Niverville, Manitoba

Trehane Holsteins of Niverville, Manitoba, is celebrating its tenth anniversary with Lely automation this year. The Stephens family emigrated from England in 1994, and the dairy has certainly seen considerable changes since its original 35-cow tiestall barn. In late 2010, the family was faced with a big decision — replace their main herdsman or go robotic. David and Liz Stephens turned to their sons, and Jake and his brothers were set on making the switch from their 10-year-old parlor system to Lely robotic milking.

In 2011, two Lely Astronaut A3 Next robotic milking systems were retrofitted into the existing freestall barn at Trehane Holsteins. Within a month after startup, the herd’s daily average production per cow per day increased by nearly 16 lbs (8 L). But the Stephens family didn’t just stop at robotic milking on their farm. In 2014, they installed the Lely Vector automatic feeding system with one mixing and feeding robot (MFR) and kitchen with feed grabber, and now feed all cows over the age of six months with the system. Consistent feed at the fence with automated feeding led to an 0.15-0.25% increase in the herd’s average fat.

Today, the herd’s daily average production per cow per day is up to 106 lbs (48 L). The Stephens also noticed a big difference in their reproduction, with an 5-10% increase in the operation’s average conception rate on first-time heifers after starting the Lely Vector. Cow growth also improved significantly with the Lely Vector, making it easier to breed heifers at 13 months old. When taking into consideration their savings in fuel, feed waste and more, Jake estimates that his farm’s cost savings average $100,000-$150,000 per year after installing the Lely Vector.

The Stephens installed a Lely Astronaut A4 in 2017, then chose to expand the following year with another milking robot and a second MFR. Before the Lely Vector, the team was spending three hours per day mixing feed, and now spend only one hour daily on feeding. Since switching to the Lely Vector, the Stephens sold two of their tractors and now use remaining loader tractor significantly less, saving on fuel and wear on that equipment. Overall, the Stephens family is pleased with how Lely automation has impacted their team’s overall flexibility and herd health.