9 February 2024 Switching from conventional milking to robotic milking? Here's what to consider

There are several things to consider when choosing the right milking method for your farm. What type of livestock farmer are you? What do the processes on your farm look like? And what are your ambitions for the future? At Fullwood, you can choose between a conventional milking system and an automatic milking system. Are you thinking about switching to robotic milking? We asked dealers Paul Huijbers (Nooren melkwinning en automatisering) and sales consultant Rick Bos (Winden en de Bie) to tell us about what to consider when making a choice.

Do your research

If you’re thinking about switching to robotic milking, it’s important to gather plenty of information before you make a decision. Dairy farmer and Fullwood sales consultant Rick has some useful ideas about how to inform yourself about which system to choose. ‘You should start by finding out what’s possible in your situation. Look at other farmers in similar situations and talk to consultants who can tell you what you need to consider.’

‘Robot suppliers can design a system for you that’s completely tailored to your farm. They’ll take into account factors like cow traffic, grazing, separation options and the distance between the robot and the machine room.’

A fresh perspective

‘You need to look at your farm with fresh eyes,’ Paul adds. As a dealer in Noord-Brabant, he sees a variety of dairy farm setups. ‘Every barn is different, and every farmer has different processes,’ he says. ‘Almost every dairy farm has calving cows, which means working out how to get the cow to the robot after calving. Where do you do insemination? These are just some of the things to keep in mind when setting up your barn for a milking robot.’

It always takes a while to get a clear picture in your head, Paul believes. ‘Consequently, you could need several designs before you arrive at a version in which everything is arranged exactly right.’

The daily routine

Switching to robotic milking will bring significant changes to your daily routine. Rick, dairy farmer in Zuid-Holland, knows all about that. ‘When you have a milking robot, your day is going to look very different,’ he says. ‘You’re essentially handing over control to a machine. The data helps you manage your livestock.’

Does that mean you have to become an ‘automation farmer’ who sits at a computer all day? ‘Absolutely not,’ Paul says. ‘You really don’t have to be a technical expert. You work with attention lists that alert you to anomalies and animals that need attention. So it’s mainly a useful tool for identifying potential problems earlier.’

Functionalities

Extensive consultation with dealers is required before a milking robot is actually installed. ‘They’ll discuss the possibilities with you regarding where the robot is installed, navigation routes and peripheral processes,’ Rick says. ‘Then they’ll also discuss the functionalities you need. An automatic milking system with no additional options recognises each cow, milks it and pumps the milk into the tank.’

‘There are interesting extras to consider, like collars that allow you to monitor various activities. For example, whether the cows are in heat or lame and whether they’re ruminating properly. The availability of this kind of data means you can detect and prevent potential underlying problems earlier.’

Endless possibilities

Paul tells us that Fullwood dealers can also provide excellent guidance on the choices regarding separation options. ‘Should specific cows be moved to one or more selection rooms after milking? Would you like the gates to be opened manually or automatically? Do you want to use milking robots as pasture gates? There’s plenty to think about.’

What you really need to make sure you get right are the supply routes, according to Rick. ‘A milking robot will fit into most cubicle barns, but you have to think about walkways. For example, if you have very narrow walkways that cows cross three or more times a day to get to where they need to be, traffic may not flow smoothly. As dealers, we’ll give you a very honest picture of that sort of thing.

Two set times a day

Rick suggests that dairy farmers carry out milking-related tasks at set times twice a day, even when they have a milking robot. ‘When you have a milking robot, you do a lot of tasks in quick succession,’ he explains. ‘You fetch the cows, check how long ago they were last milked, clean the robot area, clean the laser on the robot arm and replace the tube filter.’

‘Carrying out these tasks at two set times every day makes things clearer and more structured for you, but it’s also much calmer for the cows. Cows are creatures of habit. If you hang around in the barn all day, they’ll hang around waiting for you, even though they can manage just fine without you.’

Udder health

Apart from lightening the workload, Fullwood’s M²erlin milking robot offers dairy farmers much more flexibility. ‘In a traditional parlour, you’re tied to fixed blocks of work in the morning and the evening,’ he explains. ‘With a robot, you’re less tied to set times. The cows are also milked several times a day, which reduces the pressure on their udders. That leads to improved udder health as well as increased milk production.’

Paul highlights the M²erlin’s special milking technology. ‘The M²erlin uses Streampulse milking technology, a concept that provides smooth, cow-friendly milking. The numbers show that this technique works well. If you look at the condition of the teats, you’ll see that they stay nice and soft. We advise our clients to consider this carefully.’

Robots now versus 10 years ago

‘What is important to know is that the quality of milking robots has improved over the last 10 years,’ Paul says. ‘The biggest difference is that the robots are now much more stable and reliable. A modern M²erlin milking robot is less likely to malfunction. But you still need to always be on standby. If there’s an external power outage, the milking robot can no longer milk the cows, and you’d want to be notified about that.’

Your next step

If you’re considering purchasing a milking robot, we advise consulting a dealer early on in the decision-making process. They will assist you with the preliminary work and the installation of the robot, but you will also enter a business relationship with them that could potentially last 10 or 20 years. So make your decision carefully. Choose a reliable brand and a dealer with whom you feel you can form a good relationship.