed 20 years ago to the latest A5’s. To support them 24/7, 365 Lely have a team of 15 trained and certified engineers to do routine preventative maintenance and be available on the phone and for emergency call outs. On the rare occasion their robots stop they are on farm within two hours of a phone call 97% of the time. Many times quick fixes by the farmer can be guided by Lely engineers on the phone. The Astronaut can do c. 8000 hours per year so preventative maintenance every c. 20,000 milking helps to ensure smooth running and a long working life. The technical team is complemented with local, installation team, project managers and farm management support (FMS) team to help get the most from the Lely Astronaut milking robot.

With the Lely Astronaut A5, you achieve optimal freedom of movement for your cows. The cows decide themselves when to eat, drink, relax or be milked. Cows display their natural behaviour, a healthy and stress-free cow means more milk in the tank. Official milk recording data on 1.4 million cows in the Netherlands showed the Lely free cow systems to produce 4% more milk.

Lely T4C/Horizon uses smart algorithms based on experiences of thousands of dairy farmers worldwide. An intuitive user interface gives you fast access to all the information you need. Check the well-being of your herd and receive notifications directly on your smartphone for health problems, heats etc. Clear customised dashboards provide insight and advice when and where you want on the robot, computer or phone.

The Lely system monitors cows every 20 minutes, live 24/7 365. The data is uploaded to the management computer every two hours and because it is based on activity and rumination it is highly accurate. You can receive alerts and will be able to see the time when cows come on heat and a recommended time window to inseminate them for the highest chance of success. It will boost your conception rate and will save you time.

Get more control on cow health and make the right decisions with advanced sensors and easy to use information such as, milk temperature a proxy for cow temp, fat, protein and lactose, rumination, eating minutes, breathing, heat stress warning and distressed calving alert. These give you early warnings allowing you to take quicker preventative action.

Good quality milk comes from a healthy udder. Continuously monitor colour and conductivity per quarter and cell count per cow to give an early warning of mastitis. Steam cleaning of the cups to 105 deg c between each milking and brushing the teats clean help reduce the risk of cross contamination and keeps the cups and teats cleaner.

Get the possibility to feed two rations, e.g. high energy and low protein and low protein and high energy, plus liquid feed allowing you to feed your cows even more precisely and efficiently. Body condition is controlled better, and the herd is more uniform. As cows are fed to their full genetic potential you get maximum yield from just the right level of feed.

Lely Center Eglish have run two virtual open days and there will be two more coming up soon. The first one explains how Mark Cunningham is getting over 10,000 litres from a grazing and zero grazing system in Aghadowey. This was followed by the Fleming family at Potterswalls Jerseys detailing how they are projected to hit 8,000 litres, see the Lely Center Eglish website for recordings. The next virtual open day is on 19th November at Telfords, Fintona who have three A5’s yielding 10,000 per cow on an indoor system run by Hazel Telford. The final virtual open day this year is on the Damm Holsteins farm, Lisburn where 60 cows are averaging 40 litres per day. Visit lely.com/gb/centers/eglish website to register for these events.

For more information call Lely Center Eglish on 02837548228.