European and North American Trends in Automatic Milking of Dairy Cows

1
European and North American Trends in Automatic
Milking of Dairy Cows????????? ?????????????
?????? ???????? ????? ? ?????? ? ???

• Professor Mark Varner
• ????????? ???? ??????
• ??????????? ????? ????????, ???
• University of Maryland, USA

2
Outline - ??????????

• Introduction
• Changes in Companies
• Examples of equipment
• Economics of Automatic milking
• Practical Experience
• Questions

• ????????
• ????????? ? ?????????
• ??????? ????????????
• ????????? ??????-???????????? ?????
• ???????????? ????
• ???????

3
Introduction - ????????

• Robotic milking equipment (older name)
• Automated milking systems (current name)
• Voluntary milking systems (new name in UK)

• ???????????????? ???????? ???????-????? (??????
  ??????)
• ?????????????????? ???????? ??????? (???????????
  ??????)
• ???????????? ???????? ??????? (??????,
  ??????????? ? ??????????????)

4
Trends - ?????????

• Trends in adoption ????????? ?????????
• (a) Almost ½ of farms in NL and DK install
  automatic milkers when update milking parlor.
• ??? ???????????? 50 ???? ? ????????? ? ??????
  ????????????? ?????????????? ???????? ???????
• (b) Adopt technology to improve quality of life
  and because of labor shortages
• ?????????? ?????????? ??? ????????? ?????? ?????
  ? ??-?? ???????? ??????? ????
• Much variation in design of systems ???????
  ???????????? ??????
• Companies bought/sold ??????? ? ??????????
  ????????

5
Trends ????????? (???????????)

• Number of robots/stall
• One robot arm services multiple milking stalls
• One robot arm per stall
• Type of robot
• Specifically developed robot arm
• Industrial robot Cleaning of cow before milking
• Cleaning of cow
• Special equipment
• Contained in teat milking cup with flush after
  cleaning

• ????? ??????? ?? ???????? ?????
• ???? ???? ??????????? ????????? ????
• ???? ???? ?? ???? ?????
• ???? ???????
• ??????????? ??????????
• ????????????? ???????????? ???????
• ?????? ?????
• ??????????? ????????????
• ???????????? ????????? ? ???????? ???????
  ????????????? ????? ??????

6
Companies????????-?????????????

• Lely Astronaut first largest (60 of market)
• Alfa Laval Most expensive (30 of market)
• Titan Westfalia-Surge (former Gascoigne-Melotte
  Liberty)
• SAC RDS-Futurline (former Galaxy)
• Fullwood Merlin (old version of Lely)

• Lely Astronaut ?????? ? ?????????? (60 ?????)
• Alfa Laval ????? ??????? ???? (30 ?????)
• Titan Westfalia-Surge (??????
  Gascoigne-Melotte Liberty)
• SAC RDS-Futurline (?????? Galaxy)
• Fullwood Merlin (?????? ?????? Lely)

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Lely - Astronaut

• Third generation of equipment
• More than 20th generation of software
• One specially designed robot arm per milking
  stall
• Cleaning of cow teat by separate equipment
• Least expensive/cow
• Video example

• ?????? ????????? ????????????
• ????? 20 ????????? ???????????? ???????????
• ???? ??????????? ?????-?????? ?? ???? ????????
  ?????
• ????????? ?????????????? ??? ?????? ??????
• ?????????? ??????? ? ??????? ?? ???? ??????
• ?????-???????????

8
Alfa Laval

• Second generation equipment
• Regular updates to software
• One specially designed robot arm per milking
  stall
• Cleaning of cow teat by separate equipment
• Most expensive/cow
• Video example

• ?????? ????????? ????????????
• ?????????? ?????????? ???????????? ???????????
• ???? ???? ?? ???? ???????? ?????
• ????????? ?????????????? ??? ?????? ??????
• ????????? ??????? ? ??????? ?? ???? ??????
• ?????-???????????

9
Titan Punch Technix Robotic??????????? ??????
WestfaliaSurge

• Second generation equipment
• Regular updates to software
• One specially designed robot arm on a rail that
  services 4-5 milking stalls
• Cleaning of cow teat by milking equipment
• Video example

• ?????? ????????? ????????????
• ?????????? ?????????? ????????
• ???? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ????????? ???????? ????
• ?????????? ???????????? ??? ?????? ??????
• ?????-???????????

10
RDS-Futurline SAC

• Second generation equipment
• Regular updates to software
• One industrial robot arm per two milking stalls
• Cleaning of cow teat by separate equipment
• Mobile unit for milking in pastures
• Russian information
• Video example

• ?????? ????????? ????????????
• ?????????? ?????????? ????????
• ???? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???????? ?????
• ????????? ?????????????? ??? ?????? ??????
• ????????? ????????? ??? ????????????? ??
  ?????????
• ?????????? ?? ??????? ?????
• ?????-???????????

11
Merlin AMS by Fullwood (UK)

• Second generation Lely equipment
• Sales via Fullwoods UK marketing network
• One specially designed robot arm per milking
  stall
• Cleaning of cow teat by separate equipment

• ?????? ????????? ???????????? ????? Levy
• ??????????? ????? ???? Fullwoods UK
• ???? ???? ?? ???? ???????? ?????
• ????????? ?????????????? ??? ?????? ??????

12
Economics of AMS ????????? ??????????????????
???????? ??????

• Economic analysis of herds with new AMS or
  conventional systems in NL
• Results for 62 herds expressed in three ways
• Overall profit
• Profit per worker

• ????????????? ?????? ????? ? ???????????? ??????
  ? ?????????
• ???????????? ?????? ?? 62 ?????? ?? ????
  ???????????
• ????? ???????
• ??????? ?? 1 ?????????

Source Bijl, Kooistra and Hogeveen (2007) J.
Dairy Sci. 90239
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Economics of AMS ????????? ??????????????????
???????? ??????(???????????)

• Financial comparison based on money available to
  pay for rent, depreciation, interest, labor and
  profit

• ?????????? ?????????, ?????????? ?? ???????????
  ??????? ??? ?????? ??????, ???????????,
  ?????????? ?????????, ?????? ????? ? ?????????
  ???????

Source Bijl, Kooistra and Hogeveen (2007) J.
Dairy Sci. 90239
14
Economics of AMS ????????? ??????????????????
???????? ??????(???????????)

• ?????????? ?? ????? ???????
• ???????????? ?????? ????? ??????? ??????????????
  ? ?????
• ???????????? ?????? ????? ??????? ??????????
  ??????? (??. ???., ?????)
• ?????????????????? ??????? ????? ???????
  ?????????? ???????

• Economic results for overall profit
• Conventional herds had higher production and
  greater revenue
• Conventional herds had greater variable costs
  (mostly feed)
• AMS herds had greater fixed costs

Source Bijl, Kooistra and Hogeveen (2007) J.
Dairy Sci. 90239
15
Economics of AMS ????????? ??????????????????
???????? ??????(???????????)

• ?????????? ?? ????? ???????
• ?????????????????? ??????? ??????? ????? ???? ??
  29
• ???????????? ?????? ???? ?? 5

• Economic results for overall profit
• AMS herds required 29 less labor than
  conventional herds
• Conventional herds grew in size by 5

Source Bijl, Kooistra and Hogeveen (2007) J.
Dairy Sci. 90239
16
Economics of AMS ????????? ??????????????????
???????? ??????(???????????)

• Economic results for overall profit
• AMS herds had greater gas, water and electricity
  costs
• AMS herds had greater costs for service to
  equipment

• ?????????? ?? ????? ???????
• ?????????????????? ??????? ????? ??????? ???????
  ?? ???, ???? ? ?????????????
• ?????????????????? ??????? ????? ??????? ???????
  ?? ????????????

Source Bijl, Kooistra and Hogeveen (2007) J.
Dairy Sci. 90239
17
Economics of AMS ????????? ??????????????????
???????? ??????(???????????)

• Economic results per worker
• AMS herds had revenue
• Conclusions
• When deciding between conventional and AMS,
  farmer must have profitable work for the time
  that becomes available

• ?????????? ?? ?????? ?????????
• ?????????????????? ??????? ???? ????? ???????
  ?????
• ??????
• ??? ?????? ?????? ????????? ?? ????????
  ?????????? ????????????? ?????????? ???????

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Practical Experience??????? ?? ????????

• Mason-Dixon Farm, Gettysburg, PA
• 1600 cows, family farm with hired workers
• Installed one Lely robot in 2002 and removed in
  2004
• Installed 10 Alfa Laval robots for 575 cows in
  2006
• 175 hours/week (50 less than conventional)

• ????? Mason-Dixon, ??????????, ????????????
• ???????? ????? ?? 1600 ????? ??????? ?????????
• ???? ????? Levy ?????????? ? 2002 ?. ?
  ???????????? ? 2004 ?.
• 10 ??????? Alfa Laval ?? 575 ????? ??????????? ?
  2006 ?.
• ??????? ????? 175 ????? ? ?????? (?? 50 ????,
  ??? ??? ???????????? ???????)

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Practical Experience??????? ?? ????????

• Most important benefits
• Difficult to find good quality employees
• Lifestyle benefits (more flexible work times)

• ???????? ?????? ??????
• ??????? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ???????
  ????????????
• ????? ?????? ??????? ??????

20
Practical Experience??????? ?? ????????

• Return on investment
• Just completed consideration of Phase II of AMS
• Financial payback is the same as conventional

• ?????? ???????? ????????
• ?????? ??? ????????? ???????????? ?????? ????
  ???????
• ?????????? ?????? ????? ??, ??? ??? ????????????
  ???????

21
Practical Experience??????? ?? ????????

• Results
• 60 cows/robot
• 2.7 milkings/cow/day (range of 1.7-4.0)
• 36 kg milk/cow/day
• Milk quality same
• Mastitis incidence the same (3)

• ??????????
• 1 ????? ?? 60 ?????
• 2,7 ????? ?? ?????? ? ????
• 36 ?? ?????? ?? 1 ?????? ? ????
• ???????? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ??????
• ?????? ???????? ?? ??? ?? ?????? 3

22
Practical Experience??????? ?? ????????

• ?????????????
• ??????? ?? ?????????? ????????? ? ??????? ?
  ??????????????? ??????????
• ????? ??????? ?????? ????????, ??? ???????
• 40-45 ???????? ??????????? ??? ?? ?????? ?????
• ??? ????? ??????????? ?? ??? ???
• ??? 50 ????? ?????? ???????? ?????????
  ????????????? ??????

• Surprises
• Changed from a focus of managing cows in a group
  to managing cows as individuals
• Easier to train older cows than younger cows
• 40-50 trained on second milking
• All trained by 3 days
• Second lactation cows must reset robot for 50
  of cows

23
Practical Experience??????? ?? ????????

• Remaining challenges
• Rubber components need to accommodate shorter and
  smaller teats in US cows
• 15 of cows with problem shaped teats

• ?????????? ????????
• ????????? ?????????? ?????? ????????? ? ?????
  ???????? ? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ?????
• 15 ????? ????? ???????? ? ?????? ??????

Good shape
Problem shape
?????????? ?????
???????????? ?????
24
Practical Experience?? ????????

• Advice to farmers
• Visit as many possible before deciding (4 Russian
  groups to Mason-Dixon already)
• Visit more than once if possible
• Evaluate cows with problem shaped teats

• ?????? ????????
• ????????? ????????? ????? ??? ????? ???? (4
  ?????????? ?????? ???????? ????? Mason-Dixon)
• ???? ????????, ????????? ?? ????????? ???
• ?????????? ???????? ????? ?????? ??????

25
Practical Experience?? ????????

• Advice to farmers
• Not cheapest way to start milking
• Plan for new barn and not remodel old barn
  (important benefits to improvements in cow
  comfort, feeding and ventilation

• ?????? ????????
• ???????? ????? ?? ????? ??????? ????
• ???????????? ?????? ????????? ????????????????
  ???????????? ????????????? (?????????? ???????,
  ?????????, ??????????)

26
Other Engineering Aspects?????? ??????????
???????

• Generate electricity from biogas and manure
  fermentation
• Forage harvesting (video)

• ???????????? ?????????????? ?? ??????? ?
  ??????????? ??????
• ?????? ???????? (?????)

27
Excellent Web Sites???????? Web ?????

• EU Research Project Results
• http//www.automaticmilking.nl/
• Penn State Excel Spreadsheet How much can I
  afford to pay?
• http//farmmanagement.aers.psu.edu/FMDocs/Decision
  tools/RobotValue.xls

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Questions - ???????

• ?

• ?