Single box robots, multi-box robots and the AMR™ are collectively termed Automatic Milking Systems (AMS) since they all allow for full voluntary cow traffic, remote supervision and milkings to be distributed through the 24-hour day. Whilst it is recognized that there is another robotic rotary on the market (the GEA Dairy ProQ) this rotary does not allow for the same type of operation. With the Dairy ProQ cows are required to be fetched to the dairy and on-site human supervision is required. Given the degree of human supervision, the Dairy ProQ is considered to offer robotic cup attachment but is not an automatic milking system.

About these Guidelines

These guidelines build upon (and do not duplicate) the original Management Guidelines for pasture-based AMS herds (2010). The Large Herd Guidelines focus on managing a large herd with automatic milking. There are six primary themes in the index below. The elements in each theme combine to create the ‘body of knowledge’ that will be the legacy of the third cycle of FutureDairy funding.

Note: You will need to have the Adobe Flash player installed in your browser to preview the ‘Prezi’ files under each of the sections below.