LELY ROBOTIC MILKING AND FEEDING SYSTEMS AT REASEHEATH COLLEGE
We have some of the best specialist facilities in the country, thanks to a continuing £100 million investment across campus. One of the latest additions to our state-of-the-art facilities is our fully automated dairy system, which includes both a robotic milking and feeding system, installed in partnership with Lely.
Lely Astronaut A5 Robotic Milking System
The automated robotic milking system, called the Lely Astronaut A5, is a high-specification, leading-edge piece of equipment. It features two robotic milking stations incorporating sophisticated data processing, delivering highly accurate readings in areas such as feed intake, milk yield, and individual cow health.
Our robotic dairy, which includes automated feeding and cleaning systems, operates alongside our traditional milking parlour. This provides us with the unique opportunity to directly compare both methods of milking and evaluate their impact on animal welfare, productivity, and efficiency.
Early results show that cows using the robotic system choose to make an average of 3.7 visits per day for milking, compared to the twice-daily schedule of the traditional system. The average daily milk yield per cow has increased to 39 litres, and resting time has lengthened by three hours daily, benefiting fertility and overall health.
The data provided by the system is available on touchscreens at our Robotic Milking Centre and on large screens in the Data Hub, which has also been supported by Lely and is based in our refurbished FIC 5 classroom.
We are proud to have worked closely with Lely, a market leader in agricultural robotics, on this installation. The facility is also used by Lely clients, as well as members of our farming community and specialist engineers. Additionally, it provides training and research opportunities to our college students and undergraduates in the emerging areas of digitalisation, robotics, sustainability, and data-driven dairy management.
Lely Vector Smart Feeding System
Reaseheath College is also at the forefront of green digital technology with the Lely Vector Smart Feeding System, now fully operational alongside our robotic milking system. This advanced system delivers tailor-made rations to each cow, using real-time data to optimise feed efficiency and animal health.
The feeding system continuously monitors the herd’s feed intake and adjusts the rations accordingly, ensuring each cow receives the precise nutrients required. Data from the system is sent directly to our dairy data centre for analysis, allowing students to engage with real-world data in classroom discussions and practical learning.
Thanks to this investment and our strong partnership with Lely, our dairy herd now operates as a fully automated, hands-free system, showcasing the latest in precision livestock farming. This technology enhances efficiency, animal welfare, and sustainability, providing students with invaluable experience in modern, data-driven agriculture.
Enhancing Student Learning and Industry Collaboration
Our commitment to innovation extends beyond dairy automation. Our arable data centre is now fully operational, supported by laboratories for forage, slurry, and water analysis. Students can test livestock feeds such as maize and grass silage, using the data to design nutritionally optimised feed rations for our cows.
Alongside this, our expanded cropping acreage provides students with practical fieldwork opportunities, growing a diverse range of crops, including winter and spring wheat, barley, peas, maize, and grass silage. Final-year arable students take on key management roles, making decisions on crop production and handling machinery operations.
With these state-of-the-art facilities, Reaseheath College is shaping the future of sustainable, technology-driven agriculture. By integrating cutting-edge automation and data analysis into our teaching and research, we are equipping the next generation of farmers with the skills they need to drive the industry forward in an era of digitalisation and sustainability.
