Abstract

Current technological limitations mean that to cost-effectively automate batch milking, without distributing milkings over 24 h, a rethink of the farm and milking system is required. A model and a range of non-optimised scenarios were developed for a 300-cow herd to illustrate the trade-offs between the number of automated milking points required (cost) and the duration of ‘on-call’ time for the person overseeing milking. Compared to the base scenario of 30 milking points (equivalent to conventional milking), by milking the herd in three groups of 100 and adjusting the twice-a-day milking interval from 9-15 h to 6-18 h, the number required could be reduced to 12, with a similar ‘on-call’ time. Further adjustments could reduce the number of milking points to 7 by milking once-a-day, although five groups of 60 cows would be required to keep cow waiting time below 2 h. These results demonstrate the potential flexibility of current automated milking technology for batch milking. Keywords: dairy farm systems; automated milking; batch-milking

Edwards, JP, Rue BT Dela, and Jago JG

New Zealand Journal of Animal Science and Production, Volume 83, Rotorua, 11-13, 2023