How we can help you automate
The rapid adoption of technology is reshaping the UK dairy industry, particularly robot systems which can help with labour efficiency, cow welfare and herd management.
As a company, we have strengthened our commitment to supporting robotic dairy farms with precision nutrition, on farm technical advice and tailored feed solutions.
By working with producers and robot manufacturers, we are helping dairy businesses maximise the performance of their herds.
One farming family we have been working closely with for more than 10 years is father and son Hugh and Ben Palfrey at Lower Whipcott Farm on the Devon and Somerset border.
They milk 200 Holstein Friesians yielding 9,500L annually and rear all their own dairy replacements alongside a beef enterprise, making the overall total head of cattle around 550.
The farm is predominantly grassland for grazing and silage, with 100 acres for maize, roughly 30-40 acres of wholecrop cereals and 60 acres of combinable crops, all managed and harvested using their own equipment.
The whole family is fully involved in the running of the farm with Ben’s wife Lisa and their daughter Jess rearing the calves and his mother Angela helping out with the milking.
Going from a traditional herringbone parlour to robots has been on the family’s wishlist for some time. But Hugh and Ben wanted a firm plan in place before investing and installing two DeLaval Robots, with a third planned.
Just over two months into the new set up and the cows have adapted to the robots, their yield has increased and the flexibility of the system has made it better for family and farm life and reduced the need for extra staff.
The increased yield is down to an average of three rather than two visits per cow. Hugh said: “There have been cows in the herd that should have really been on three times a day when we were milking in the parlour and now we have that luxury."
Our Ruminant Nutritionist for Somerset and East Devon, Ruaraidh Harrison, has been supporting Hugh and Ben in several areas from rationing diets and supplements to increasing the farm’s homegrown forage, as well as providing technical and practical advice.
He said: “Working with a family that is so invested in the future of their business is incredibly humbling and exciting. Installing robots was the right step for them, putting them in a really strong position for the future.”
Ben said: “The support and advice Ruaraidh and his team have given us from the beginning has been very much appreciated. From coming to DeLaval training for a deeper understanding of the software and how it works to turning up at 4am on robot start up day to lend a hand just goes to show the commitment Mole Valley Farmers has for its customers."
“They certainly have been a great help with their guidance and, more importantly, making sure the cow diet is spot on. They have been a pleasure to work with.”
The investment the Palfreys have made demonstrates robotic milking is not just about reducing labour. It’s about combining technology, nutrition and skilled farm management to improve cow performance, support family life and build a resilient business for the future.
For more information on how we can help your farm with the move to robotic milking speak to your local nutritionist or call the Feed Line on 01566 780261.
