Timely welcome for robots in the milking parlour

摘要

Six hours a day have been "freed up" on a Lancashire farm since two robots replaced an abreast milking parlour. It's making a big impact on the labour demands of John Hartley's 140-cow Roughwood Holstein herd at Bashall Eaves, Clitheroe, but the switch to robots has also lifted yield and benefited cow welfare and herd health. The two Lely Astronaut A3 robots were installed at Mason House Farm last November and were favoured over replacing an ageing parlour and introducing three times-a-day milking. "We'd considered installing a new parlour, but we also needed a new building to house it. I also wanted to milk three times a day and there were staffing issues to consider.