{"id":2164,"date":"2024-05-16T11:38:23","date_gmt":"2024-05-16T11:38:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fullwood.com\/?post_type=story&p=2164"},"modified":"2025-10-28T07:00:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T07:00:07","slug":"richard-de-bie","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/fullwood.com\/en\/stories\/richard-de-bie\/","title":{"rendered":"Richard de Bie"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Richard de Bie\u2019s dairy farm has been in his family for four generations. In 2019, he built a new barn for his cows and switched from a 2×10 milking parlour to two Fullwood M\u00b2erlin milking robots. \u2018The transition to robot milking went extremely well,\u2019 he says. \u2018All the cows quickly got used to the new way of milking, and since then, the milk has flowed nicely.\u2019 He tells us about labour savings, the calm in the barn and how he uses FULLSENSE to manage his herd.\u2019<\/p>

Labour savings and flexibility<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Some 130 dairy and calving cows and 60 head of young stock roam on the farm\u2019s 43 hectares of land. so, for Richard, the milking robots<\/a> were a real boon. \u2018I bought the robots mainly for the physical benefits they offered,\u2019 he explains. \u2018Milking twice a day by yourself is pretty tough. I also had to get up at 4.45 every morning. Now the alarm is set for 6.30 or 7.00 am, which makes a big difference.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018I still do my rounds twice a day, but the exact time doesn\u2019t matter so much now. You can give yourself quite a bit of leeway. The robots have made everything a lot more flexible.\u2019<\/p>\n

Free choice and a calm barn<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Richard is very pleased with the robots. \u2018The barn is very peaceful,\u2019 he tells us. \u2018The cows decide whether or not to go to the robot. We don\u2019t have to force or direct them, so they\u2019re much calmer than before.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018You could compare it to navigating rush hour at Utrecht Central Station, constantly bumping into people as you try to find the right platform. That would make you a bit stressed out, too. But if you were to go there a little later in the morning or in the evening, it would be a very different experience.\u2019<\/p>\n

The barn is 55 metres long and 43 metres wide. Richard: \u2018The cows have all the space they need. The same goes for the feed fence, where there\u2019s room for 140 cows, so they never have to wait their turn for milking or for feeding.\u2019<\/p>\n

No need for additional separation fences<\/h2>\n

Richard also had other reasons for choosing the M\u00b2erlin milking robots<\/a>. \u2018We already had a Fullwood milking parlour, and I have a lot of confidence in their milking technology,\u2019 he says. \u2018Moreover, because of the way the M\u00b2erlins are constructed, with a double entrance and exit, there was no need to have additional separation fences. Plus, I could continue to use the collars and feed computer we already had, which was an additional cost-saving benefit.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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FULLSENSE robot software<\/h2>\n

Fullwood meanwhile developed an application to convert complex data from the M\u00b2erlin milking robot into bite-sized information: FULLSENSE<\/a>. And Richard was one of the first farmers to test it.<\/p>\n

Richard: \u2018FULLSENSE uses clear graphs that make it easy to understand the data on things like milk quantity, milk content and conductivity. This is important because, naturally, I want to know how my animals are doing and take quick action if necessary.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Because the information is presented in a clear way, you can make an immediate decision about what you need to do,\u2019 he continues. \u2018For example, you can see increases in conductivity, reductions in yield and changes in eating behaviour for each cow. These can all be sure signs that something is wrong and the cow needs to be examined.\u2019<\/p>\n

If a cow is in heat, FULLSENSE automatically moves it into the separation room. \u2018This is great,\u2019 says Richard, \u2018because trying to separate the cow from all the others yourself will take you a long time.\u2019<\/p>\n

Increasing milk yields<\/h2>\n

Thanks in part to the robots, the rolling annual average now sits at an impressive 10,000 litres. Milk yields have increased by several litres per cow per day since Richard started using the M\u00b2erlin milking robots. The dairy farmer also now sees very few cases of mastitis. Results to be proud of!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Want to know more?<\/h2>\n\t\t

Would you like to find out more about the benefits of the M\u00b2erlin and its suitability for your barn? Or how Fullwood can help optimise your business? Contact your local dealer.\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t

Find a dealer<\/a><\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

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