How milking robots have driven upland dairy’s expansion

Bromfield Farm, near Wigton in Cumbria, has embraced cutting-edge technology with the installation of seven robotic milking systems and two robotic feed pushers.

This has eased workloads and improved cow health and production across the 315-cow dairy operation.

See also: 4 ways to optimise milking robots and efficiency

Recognising that their old herringbone milking parlour needed replacing, second-generation farmer Harold Armstrong and his sons, David and Andrew, began exploring alternative solutions.

Their interest in robotics was sparked at the time by the capital grants available for such systems.

They settled on a dual approach to robotic milking, combining a free-access system with guided exit, and a fully guided system.

Farm facts: Bromfield Farm, Wigton, Cumbria

Left to right: Andrew, Harold and David Armstrong © GEA/HerdsMedia

• Herd of 315 cows
• 263ha, a mix of owned and rented land
• Yielding 10,690 litres at 4.5% butterfat and 3.4% protein
• Calving year round
• Milkers housed indoors, with dry cows grazing in the summer
• Hoofcount automatic foot-baths help address digital dermatitis

Investment

In 2019, the Armstrongs installed four GEA R9500 free-access robots with guided exits across two existing sheds, supplied and installed by GD&M Dunglinson of Carlisle.

Building on this success, they completed a purpose-built, 150-stall cubicle house in 2024, featuring three second-hand, fully guided GEA R9500 robots.

The investment of £2,000 a cow place, covered the new building, seven milking robots and two feed pushers.

It has proven transformative for the farm and is hailed by the family as one of their best decisions yet.

Robots have allowed first lactation heifers to be split from the main herd © GEA/HerdsMedia

Benefits

Not only has the new setup enabled them to increase cow numbers by 43%, with further capacity for expansion, but they have also seen major production benefits, including:

• Milk yield Increased from 30 litres to 35 litres a cow
• Mastitis cases Fallen from 45% (100 cases in 220 cows) to 22% (70 cases in 315 cows)
• Somatic cell counts Reduced from 120,000 to 90,000 cells/ml
• Bactoscan Dropped from about 28 to 17 units
• Lameness Maintained at 17%
• Antibiotics usage Expected drop because of fewer mastitis cases.

David credits much of this improved performance to the individual cow data collected by the milking robots and GEA Cow Scout collars.

These tools track mobility, rumination, activity and feeding, enabling early detection of potential issues before they become visible.

Two feed pushers have helped lift dry matter intake © GEA/HerdsMedia

“Before the robots, we had no individual data on the cows. Now, we can address problems proactively, which has had a huge impact on herd health,” he says.

The robots’ ability to monitor milk conductivity from each quarter supports selective dry cow therapy, aligning with the requirements of their milk processor, Arla.

Additionally, the system allows for targeted milking of individual cows, such as selecting only three quarters if there is an issue with one, or if milk from one quarter needs separating.

This feature minimises milk wastage and ensures the highest standards of milk quality.

Robot features

Key innovations in the robotic milking system at Bromfield Farm include:

• In-Liner Everything technology This performs the complete milking process— stimulation, teat cleaning, milking, and post-dipping—within a single teat cup. This ensures efficient dip usage and a quick, efficient milking process, and prevents cross-contamination.
• Compact design The robot occupies just 5.3sq m and features a single, quiet, electrically driven arm, making it ideal for heifers. Cows can also be easily accessed from within the milking stall.
• Adjustable box size Each milking stall is automatically adjusted to the size of the cow. This means the udder attachment is always in the same position, allowing for fast, efficient attachment.
• 3D time of flight camera This is used to locate the teat and is claimed to be more reliable and accurate than sensors.
• Improved cow flow Side entry and exit gates mean there are multiple options for cow traffic.
• Manual attachment of clusters The Armstrongs say this feature can be especially helpful for training heifers in a safe working environment, for both animal and operator.

They also say their choice of robot was driven by the added features, compact design and quieter operation, as well as the support offered by their supplier during (and since) the installation.

Fully guided system

In their most recent investment, the Armstrongs opted for a fully guided system.

This works in a “milk-first” configuration, meaning that for the cow to reach the feed barrier, she must pass through a selection gate.

If the cow has milk allowance, she is then allowed into a milk holding area and is milked prior to accessing the feed fence.

This choice was driven by the system’s ability to dramatically reduce labour demands and improve the management of late-lactation animals, with cows over 250 days in milk moved onto the guided system.

“This has reduced the time we spend looking for cows with milk entitlement,” says David.

“Late-lactation cows get lazy, so the guided system encourages them to get up and go as they still want to eat.

It also means the robots are better utilised as there are no false visits, due to the pre-selection of cows.”

Being able to run a late-lactation group also eases management of body condition at the end of lactation by ensuring they are going to the feed fence.

On average, late-lactation cows are being milked 2.49 times/day and yielding 28.8 litres a cow, while milking average in the free-access area is 2.87 times a day yielding 37.29 litres a cow.

Free-access system

The free-access system with guided exit also works well on the farm.

This system enables cows to go voluntarily to the robot to be milked whenever they want, but if they are not ready to be milked, they will be let out of the robot.

The guided exit race gives the Armstrongs control if they need to segregate any cows – either into a holding pen or back into the main cubicle shed.

Two of the robots service heifers on one side of the house, split by a feed face, and another two service the cows.

This was easier to fit into the existing building, with heifers housed in older cubicles of smaller dimensions.

“Grouping heifers at the start of lactation helps to maintain their production at 82% of the cows’ yield, through reduced competition and bullying,” explains Mark Dunglinson of GD&M Dunglinson.

Two feed pushers have helped lift dry matter intake © GEA/HerdsMedia

Two GEA F4800 robotic feed pushers—one in each shed—are also crucial to the operation, ensuring cows always have a fresh bite in front of them.

This encourages them to get up and feed, and helps prevent sorting. The pushers alone can increase dry matter intakes by 3.5% and help reduce bullying at the feed fence, according to GEA.

When deciding what system to choose, Simon Harper, sales director for GEA, says it comes down to farm layout and farmer preference.

“The fully guided system is slightly more expensive as there are a few more gates required. It also requires a set layout with the feed fence at one end to guide the cows around.

However, if you are putting up a new cubicle shed, it is something to consider, as it can ease labour.”

The numbers

The Bromfield Farm dairy herd © GEA/HerdsMedia

• 90,000 Average somatic cell count (cells/ml milk)
• 22% Drop in mastitis rate, from 45%
• 17% Increase in milk yield since installing robotic milking system