GALLERY | Robots rule

Peter Joyce discussing how the dairy retrofit occurred. Photo by Jeanette Severs

GippsDairy hosted a recent discussion group about automatic milking systems (AMS), on the farm of Peter and Larissa Joyce, at Strzelecki, in Gippsland.

GippsDairy established the AMS discussion group a couple of years ago, and it meets periodically on member’s farms, as a learning and networking group.

Peter and Larissa retrofitted two Lely robot units into their herringbone dairy.

They discussed their reasons for adopting AMS infrastructure and how the new system has changed the way they manage their herd.

Peter said they were feeding less grain to the herd now, because the cows were being fed to production. Previously, all cows received the same amount of grain.

Peter and Larissa and their children are also able to spend more time together as a family.

Tiffany Jones, ACM, and Zoe Carter, GippsDairy. Photo by Jeanette Severs
Cows are calm about being milked in the robot milking system, even with strangers around on the GippsDairy discussion group day. Photo by Jeanette Severs
Fabian and Rachael Apps, dairy farmers at Meeniyan who are interested in automatic milking systems. Photo by Jeanette Severs
Andrea Meerwarth, Lely Center Gippsland, and Sheriden Williams, a dairy farmer at Yannathan, using GEA automatic milking system. Photo by Jeanette Severs
Jack Woods from Browns Fertilisers and Benjamin Vagg, who is installing a GEA automatic milking system on his farm at Leongatha South. Photo by Jeanette Severs
Dale Serong, Lely Center Gippsland, with Grant Williams, Athlone, who was an early investor in Lely automated milking systems. Photo by Jeanette Severs
Grant and Leesa Williams, Athlone, who have two dairy farms with robot units installed, and Dale Serong, Lely Center Gippsland. Photo by Jeanette Severs
Rachael Apps, dairy farmer at Meeniyan, Andrea Meerwarth, Lely Center Gippsland, and Peter Joyce, who hosted the AMS discussion group on his farm at Strzelecki. Photo by Jeanette Severs
Tom Hastings, DeLaval, and Lindsay Anderson, Kings Way Jerseys at Athlone, who invested in Insectec Astrea automatic milking systems. Photo by Jeanette Severs