Secrets of robotic success
COWS MILKED by robotic systems when grazing are milked less often than when housed, but milk yields remain at similar levels, according to French research.
Studies by Pierre Billon, of the Institut de l”Elevage, found that the average number of milkings when cows were housed was 3/day, but when grazing this dropped to 2.5/day.
“This is probably due to the distance cows have to walk to the parlour when at pasture. Or it could be that cows spend more time lying down when housed, so are less comfortable and want to be milked more often.”
Distance between pasture and the parlour is also important, reckoned Mr Billon. “The further the parlour is from the pasture, the more cows need fetching to be milked. All herds milked robotically have cows which need bringing to the parlour.”
And while some French producers believe only having water available at the parlour encourages cows to go for milking, Mr Billon said that when the parlour was more than 400m from pasture then many cows wouldn”t go to the parlour to drink. “This means cows receive insufficient water which is bad for milk production and animal welfare.”
Good tracks are also essential as cows travel to the parlour in groups of four or five, he said. “Farms wanting to use robotic systems for grazing cows must have wide, well-laid tracks which can withstand the extra traffic of cows moving to the parlour more frequently than on a conventional twice a day milking regime.”