Barneighthill Farm, Mauchline: Three Fullwood M²erlin Robots

Milking at 6am and 4pm, Two People

Before the robots, a flying herd of 180 cows was milked through a 14 x 28 herringbone at Barneighthill. The farm is home to Robert and Elizabeth Smith, their son Alan, his wife Ailsa and their young family.

For Alan, the robots changed the shape of the week. “We certainly have a far better lifestyle now than we ever had before. Before our lives revolved completely around milking, which at 6am and 4pm with only 2 of us on farm was so restricting. Now we are able to have a day away and even a holiday, provided one of us is at home, without having to worry about getting relief milkers in.”

Housed, Settled and Easier to Get in Calf

The cows are housed all year in cubicles on mats and sawdust, on a more consistent, higher-quality ration, and milk yields and cow health have improved. Alan sees it in the cows themselves: “The cows also appear happier and more content being able to be milked when they want to instead of being gathered into a parlour twice a day.”

“Cows are definitely more content, are easier to get into calf and they don’t get the same feet problems they used to when they were out at grass, so the hope is they should last that bit longer too.”

With the cows housed, the Smiths now take better silage in two bigger cuts for a more consistent quality, and let the ground to sheep farmers over the winter.

Managed Better, Not Saved

“Robots don’t save you time, but they do allow you to manage your time better.”

Alan Smith

Alan is straight about what the robots do and do not do. “There is still the odd cow that has to be found and milked each morning and there are still all the other jobs to do out with milking but I know my cows better with the robot than I did milking them through the parlour. So much more of the work can be done in the comfort of your own home when milking.”