To optimise the performance of milking robots and maximise the productivity potential of the milking herd it is essential to first get the basics right. Success with automated milking starts at the feed fence, with careful consideration of what is also on offer in the robot.
Getting the diet right will boost production and efficiency, says ForFarmers UK Robotic Product Manager Bas van Santen. “Forage should be the first consideration. You need to concentrate on making really good quality forages which is always challenging with the UK weather conditions. The most profitable farms are those that make top notch silages and produce a large amount of milk from forage.
“At the feed fence you need to offer a balanced diet with around 16.5-17% crude protein. Or, if you are just feeding silage at the feed fence you will need to offer two different compounds in the robot, in order to target cows according to their stage of lactation.”
A 10% higher energy, good quality compound should be on offer in the robot, he continues. “It must be palatable and tasty to motivate the cows to come and be milked. Changes in the formulation can affect cow behaviour both positively and negatively. Having the right compound feed saves on labour as most cows will visit the robot by themselves.”
Bas also advises checking dung to get an indication of how well the rumen is functioning. If it is very fibrous it suggests that feed isn’t being digested fully and the diet is therefore not being used efficiently. “This would suggest that the rumen is not working to its full capability and that the ration needs some adjustment.
“Of course never forget to look at what the cows are telling you through their behaviour. We recommend the Cow Signals approach to understanding how cow behaviour can indicate issues and can benefit herd health and welfare. Your cows will tell you if they are happy.”
Being meticulous with robot maintenance is another essential, he advises. “Whoever installed your robot should have given you a thorough induction to include all the checks you need to perform daily, weekly, and monthly. Make sure you stick to this regime without fail so your robot can perform at its best.”
As well as routine checks, there are parts and sensors that need regular cleaning and ‘consumables’ such as filters, liners, brushes, or health and hygiene products that need replacing or topping up.
Servicing, in accordance with the plan set out by the manufacturer, should also not be forgotten.
“Unfortunately, some farmers get a bit complacent about these tasks a few months into robotic milking. Missing seemingly small tasks like cleaning air bleed holes might only increase milking time by a few seconds per visit, but that can eventually add up to a lot of wasted robot time.”
Once the basics are right, analysing data will take robot and cow performance to another level, he continues. “OptiRobot is a ForFarmers tool that monitors the robotic milking system performance on a daily basis. It can analyse the data from six different robot manufacturers and display it in easy-to-understand graphs and tables that give unique insight into what is going on at individual cow level.”
OptiRobot provides daily access to huge amounts of data including feed intakes, visits and yields. It uses historical as well as real-time data at herd and individual cow level and enables ForFarmers’ robotic specialists to refine feed and suggest changes to boost performance.
“Looking at headline figures is one thing, but analysing in more depth will allow us to look at the difference between the top and bottom cows compared with the average which can flag up some areas for improvement.” For example, this may be something as simple as changing the number of robot visits allowed per cow.
“Milking cows with sufficient milk each visit to the robot can save money. It costs around 50p a milking to milk a cow in finance, building costs, maintenance, service, water, electricity and teat spray each time. Meanwhile cows that yield much less, but visit the robot more frequently use up valuable robot time and reduce the output of the robot. Those cows may be going into the robot even if they’re not getting more cake – trying their luck – and that will cost you money.
“Changing the number of milkings allowed in this case will optimise robot performance and reduce costs.”
Analysing data also helps farmers stay focused on the goals they have for the business whether they are related to health, yield or profit, adds Bas. “Setting goals is particularly important for a robotic system. Not every farmer is striving for the same things and knowing what your priorities are will inform your decisions.”
Contact our dedicated team of specialists for advice and how we can help your business.
