Routine: The secret to robotic milking success

When it comes to robotic milking, cows need a clear, healthy routine. It improves their well-being, which in turn helps you maximize your farm’s productivity.

Here are four things that will make it easier for you and your cows to get into the swing of things.

1. Adapt your barn for robotic milking

Before you can establish a good routine, you need to make sure your barn is set up for automated milking. It should be a space where each cow has her place since, as we know, dairy herds are hierarchical.

Both dominant and submissive cows need to be able to express themselves without too much negative interaction, both at the feeders and at the robot.

To avoid relationship problems between the dominant and submissive cows in your herd:

• Establish a work schedule that helps your cows adopt a routine

• Provide a sufficient number of comfortable stalls

• Create aisles and robot crossing areas that are wide enough

   

2. Create a great first milking experience

They say that our first experiences in life always influences the ones that follow. The same is true when milking a cow with a robot: The cow needs to have a good experience right from the start.

When the cow looks at the robot, what does she see? How does she feel? We want her to feel good so she’ll want to come back. To motivate your cows to keep visiting the robot:

• Limit wait times for milking

• Use tasty concentrates at the robot

• Provide a good overall experience

   

3. Make sure your cows visit the robot on a regular basis

You’ll want your cows to visit the robot frequently and at regular intervals. Research shows that an increase of 0.1 milking sessions per day is associated with an increase of 0.57 kg/day. And one more milking session per day per herd means around $2,500 more in income per year! This is what’s called the milking effect, and it’s one of the keys to producing more milk.

The goal, then, is for your cows to be milked at consistent intervals.

Wait times for milking must also be optimal. Depending on circumstances, a cow can spend anywhere from two minutes to seven hours at the robot! If a cow spends too much time at the robot, she sacrifices her lying time. This can lead to poor digestion and lameness.

4. Feed your cows the way they like

You’ll want your cows to feed 10 to 12 times a day for 35 to 40 minutes. To give them confidence that feed is available:

• Make sure your feeders are spaced far enough apart.

• Use a feed pusher if necessary. Studies show that farms with feed pushers produce more milk per cow than those where feed is pushed manually.

Cows must always know they have access to feed. It’s not just about feed management: It’s about cow relationships and flow routines.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Routine is essential to the success of robotic milking. And cow routines are very much influenced by the routines you adopt as a farmer.

If you need help making the switch to robotic milking or establishing a good routine with your herd, contact our agri-advisors.