Global Farming: Robotic Rotary

GEA Dairy Pro Q — the first robotic rotary in the southern hemisphere — made a big impression in Australia

This new system replaces a 24-year-old 50-cow rotary

New technology in the form of a fully robotic rotary parlour is making light work of milking
750 cows twice a day on a farm in Australia.

From spending hours manually milking his large herd, Paul Smith says the new unit has totally transformed his farm as he just ‘babysits’ the technology now.

Paul’s farm is at Mepunga on the Great Ocean Road in south west Victoria. He’s been working there for more than 30 years, since he left school aged 15 to work for his father.

Ten years ago, Paul and his wife Marsha took over the running of the farm leasing it from his parents.

“We are currently milking around 750 cows, 90% of which are Holsteins, twice a day on a full pasture-based system. The cows are producing around 8000 litres on
a 300-day lactation and about 600kg total milk solids,” says Paul.

Hunting through various genetics companies’ websites looking for the best bulls to use does not list highly on Paul’s agenda. In fact, if the genetic traits boost walking and eating, then it’s a goer. “I don’t get into cow genetics at all, as I have very little interest in it. As far as I’m concerned, I need cows with strong feet and legs, as we walk our cows up to five kilometres each way a day,” says Paul.

“They need a big wide mouth to shovel as much grass in as they can. These are the traits my father believed in, and I believe they have served us well. I think if you build a strong chassis that vehicle will last you a long time, although, one thing I am asking for now is more robot-ready udders.”

The cows are pasture-based and remain outdoors in one single milking group all year long. There are two additional full-time staff on the farm and Paul carries out all of the AI himself.

“Our main feed is grass in the field,” he says. “Grass is our cheapest and best feed. We also feed a ration in the dairy on the platform, which is a mixture of crushed barley, corn, and canola along with some mineral supplements.

The new rotary milking unit can hold 40 cows

“When the cows are milked, they walk out of the dairy straight into a large feed pad where there will be up to 40 sliced bales of pasture silage to snack on. After that, they head off to the paddock.

“I carry out all the AI myself starting at the beginning of April for six weeks then we run bulls for another six weeks. Then, any cow we didn’t get in calf, we do a six-week joining in mid-November as a second chance and to give us some fresh cows over the summer when I’m running at low numbers. I have two full-time employees. Craig has been here for about 30 years and Eric about four. We have also been using backpackers for relief milking over the last six years but with the installation of the new dairy we may not be needing that anymore.”

More than 200 cows per hour are being milked on the robotic rotary

Paul’s milk is bought by Coles supermarket and has been achieving record prices at about $10 per kilogramme of milk solids or AUD $0.70 per litre, but like everywhere else, the costs have risen as well.  

Photography: Chris McCullough