49 Q + A on Robotic Milking Systems

If you have ever had even a thought of transitioning to milking robots, you probably had a few questions, or a lot. Team Milk Barn has put together a 49 question and answer sheet for hopefully most of those questions. As always, feel free to contact a Milk Barn Team Member if you have any further questions or inquiries.

1.      Does teat and udder confirmation matter?

·       A cow with good udder conformation is a plus for robots but they don't have to be perfect.

2.      What kind of cows work best in robots?

·       A healthy cow with a good, even udder and a good attitude works best. Jerseys flow very well in robots because they are so curious.

3.      How many cows can it milk?

·       A robot can milk 60-70 cows three times a day.

4.      Do the cows eat/drink in the robot?

·       Cows can eat in the robots.

5.      How many robots can you group to barn groups?

·       Currently, there are barns that have up to 280 cows per group.

6.      What does it do if my cow was treated?

·       Enter her in the system as a treated cow, when she milks it will divert her milk to the drain or your pail of choice.

7.      How does it clean the teats?

·       Some brands use a teat cleaning cup that uses water jets to swirl teat cleaning solution and then air dry. Other brands use brushes to apply teat cleaning solution.

8.      How often can a cow visit the robot?

·       The farmer can determine how often he wants the cow to be milked.

9.      What happens if a cow kicks a unit off?

·       The robot will reattach it.

10.  How long does it take to milk the cow?

·       The total time in the robot is typically 6-7 minutes.

11.  Does it wash after "bad" milk?

·       Yes, it does a quick five-minute wash.

12.  Can I access it from my phone, and if so, what can I do?

·       Yes, you can do almost everything with your phone.

13.  Can you milk different breeds in one barn/box?

·       Yes, you can, some brands index to make the stall bigger or smaller to accommodate different size animals better.

14.   Can you milk manually?

·       Yes, you can, but unfortunately with some brands the manual attachment is very difficult.

15.   Can it harvest colostrum?

·       Yes, it will divert colostrum to your pail of choice.

16.   What kind of dips can you use? (pre/post)

·       You can use most dips that are used in a conventional milking system.

17.   How hard is it to train cows to milk in the robot?

·       You may need to push them to the robot for a few milkings or days, but they will soon understand how to do it.

18.   Is there certain bedding that works best and why?

·       Sawdust works great in robots, but you can add a sand kit and get the same result.

19.   Does the robot tell me if a cow has mastitis?

·       There is an option for an online somatic cell counter. There is also conductivity on the milk meter.

20.   Do I have to train the robot for each new cow?

·       No

21.   How does the robot find the teats?

·       The robot uses a 3-D time-of-flight camera.

22.  How long does it take to wash a robot?

·       20-30 minutes

23.  What kind of air compressor will I need?

·       A scroll compressor is best to hold up to lots of run time.

24.  How long does it take to do maintenance?

·       About 3 hours, 3X a year

25.  How can I keep operating costs low?

·       Cost of operation varies a lot depending on how much work you do yourself vs. your dealer

26.  What is _____ flow?

·       Guided flow is a gating system that requires cows to go through a smart gate to determine if they have milking permission before they go to the feed bunk.

·       Free flow is no control, a cow can eat or milk at any time (milk permission needed).

27.  What will maintenance cost?

·       Maintenance without labor normally costs about $4,000/year.

28.  Does it use a buffer tank?

·       You can, but it's just another thing to clean.

29.  Is there a hotline I can call when I need help?

·       You can contact your dealer.

30.  Do I need to do something special with my water?

·       You just need good water with a maximum of three grains of hardness.

31.  How will I know when robots need service?

·       Your dealer will give you details on scheduled maintenance but most likely every four months per robot.

32.  Who will support me after the purchase?

·       Your local dealer.

33.  What are the utility needs of each box?

-          VAC: over 20 CFM 13.3 inHg

-          Water: 60-75 PSI Max 3 grains hardness, good water

-          Electric: 30 amps/robot

-          Chemical: standard pipeline cleaning chemicals

-          Air: 90-145 PSI 3.5 CFM per robot, clean and dry

-          Hot Water: minimum 50 gallons/robot

34.  How do the alarms work?

·       Alarms are forwarded to your phone.

35.  What are the building costs?

·       In a retrofit situation you need to build a room or rooms to put robots in. Costs vary significantly.

36.  How long do they take to install?

·       It will take a few weeks to install.

37.  Can I add the robots to my existing barn?

·       Yes, retrofits are common to do.

38.  When do I scrape if the cows are always in the barn?

·       Use alley scrapers or a manure robot if possible. Otherwise scrape 2x a day by moving cows around in the barn.

39.  How do the cows enter and exit the box?

·       Via side gates.

40.  Will my team be able to navigate the change, and do I need to hire other people?

·       You may need to hire someone that understands computers better.

41.  How does the milk tank work with robots?

·       Flow control cooling has the sensors in which it is cooling by the incoming flow to the tank.

42.  Can I get training in working on robots?

·       Yes, there is training available both online and in person.

43.  How close does each robot box need to be to my tank?

·       No farther than 650 feet.

44.  What happens if I lose power?

·       Turn on your backup generator and keep milking cows.

45.  What happens when the milk hauler comes?

·       The milk hauler pushes a button which signals the robots to stop accepting cows. When all the robots are done milking, there is a light that signals the hauler that the milk is ready to load on the truck.

46.  Are there ideal types of robot people?

·       People that already are tech-savvy and love their cows.

47.  Can they come out without knocking the wall down?

·       Yes

48.  What are the best times to feed now that I'm not getting distinct milking times?

·       You can keep your normal feeding times. In a guided flow barn the best time to feed is when cows are slow coming to the robots (noon and midnight).

49.  What kind of loans can I buy robots with? Can I finance robots or lease them?

·       You can lease or buy it outright.