Robotic milkers investment pays off for Lancs dairy

A LANCASHIRE dairy farm business has boosted production and profits after investing £300,000 in three state-of-the-art robotic milking machines.

Holly House Farm, based at Bay Horse, near Lancaster, installed the new equipment in January and has already boosted milk production from its dairy herd by allowing cows to be milked up to five times a day without the need for any farm staff to be present.

Out of the total herd of 310 pedigree Friesian cattle, the three machines are milking 160 cows and producing around 9,000 litres of milk each annually, compared to 8,300 litres previously, for a major supermarket customer.

In addition the computer system that drives the Merlin Robots technology can monitor the cow’s health by tracking its movement and food intake.

Derek Fox, the owner of  Holly House Farm, said: “Our milk yields are up significantly this year, but the system is not only good for business, it’s great for the cows because it gives them freedom of choice as they are free to do what they want and choose when they feed and get milked.

“The newly calved cows can be milked up to five times a day compared to twice daily previously and I don’t have to be on site. If there are any problems the computer system alerts me by sending a message to my phone.”

Mr Fox has been receiving strategic business advice from the Lancaster office of Moore and Smalley chartered accountants, which also helped the business maximise tax savings on the new equipment.

Les Hewitt, agricultural manager at Moore & Smalley, said “At a time when farmers’ profits are under constant downward pressure it is great to see a farming business innovating with new technology to stay profitable.

“This shows how even traditional farming businesses can benefit from investing in new technologies and keeping a closer eye on management information.”

The Fox family has worked on the 328-acre Holly House Farm for five generations and Derek Fox has owned the farm with his wife Eileen since the 1980s. His son Neil, his wife Tracey and grandson Daniel, who leaves school next May, work on the farm.

The new machines supplied by Fullwood of Ellesmere, Shropshire, at a cost of approximately £300,000 including installation.