Three feeds a day with robotic milking

Feb 3, 2013

FutureDairy researcher, Nicolas Lyons, found that a 3-way grazing system works better on farms with automatic milking systems (AMS) than the traditional approach of offering cows two fresh pasture breaks a day
Research and farmer experience has confirmed that a 3 – way grazing system works better on farms with automatic milking systems (AMS) than the traditional approach of offering cows two fresh pasture breaks a day. FutureDairy research found that offering feed in three allocations every 24 hours increased average milk production by 18 %, increased milking frequency by 4 0 and improved AMS unit utilisation by 1 0 %. Experience on commercial AMS farms supports these findings, with 90% of pasture – based Australian AM S farmers currently using a 3 – way grazing system. Furture Dairy experience has shown that a 3 – way grazing system is relatively easy to manage, as long as the laneways and farm layout are designed for it. When planning an AMS, it is critical to design the farm layout to allow for 3 – way grazing. It is not particularly expensive, or difficult to include at the design stage for most farms, but it can be much harder to go back afterwards and rearrange the farm layout. Three – way grazing can include three fresh breaks of pasture a day, or two pasture breaks and a feedpad with a loafing area. Three – way grazing is central to motivating cows to move regularly and voluntarily around the farm, taking themselves to the dairy to be milked, and walking back to the paddock afterwards. The labour, lifestyle and management benefits associated with an AMS are best achieved if cows move on their own. Researchers around the world have found food is the most reliable incentive to encourage cows to move around the farm. Cows in an AMS are just as well fed as cows in a conventional system, where they typically have access to two fresh paddocks a day. The only difference is that AMS cows are offered their daily feed allowance in three smaller ‘portions’ each day. Benefits FutureDairy trials found that offering cows feed in three fresh portions a day meant they visited the dairy and were milked more often, and there were 36% fewer cows who went for an extended period (1 6 hours or more) between milking’s. This resulted in more milking sessions per hour and more evenly distributed cow flow through the AMS units during the day and night. The combined effect was a large increase in operational efficiency of the AMS units. These gains occurred in cows at all stages of lactation. In contrast, in a 2 – way grazing system, milking frequency tended to drop off significantly towards late lactation. More frequent movement of cows allows the farm manager to be more selective about which cows are drafted for milking and when this occurs

Dr Kendra Kerrisk, FutureDairy project leader. Ph 0428 101 372 or email kendra.kerrisk@sydney.edu.au