More than 60 dairy farmers and industry representatives recently gathered in Valencia Creek for a look at one of Australia’s largest pasture-based robotic dairy installations.
Hosted by the Lomax family with GEA Farm Technologies Australia, Future Dairies Gippsland and Westfalia Warragul, the open day gave visitors the opportunity to see 10 GEA Dairy Robot R9500 units operating within a pasture-based grazing system using CowScout heat detection and herd monitoring.
The day centred on Dennis and Erin Lomax’s journey from a traditional rotary dairy to automated milking, including the decisions, challenges and lessons involved in making the transition.
The move to robotics was about more than just replacing an ageing rotary.
The new dairy was planned around how cows and people move through the farm, the requirements of a pasture-based grazing system, labour efficiency and how the family wanted their farming business to operate into the future.
Visitors toured the working dairy, saw the GEA DairyRobots in operation and explored voluntary cow flow, dairy layout, CowScout herd monitoring and the practical considerations involved in planning a move towards automated milking.
For Dennis, one of the most tangible changes has been greater flexibility for the whole family.
“Now that we have the GEA setup, we can all leave.
“Before, it would usually be me and the kids going to events, now Erin can come too.”
For Erin, one of the noticeable changes has been in how the cows interact with the new system.
“The cows seem happier and healthier because they can do as they please. We’re not pushing them all the time.”
Moving from conventional milking to a voluntary robotic system required considerable planning and adjustment for both the cows and the people working with them.
A key focus of the open day was to give farmers the opportunity to ask practical questions and understand both the opportunities and realities associated with changing milking systems.
Discussions also explored how pasture-based automated milking fits within the wider farming system, including labour and family flexibility, CowScout herd information, installation considerations and the importance of accessible local support.
For John Van de Burgt, director of Future Dairies Gippsland and Westfalia Warragul, whose teams installed and continue to service the system, the key message for farmers considering a major dairy investment is to investigate the options and make an informed decision.
“My advice to farmers is to do your own research, look around, talk to your local dealer and see what options are available.
“Seeing different systems working on real farms, speaking directly with farmers who have made the transition and asking questions of local dealers and technical specialists can help farmers better understand what may suit their own operation.”
The open day was part of GEAs “What’s Your Farm’s Next Step?” approach, encouraging farmers to consider a pathway that best fits their individual operation, rather than assuming a dairy system or technology is right for every farm.
The Lomax project is a practical example of how those decisions can translate into a working pasture-based operation.