With proven benefits to cow health and welfare, herd productivity and farmer work-life-balance, robotic milking systems are increasing in popularity.
If you’re looking to make the transition, Wynnstay head of dairy services, David Howard, gives his four top tips for those considering introducing robots to their farm.
1. Go and view farms who have already installed a robotic system
You hear the pros (and the cons) when chatting directly to farmers who are using robots every day. Ask about costs, cow performance, how the herd have adapted to the new way of milking, and the impact robots are having to the wider business. Ultimately, find out how they found the transition to robots.
2. Consult with experts
Converting to robots is a big investment, financially and in terms of time, so you need to be sure you have thought about everything before you make the decision. So take advice from multiple sources to ensure you feel confident and informed to make the right decision for your farm and set up. The Wynnstay team of dairy specialists are very experienced in working on the transition to robots with farmers and are on-hand to provide advice and guidance.
3. Preparation is key
A written strategy is essential before any physical changes are made. It should consist of a housing plan, a plan on how the robots will be managed daily, weekly and monthly, cow routines and cow routes to and from the robots. It should also look long-term, including drying off protocols and how you would treat the cows.
4. Ensure the rations are ready
Feeding cows on a robotic system is different to feeding in the milking parlour. Don’t look to follow the same feeding strategy – in a free-access system, the cow needs encouragement to go to be milked, so I would recommend having a base ration which supplies 80% of the average cow’s energy requirements, and the remainder fed in the robot, feedings a palatable robot-specific nut.
Looking for more information on robots? Listen to Wynnstay’s AgriHub Podcast, season 1 episode 6, where David was joined by Lely’s. Izzy Foster: Agri-Hub Podcast - The Home of Talking Agriculture (wynnstay.co.uk).
Agri-Hub Podcast
In this episode, Wynnstay’s Head of Dairy Services, David Howard and Izzy Lester, Farm Management Specialist from Lely, discuss robotics.
The 21st century has seen the introduction and rapid rise of robotic milking systems across the country, and Wynnstay has been at the forefront of this revolution over the last two decades.
