Purdue News

August 17, 2001 Robotic milkers: Milking made easy for producers and cows WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Robotic milking not only makes the job easier, but may be healthier for cows, says a Purdue University Extension dairy specialist. Mike Schutz says robotic technology has been used in Canadian and European countries for several years, and U.S. dairies in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are using a few robotic milkers. He says Hoosier producers are interested in implementing this technology and starting a robotic milking pilot program. "Purdue researchers will work with the Indiana Board of Animal Health’s Dairy Inspection Program and the Creamery License Division to assess the impact of robotic milking," Schutz says. "When the first robotic systems begin to milk cows in Indiana, this group will look at milk quality, animal health and well-being issues." The Food and Drug Administration currently only allows the automatic systems to operate on a trial basis, Schutz says. When a robotic system begins milking on a Hoosier farm, this group will interpret and analyze the data. Schutz and Ed Pajor, assistant professor of animal sciences at Purdue, have traveled internationally to learn about the robotic systems and now are educating producers about the milkers. They recently held a meeting for Indiana dairy equipment dealers, producers and industry professionals to teach about the technology. Participants on the recent Indiana Professional Dairy Producers tour observed a robotic milking parlor in full operation, Schutz says. The new system allows producers to get away from the tedious chore of milking multiple times a day, Schutz says. Since the cows have the freedom to decide when they want to be milked, the amount of milk they give is increased. "Compared to milking two times a day, we know there is a 10 to 15 percent increase in milk production for cows milked three times a day," Schutz says. "Cows that have the option of being milked as frequently as they like, particularly during early lactation, could really benefit from visiting the milking stall more often per day." The cows are trained to move through a series of one-way gates leading from the freestall area to the robotic milker. It takes three to four weeks for the cows to begin using the system voluntarily, Schutz says. Training the cows during those early weeks can be frustrating for cows and people. "The milking stall design allows cows to come in one at a time," Schutz says. "As the cow enters the stall, the teats are cleaned and sanitized. The milker is attached to the udder one quarter, or one teat, at a time by ultrasound, laser pointer or visual scanning." The robotic system cleans the udders and attaches the milkers in about a minute and 15 seconds. Milking then takes about five minutes. Schutz says milking on a quarter basis is better for udder health and keeps the cow from being overmilked. "The ability for the system to identify any udder problems or abnormalities in the milk can be accomplished on a quarter basis," he says. "The four quarters are milked at the same time and given individual attention so you aren’t waiting for the slowest milking quarter to empty before the entire milker is removed." Herd sizes of 60 to 120 cows are ideal for this technology, Schutz says. Each stall milks 50 to 60 cows per day, which means it gets in about 150 milkings. This "hands-off" approach to milking has its disadvantages, too, Schutz says. One of the robotic milking stalls costs $150,000 to $175,000, and not every cow will adapt to the routine of robotic milking. In most cases, existing barns will need modifications or a new barn will need to be built. Producers also have to buy a service contract with the dealer to maintain the system. Schutz also says cows are not physically checked for mastitis, or udder inflammation due to infection, when they come to the stall, nor is milk quality manually monitored. Bacterial counts often are higher as well, since the flow of milk is slower during the day and out longer before cooling. But manufacturers are rapidly engineering solutions to these problems. While this technology allows farmers to spend fewer hours in the barn milking, there are still chores that must be done, like feeding and breeding. Producers also must check to make sure all cows are getting milked and not waiting for long periods of time before going to the stall. If something happens in the barn with one of the cows or the milker, a pager will automatically alert the producer, Schutz says. As of January 2001, Indiana ranks 15th nationally in the number of milk cows. There are 151,000 head of cows in Indiana, according to the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service located at Purdue. Source: Mike Schutz, (765) 494-9478, mschutz@purdue.edu Writer: Jennifer Doup, (765) 494-6682, jdoup@aes.purdue.edu Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu; https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/AgComm/public/agnews/ Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page