Automatic milking

Project information

Background 

The idea of automating the complete milking process has been around for at least the past 25 years. Initially, the major challenge was to develop reliable, swift and practical techniques for locating teats and attaching teat cups. Various pioneering attempts showed the possibilities, but it was only in the late 1980's that machines with potential for commercial exploitation began to appear. The term Automatic Milking System, also indicated as Robotic Milking System or Voluntary milking System, refers to a system that automates all the functions of the milking process undertaken in conventional milking systems by a mix of manual and machine systems. In contrast to conventional milking, where humans bring the cows to be milked at regular times (usually twice a day), automatic milking places emphasis on the cows motivation to be milked in a self-service manner several times a day. Supplying a (small) amount of concentrates in the automatic milking system enhances motivation. In addition, specific cow traffic management based on the cow's motivation to eat or drink may be applied to direct her on a path through the feeding and lying areas by control gates in order to achieve an optimum number of milkings per day without human interference. Location of a concentrate dispenser in the exit area of the milking system can also be used as a stimulus to visit the milking system. Main benefits of automatic milking are an increase in milk yield from more frequent milking, reduction of labour and the lack of necessity for the farmer to be present at regular milking times.

Developments

The past two years automatic milking systems are being installed at an increasing rate, mainly on dairy farms in North-west Europe. Currently, approximately 400 dairy farms in Europe are milking with an automatic milking system. Introduction of automatic milking systems on dairy farms involves far more than just replacing labour by equipment. It changes the whole method of farming. Nature and organisation of labour will alter in the sense that manual labour is partly replaced by management and control, and presence at regular milking times is no longer required. Regular visual control on cow and udder health at milking times will, at least partly, be taken over by automatic control. Satisfactory facilities for cleaning of cows and teats, as well for separation of abnormal milk have to be incorporated into the automatic system. Milking equipment will be used for 24 hrs a day, which requires a high reliability of the system and adapted cleaning schemes and cooling systems. Permanent admittance to the system will change cow activities, may require adjusted cow routing within the barn and will influence the possibilities of grazing. Moreover robotic milking may have an impact on the public acceptance of dairy farming and dairy products. Up to now, research on automatic milking has mainly concentrated on technical improvements of automatic milking systems to improve performance and capacity, and on development of cow routing systems which ensure the desired frequency of visits to the milking robot. However, many questions remain in the realms of the following themes:

Research Questions

  1. Farm-level adoption determinants of automatic milking, and on-farm social-economic and environmental implications of adoption; 
  2. (Conditions for) societal acceptance of this new technology; 
  3. Impact on milk quality and possibilities to produce milk of indisputable quality; 
  4. Impacts on animal health and welfare, including combination of automatic milking with grazing; 
  5. Requirements for management information systems.

EU project Automatic Milking 

In order to provide answers to these questions a project investigating several aspects of automatic milking was composed. This project, 'Implications of the introduction of automatic milking on dairy farms' (QLK5-2000-31006) is executed within the 5th framework programme, 'Quality of life and management of living resources'. More information about this research programme can be found on http://www.cordis.lu/life/src/projects.htm. 

Research institutes from six countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Holland and Sweden) and 6 industrial partners work together on this project. The project is co-ordinated by the Research Institute for Animal Husbandry in the Netherlands. Its entire budget is 3.630.104 euro of which 2.420.001 euro is financed by the European Commission.

Objectives 

Objectives of the project are: 

  1. To identify determinants for the adoption of automatic milking on dairy farms in North-west European member states; 
  2. To assess the implications of the adoption of automatic milking systems, in the realms of farm-level social-economic aspects, public acceptance, milk quality, animal health, animal welfare and farm management support requirements; 
  3. To generate solutions for any adverse effects of a widespread use of automatic milking in an early stage of adoption; 
  4. To disseminate results among research centres, policy makers, farmers and farmers' services, manufacturers of milking equipment and dairy industry

In order to meet all the objectives, 11 work packages have been designed, each performing research on a specific topic related to Automatic Milking.

© Animal Sciences Group - Wageningen UR. Last update: 20-02-2008 10:03.
Mail any questions and remarks to: webmaster.asg@wur.nl