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Smarter scraping, healthier herds: Why Irish farmers are backing robotics
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Across Ireland, the daily chore of scraping passageways is no longer the back-breaking task it once was, thanks to smart solutions.
With robotic solutions like the Lely Discovery 90 and the Lely Discovery Collector, farmers are finding new ways to keep sheds cleaner, cows healthier, and workloads lighter.
Testimonials from counties Kerry to Wexford show how these machines are not just luxuries - they are transforming herd health, boosting labour efficiency, and even helping tackle problems like mastitis and lameness
In Co. Kerry, Edward O’Sullivan vividly describes the shift since adopting the Lely Discovery 90:
He said: “Since getting the Lely Discovery, we have significantly reduced mastitis instances and SCC levels on farm.
"Overall, the farm is much cleaner, and the cows are too when they present in the parlour.
“The Lely Discovery is so versatile and could manoeuvre around all the areas that I needed it to.
"On this farm, the Lely Discovery runs every two hours and keeps the verges along the cubicle beds clean.”
His experience speaks volumes - efficient, adaptable, and impactful on both hygiene and herd health.
Watch the video below to learn more about the Discovery 90S.
The Lely Discovery Collector takes innovation further - vacuuming manure instead of merely scraping it.
This means stalls stay cleaner, cows stay drier, and hoof health improves. It reduces manure build-up and lowers risks of infections and lameness.
According to Barry Crosbie from Co. Wexford, since installing his Discovery Collector C2 manure cleaner, he has "cleaner sheds, healthier cattle, and less labour for farmers".
Installing the Lely Discovery Collector C2 required some in-shed modifications, as Barry explained.
He said: “We had to put timber barriers around the troughs and stock boards at either end of the shed.
"We also put in flow channels at the top end of the shed since the robot is hoovering up the slurry on the solid passages.
"Once it gets to the flow channel, it switches off and drops the slurry into the flow channel, returning the slurry to the tank. It never carries the slurry too far.
"Then it returns to the charging station and fills with water before it’s back out working on the solid passages.”
Barry said from a time and labour perspective, the Collector C2 "has been brilliant".
He highlighted the benefits of the robot during calving when "there’s so much going on".
"While we’re busy feeding and looking after the calves, the robot is working away unknown to you a good deal of the time," he said.
"For example, on a Sunday morning when I’m out milking the cows and all that goes with that job, the Collector C2 is doing its own job and is after saving me a huge amount of time that morning.
"It means I can go to a match with the children or we can head out for a good stretch of the day as a family. And I’m doing that knowing I’ll be coming home to a clean shed.
There’s one less big job for me to do every day and that’s another huge benefit the Collector C2 is after delivering for me – for all of us.”
The Lely Discovery has one of the best TAMS reference costs on the market. If availing of the 40% grant, you can get €6,700, and at 60% there is €10,050 available. (*information is only for indicative purposes and correct at time of publishing)
See the Lely Discovery 90 and the NEW Lely A5 Next in action at this year's National Ploughing Championships.
Or call your local Lely Center:
Lely Center Mullingar: (044) 933 0320
Lely Center Mitchelstown: (025) 41665
Lely Center Kilkenny: (056) 780 2140
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