Rene Otten 'The M2erlin milking robot operates silently – a real bonus'

The Otten family has been milking with three Fullwood M2erlin milking robots since 2015. Since then, with around 2.7 milkings each day and a strong focus on animal welfare, production has significantly increased. René Otten runs the farm in partnership with his parents and brother Arno. He tells us about how things are going on the farm and the choices they’ve made.

From Wapse to Makkinga

For many years, Freek and Geke Otten had a farm near the village of Wapse in Drenthe. Their sons Arno and René wanted to continue farming there together. However, with 80 dairy and calving cows, the farm was not big enough to support two families. Plans to double the size of the barn could not be realised. ‘We were too close to natural areas, so our capacity for ammonia emissions was limited,’ explains René Otten.

The dairy farmers decided to broaden their horizons and looked for alternative expansion sites in Drenthe. In 2013, they began negotiations with the Province of Drenthe. ‘The province wanted to buy our farm,’ René says. ‘And we eventually found a suitable location for expansion in south-eastern Friesland. Our farm in Makkinga is about a 20-minute drive from the old farm in Wapse.’

Carousel or robot milking?

The Otten family bought the Makkinga farm in 2014, and a significant expansion followed soon after in 2015, adding 126 cubicles. ‘In the old part of the barn, we have 65 cubicles for dairy cows, 35 places for dry cows, and we have 22 heifers,’ René says. ‘The traditional Fullwood milking parlour gave way to 3 M2erlin milking robots.’

Arno and René also initially thought about installing a carousel. However, the cost and amount of physical labour involved in this type of parlour put them off. ‘You need a big holding area,’ says René. ‘And that requires space and money. Besides, I’m over 6.5 feet tall, which makes me more prone to issues with my back and knees and so on. Performing the same task over and over again with 180 cows takes a toll on your body.’

A convincing pitch

Another consideration was that the dairy farmers wanted to increase milking frequency to 2.7 times a day, up from twice a day. The decision was quickly made: they opted for robots.

The brothers talked to a several milking robot manufacturers and eventually chose the M2erlins from Fullwood. René: ‘Fullwood had a good, convincing pitch. We’ve been using the robots for a few years now, and the experience has been very positive. The robots do exactly what they are supposed to do. In technical terms, the M2erlin is a really good machine. Plus, it operates silently – a real bonus. There’s a sense of calm in the barn, with no mutual stress among the cows.’

Several years ago, a rolling annual average of 12,033 litres (with 4.03% fat and 3.57% protein) put the Otten family among the top 20 milkers in the Netherlands. ‘After that, milk production went up a bit and then back down again,’ René says. ‘You’re very dependent on the quality of the feed. A bad year for silage negatively impacts production. Now, we’re back to levels similar to those we achieved a few years ago. So all in all, we certainly can’t complain.’

Animal welfare and comfort

René and Arno maintain good production levels by investing in the welfare and comfort of their animals. The cows can rest in deep litter cubicles filled with sand. ‘Sand molds to the body, making it much more comfortable to lie on,’ René explains. ‘It also provides better grip when they get back up. The cows are quicker to lie down because they can get back on their feet more easily.’

The cows are milked in two groups. The heifers and some of the second-calvers are housed in the old barn section with a slatted floor. The deep litter cubicles here are filled with straw pellets, and the animals are served by a single robot. The newer part of the barn has a closed floor with two robots, and the deep litter cubicles are filled with sand.

René: ‘When you have separate barn areas with different sorts of litter, milking robots are a very practical solution. Cows always carry some litter with them on their way to the milking parlour. In our parlour, sand in the slats would usually be a problem. But with milking robots, it’s not an issue.

Wear and tear from sand

If you use sand in the cubicles, you need to be extra attentive. The sand has to be managed. The Otten family uses a flushing system with a settling tank. The settling tank is emptied three or four times a year.

Sand is great for the cows’ welfare, but it does cause wear and tear,’ René finds. So the dairy farmers had a new plate made for the robot’s attachment arm. An additional cut ensures that the cups grip more securely, preventing sand ingress. They also replaced the ropes with sturdier ones.
René: ‘These modifications mean that the robots are well-equipped to cope with the sand, and they’ll last for years to come. Another advantage of these robots is that the rotating parts are positioned higher than on other brands. If you have a lot of pivot points under the cow, such as on the robot arm, the machine wears out faster. This isn’t an issue with the M2erlin – it’s been well thought out.’