As part of the Dairy Throwback series, Agriland returns to Co. Waterford to meet with the O’Connell family on their dairy farm in Joanstown.
John and Catherine, and their two children Niall and Elaine, all play a role in the running of the farm – with John and Niall working full-time on the farm, and Catherine working on the farm and off-farm a couple of days a week.
Elaine recently finished college, and is at home until she starts her new job. Robert Roche also helps on the farm at weekends and during the summer months.
The Crystal County farm located just outside Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary, currently has 68 cows milked on a Lely Astronaut A5.
The family are also milking on the home block, where 150 cows are milked through a 14-unit DeLaval parlour.
A spring-calving system is operated on both farms, although some cows have been calved in the autumn to keep the robot going.
The O’Connells determined that 68 cows is the ideal number for the robot – which means that cows are moved from the home farm to ensure that this number is maintained.
Second unit
Originally, a dairy and calf-to-beef operation took place on the farm, with the 290ac farms spilt into six different blocks.
After looking at a neighbour’s farm that had installed a Lely robot, John questioned if it could work for them.
The home block is 120ac, and had a 14-unit DeLaval milking parlour installed in 2006/2007.
Post-quota there was an opportunity to turn one of these out-blocks into a second dairy unit and focus solely on dairy while also generating a better income for the farm.
A large part of the decision to do this was the fact that Niall had made the decision to return home and farm alongside his parents.
The out-block that was suitable for a second unit is quite long and narrow with only one location on the farm suitable for positioning a robot.
A couple of houses near the site meant that if they couldn’t get planning permission, the robot would not be installed on the farm.
After showing the neighbours the plan, construction got underway of a shed with space for two robots and 84 cubicles.
Lely
When the second unit was being considered a number of options were looked at including installing a milking parlour.
But the family felt that wasn’t an option and instead looked into the robotic milking systems.
All the robotic milking options available to Irish farmers were looked at by the O’Connells, but a number of features made them favour the Lely system.
John said that a big factor for going with Lely was the back-up service it provides and the fact that a technician is generally with them within a few hours or they will get it working over the phone.
The adjustment to robotic milking was quite simple, with the workload probably decreased due to fewer groups to deal with, according to John.
It also helped that the robot is located on an out-farm three miles from home, which means that they weren’t watching cows coming and going from the robot.
Operation
In part five of the Dairy Throwback series we look back at how John milks most mornings on the home farm, while Niall hits the road to check stock and complete other jobs required on the robotic farm.
This involves changing two reels, checking the robots and changing the milk filter.
All the calves are brought to the home farm, where Catherine takes on rearing.
The roles then reverse and Niall generally milks in the evening, while John takes on the other jobs.
This involves changing the one reel for the cows and washing around the robot.
The move to a second dairy unit has simplified the running of the farm; previously there were eight different groups of cattle whereas there is now only four.
Production
Although the cows in both herds are from the same genetics, it was the cows from the home herd that were used to set up the robotic farm.
There have been a number of benefits seen by the O’Connells by milking cows in the robot.
The first noted by the family is the reduction in lameness, with cases on the robotic farm being quite rare.
Production from the cows is also better, with higher milk solids yields being achieved compared to the home farm – with 1-1.5c/L more being achieved for milk.
The reseeding of most of the farm has helped, but the O’Connells said the cows are much more relaxed and the management system with the robot suits the cows better.
They added that you rarely hear a cow balling on the robotic farm.
Grazing
The farm is awkwardly shaped which, according to John, actually suits a robotic milking system perfectly.
An A,B,C grazing system works well on the farm due to its shape and the location of the robot on the farm.
The first year was an adjustment, grazing-wise, John said, with the first few months particularly difficult.
Both John and Niall noted that the advice from Lely Mullingar was excellent, with Jordan Molloy giving them great advice.
Catherine and Niall said that it was often Jordan giving out to John for the covers he was putting cows into.
After following the advice the production from the cows improved, with a major focus placed on grazing the correct covers and grass quality.
Both John and Niall noted how the focus on grass and grass quality with the robot has helped improved their management of grass at home.
Entrances have been placed at each post, which has been extremely useful and the plan is to use this on the home farm.
The setting up of grazing on the farm is now quite simple, and it very easy to instruct someone to set up breaks when needed.
Extra breaks can be set up for the weekend, which means that all that is needed is to open a handle and close another.
Future
There are no plans to increase cow numbers further on the home farm or on the second unit.
But when the time comes to update the parlour at home, robots will be considered and will likely be the first option.
The install on the home mightn’t be as easy due to the yard at home and a underpass cows use.
To read more Dairy Focus and Dairy Throwback articles on Agriland, click here.