Today Lely proudly introduces the sand flush, a unique accessory that makes Discovery Collector manure robots suitable for barns with sand bedding. As sand is a commonly used bedding material in barns worldwide, this is the ultimate addition to the Discovery portfolio. With the introduction of the sand flush, Lely now offers a manure solution for almost every dairy farm.
Discovery Collector manure robots use revolutionary vacuum technology to clean (semi) closed barn floors by collecting manure. This type of floor is seen in approximately 70% of dairy farms worldwide. The Discovery Collector cleans the barn floor by sucking up the manure and dumping it into a pit. Moreover, the Discovery Collector offers flexibility in barn set-up and cleaning schedule. Less manure leads to cleaner hooves, cubicles, udders and tails. A clean barn floor can therefore improve animal welfare in general. In addition, automation can improve farmers’ welfare by saving them time and manpower.
Build on revolutionary manure cleaner for (semi) closed barn floors
In 2023, Lely introduced their next generation manure robot Discovery Collector C2. Thanks to the latest technology, wireless charging and a long-life 24-volt battery, the Discovery Collector C2 has a driving capacity of up to 14 hours per day. It can clean day and night in a barn of, for example, up to 600 m2 with 120 cows and two milking robots. This however depends on the situation of the specific barn and can vary. Barn layout and area to be cleaned determine the number and type of Collector(s) to be deployed on a farm.
The compact size and the ergonomic design with rounded corners enable the robot to clean in tighter spaces, small corners, below sorting gates in cross alleys and around the milking robot without disturbing the cows. The Discovery Collector C2 charges faster, wireless and uses one combined charging and dumping station. As a result, the barn set-up requires hardly any changes. The Collector C2 drives autonomously and doesn’t need cables or gutters. Therefore, it enhances free cow traffic and provides a safer environment for cows.
An additional benefit of both the Discovery Collector C1 and C2 is the new Lely Route Assistant. This important improvement reduces the robot’s installation time and makes adjusting cleaning routes easier. This benefits both the farmer and Lely Centers.
Making Discovery Collector suitable for sand barns
The introduction of the unique sand flush accessory makes both the Discovery Collector C1 and C2 suitable for barns with sand bedding. Sand is a widely chosen type of bedding for cubicles worldwide because of the advantages for cows’ health and welfare. Until now, sand was a difficult material for the manure robots to work optimally in, because the robot vacuums the sand together with the manure. When dumping the manure, the sand remained in the tank where it accumulated.
The sand flush uses water from the buffer tank of the Discovery Collector to flush the sand from the manure tank while dumping the manure to prevent sand build up in the tank. This ensures optimal performance of both the robots’ performance and capacity.
By adding the sand flush accessory to the Discovery Collector portfolio, Lely now offers a manure solution for almost every barn. From today, Discovery Collector and the sand flush are commercially available through Lely Centers worldwide. In Lely North America the Discovery Collector C2 and sand flush will be released post validation.
