What is robotic milking?
As the term suggests, it is the process of milking cows using robots. But don't picture the standard depiction of robots in Sci-fi movies. In this context, we mean using small automated machines to milk cows. In fact, this isn't too dissimilar to the machinery you already use for milking. Alternatively, if you a not interested in cows and would like to learn about sheep milk then see '
sheep milking parlour'.
How Popular is Robotic Milking?
Milking machines have been commercially available for over 3 decades now. Thanks to innovation and technological advancements, however, more and more reliable systems have been developed and many dairy farms across the planet are implementing this technology.
Currently, 2% of dairy farms in the United States have adopted robotic milking. This figure is over 30% in the
Netherlands, home to one of the biggest robotic milking systems manufacturers; Lel. According to stats, the manufacturer anticipates growth between 10 and 15 per cent in the coming years.
How Does Robotic Milking Work?
There are multiple kinds of robotic milking systems. However, the process is generally similar. The cow gets into a small pen with both the need to nibble on the food available and the pressure to relieve udder pressure. As the cow gets into the pen, their ID tag is scanned, telling the system the last time they were milked, the shape of the udder as well as the rate at which every tit releases milk.
The robotic milking system's arms both sanitize and stimulate the teats, causing the cow to release their milk. Next, lasers guide suction tubes on every teat and the milking process starts. You can see more details about the milking process here.
If you rear cows, then you already know that they are a species that does not like change. Consistency is what drives comfort and this explains why most dairy farmers report cows to be calmer and more into robotic milking after a period of readjustment. They get to choose when they get milked, and the process is the same over and over. This is good news for
dairy farmers as they do not have to force the herd into the parlour and will have less stress overall.
This is Good News for the Milk Yields
According to research, happy cows are way more likely to hit their max milking potential. This is excellent news as a dairy farmer. Furthermore, the fact that the cows can milk whenever they want increases production.
Garner Data on Your Cattle's Health
As mentioned earlier, there are various different types of robotic milking systems. Some of the most innovative ones feature wearable tech that tracks all sorts of behavioural and health metrics for the cows. You can think of it as a Fitbit for a cow. This technology helps monitor every step the cow takes, their food intake, rumination, and much more. You can also utilise this data to detect when a cow is in heat in order to increase the chances of healthy pregnancies. This data is recorded and sent to a portal that you can access via a compatible device such as your tablet, computer, or smartphone. Simply put, it makes rearing your cows easier as you also get to spot anomalies that may suggest illnesses and so on.
Get to Lay Back
Milking a herd is without a doubt one of the most daunting tasks. In most cases, you need to hire people who can do this on a daily basis and in a timely fashion. Robotic milking systems help you eliminate this issue, ultimately helping you save on labour costs.
