Making Successful Decisions on Robotic Milking Technology

Adoption of automated milking systems (AMS) has increased exponentially around the world in recent years. The objective of this observational study was to evaluate how producer perception of changes in cow-average milk yield and somatic cell count (SCC) compared with the actual changes in their herds after the introduction of AMS in Canadian commercial dairy herds. Data were collected (in 2014 and 2015) through a survey of 97 Canadian dairy herds that shifted to AMS from 2000 to 2014. Producers were asked their perception about milk yield and SCC changes (increase, decrease, or no change) after AMS introduction. Actual herd performance data were obtained from dairy herd improvement organizations. Differences between the 12-mo rolling herd-average milk yield (kg/cow per year) and SCC (cells/mL) at the closest test 2 yr after transitioning to AMS and at the last test before the transition were calculated and compared with the producer perception answers. After AMS adoption, milking herd size, milk yield, SCC, and number of AMS units per herd averaged (± standard deviation) 99.8 ± 54.4 cows, 9,619 ± 1,354 kg/cow per year, 248,825 ± 97,286 cells/mL, and 1.9 ± 1.1 units, respectively. On average, after AMS introduction, herd size, milk yield, and culling rate increased by 11.3 cows, 441 kg/cow per year, and 1.3%, respectively, and calving interval decreased by 7 d. For producers who perceived an increase, actual milk yield and SCC increases averaged (mean ± standard deviation) +534 ± 1,003 kg/cow per year and +56,679 ± 66,662 cells/mL, respectively. Alternatively, for producers who perceived a decrease, actual milk yield and SCC decreases averaged −984 ± 658 kg/cow per year and −26,976 ± 94,099 cells/mL, respectively. An actual milk yield change of +83.1 ± 1,113.3 kg/cow per year and an SCC change of +6,135 ± 72,609 cells/mL were observed in the herds in which the dairy producers perceived no change with the AMS introduction. Hence, dairy producers were, on average, able to discern their actual milk yield and SCC changes after AMS adoption. However, the proportions of dairy producers who accurately perceived their actual milk yield and SCC changes after AMS introduction were 39.4% for milk yield (increase: 36.3%; decrease: 100.0%; and no change: 45.5%) and 46.7% for SCC (increase: 50.0%; decrease: 39.0%; and no change: 54.1%). From these results, we concluded that several dairy producers distorted their actual milk yield and SCC changes or were not fully aware of those changes.

Automatic milking system (AMS) brings a change in approach to ensure the data reliability in the official milk recording (MR). The AMS is equipped with flowmeter. AMS software provides the daily milk yield (DMY) and average of the last 7 daily milk yields (AVG7) for MR. Classic MR uses DMY. AVG7 could be more reliable value. Origin of both records (DMY and AVG7) is from AMS flowmeter. The aim of paper was to compare the values of milk yield of cows from daily (DMY) and the extended records (AVG7) from AMS for objective assess of lactations to be used in cattle breeding. Study (2013) with 2 AMS herds (DeLaval and Lely Astronaut): herd 1 – Holstein (H) dairy cows; herd 2 – Czech Fleckvieh (CF) dairy cows. There were following milk records: n = 521 DeLaval (H); n = 567 Lely Astronaut (CF); 70 (H) and 68 (CF) dairy cows. MR samples were analyzed on: fat content; crude protein; somatic cell count. Correlations between AVG7 and DMY were: 0.888 (H); 0.898 (CF, both P ≤ 0.001). There were insignificant differences (P > 0.05; −0.07 ± 3.29 kg for H and 0.28 ± 3.3 kg for CF) between AVG7 and DMY for both robots. The same is valid for differences in the production of milk components. According to this comparison experiment the AVG7 of AMS is a suitable equivalent for the DMY regarding official MR for assessment of lactations.

Milk production may be reduced before dry-off to decrease the risk of cows developing intramammary infections during the dry period. Such reductions in milk may be possible in automated milking systems (AMS) where milking frequency and feed allocation at the AMS can be controlled at the cow level. This study investigated the effect of dry-off management of cows milked in AMS on milk yield, milking behavior, and somatic cell count (SCC). Using a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, applied from d 14 to 1 before dry-off, 445 cows from 5 commercial dairy farms in Quebec, Canada, were assigned within farm to either (1) reduced feed [RF; allowed a maximum of 0.75 kg/d of AMS pellet for the first week (14 to 8 d before dry-off) of treatment, and 0.50 kg/d for the second week (7 to 1 d before dry-off) of treatment], or (2) nonreduced feed (NF; allowed up to 2 kg/d of AMS pellet), and either (1) reduced milking (RM; reduced to 2 milkings/d or as many times as required to yield 17 kg/milking), or (2) nonreduced milking (NM; allowed up to 6 AMS milkings/d) and no maximum production. Feed and milking behavior data, as well as milk yield and SCC were collected from the AMS software. The RF cows had lower AMS feed delivered during the treatment period, as per the experimental design. Across the treatment period, the NF-NM cows had the highest milking frequency (2.7 times/d), followed by the RF-NM cows (2.4 times/d), and then both of the RM groups (1.8 times/d), which did not differ from each other. All cows, except the NF-NM cows, were gradually milked less frequently as dry-off approached. Across the entire 2-wk treatment period before dry-off, cows with RM allowance experienced a higher reduction in milk yield compared with the cows with no milking allowance restrictions (-4.8 vs. -3.6 kg). Similarly, cows with a RF allocation tended to have a higher reduction in milk yield than cows with NF (-4.6 vs. -3.7 kg). As result, those cows with both reduced milking permissions and feed allocation at the AMS experienced the greatest drop in milk production before dry-off. There were no differences between treatments for milking frequency or yield in the next lactation. Somatic cell score (calculated from SCC) was not different between treatments in the 2-wk or day before dry-off, nor in the first month after calving. Overall, these data suggest that reducing both milking frequency and feed quantity in the AMS is the most efficient method to decrease milk yield before dry-off, without negatively influencing milking frequency or yield in the next lactation, as well as without affecting milk quality.

Short communication: Characterizing metabolic and oxidant status of pastured dairy cows postpartum in an automatic milking system

Technologies emerging from current bioengineering research areas may have a substantial impact on society and raise many ethical issues. Consequentially, there is a significant interest amongst public and private organisations to identify ethical issues, improve stakeholder participation, and develop frameworks and assessment procedures to aid decision-makers evaluate these complex issues. This paper explores a form of bioethical analysis that has been developed to aid decision-makers in the agricultural and food sectors. Two agricultural technologies will be used as case studies to examine the application of this form of bioethical analysis in technology assessment, viz automatic milking systems (AMS) and bovine somatotrophin (bST). The bioethical framework applied, the Ethical Matrix developed by Mepham (e.g. 1996; 2000), is based on a principled approach drawn from the concept of the ‘common morality’ where the ‘impacts’ of a technology are assessed in terms of respect for three ethical principles (wellbeing, autonomy and justice) as they apply to various interest groups.To explore stakeholder issues raised by the technologies, two workshops and separate postal surveys of farmers, consumers and retailers were conducted to examine the attitudes to the two technologies. Each survey included matched questions, so that attitudes could be cross-compared, with the Ethical Matrix used as a guiding framework. The three surveys highlighted specific attitudes of consumers, farmers and retailers to bST and AMS (response rates were 19.3%, 27.3% and 69% respectively), as well as identifying general trends in attitudes to technological development. Consumers distinguished clearly between what they considered to be more acceptable (AMS was largely acceptable with some caveats) and less acceptable technologies (bST). bST use in the UK was unacceptable to the majority of UK farmers whereas AMS was accepted with caution. Retailers, overall, had a cautious but considered approach to the technologies, applying a precautionary approach in their policies.Applying the Ethical Matrix aided the clarification of ethical issues which underlie differences in opinion on the acceptability and required legal control of the two technologies. In summary, bST supporters placed a greater emphasis on productivity and prosperity, whereas sceptics focused on perceived risks, and on producers' and consumers' lack of autonomy. Potential positive impacts of AMS were identified as improvements in dairy production efficiency and enhancement of dairy farmer and cow welfare, while concerns included impacts on rural employment, milk quality and the increasingly instrumental use of animals.The incorporation of bioethical analysis into technology assessment, specifically in the form of the Ethical Matrix, was generally regarded as providing a useful and valuable tool, helping to clarifying issues and encourage dialogue. Individuals with contrasting worldviews can use it effectively, allowing any conflicts and consistencies of the arguments to be cross-compared. This is particularly important for policy makers who need to be explicit and transparent and to justify their decisions by reference to widely accepted ethical norms. At a simplistic level, this method may act merely as a comprehensive check-list, but when applied more comprehensively it can encourage stakeholder dialogue and clarify the interactions of scientific and ethical aspects of a particular issue.

Short communication: Assessing the accuracy of inline milk fat-to-protein ratio data as an indicator of hyperketonemia in dairy cows in herds with automated milking systems

Mastitis detection with recurrent neural networks in farms using automated milking systems

Estimation of methane emission using the CO2 method from dairy cows fed concentrate with different carbohydrate compositions in automatic milking system

The main objective of the study was to determine the effect of transition from a conventional milking system (CMS) to an automatic milking system (AMS) on survival of 6361 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows to second (SL2), third (SL3) and fourth (SL4) lactation as well culling reasons. The cows were born between 2002 and 2015 and calved between 2004 and 2018. All data for the survival analysis and culling reasons of cows in 17 herds during operation of CMS and AMS were extracted from the SYMLEK official milk recording system. Cow survival (SL2, SL3 and SL4) was analysed with multiple logistic regression using the following effects in the model: milking system (MS), first calving season (CS), age at first calving (AFC), ease of first calving (CE), birth of a dead calf at first calving (DC), milk yield (MY) for full first lactation (MY – this effect was ignored in SL2 analysis), herd (H), and MS × H interaction. In the next stage of the study, χ2 test was used to analyse culling reasons of cows (udder diseases, low fertility – infertility and reproductive disorders, locomotor diseases, low milk yield, other diseases – metabolic, digestive and respiratory diseases, accidents and chance events) in the first, second and third lactation and collectively in the first three lactations. Logistic regression analysis indicated a significant effect of MS, AFC, DC on SL2 and SL3, and of MY on SL3 and SL4. Moreover, H and MS × H interaction had a highly significant effect on SL2, SL3, and SL4. Cows used in AMS barns were characterized by significantly worse SL2 and SL3 compared to CMS (odds ratio), by 27.8% and 31.0%, respectively. It was also observed that the effect of switching from CMS to AMS on cow survival was determined by herd membership – in most herds this effect was unfavourable. A distinctly positive effect of milking automation on cow survival (SL2, SL3, SL4) was noted in only one barn (herd) – it was a new barn with a considerably expanded number of milked cows, where the lying area was covered with straw. When analysing the reasons for culling in the first three lactations collectively, it was found that after the AMS system was introduced into the herds, there were increases in the rate of culling for locomotor diseases (by 0.85 percentage points (p.p.)), low milk yield (1.36 p.p.) and other diseases (3.01 p.p.). It was also observed that the automation of milking reduced culling due to udder diseases by 0.37 p.p., low fertility by 3.24 p.p., and accidents and chance events by 1.60 p.p.

Cow-level associations of lameness, behavior, and milk yield of cows milked in automated systems

320 pp. £49.95 (Hard) Albright J.L. Arave C.W. The Behaviour of Cattle 1997 CAB International Wallingford 0 85199 196 3

Simple SummaryIn barns that use milking parlors, cows walk from their pens to the milking area at least twice a day. A question can be raised: In what position are the cows at the moment of opening the exit gate in the pen, before going to the milking parlor? Is it a standing or lying position? When the cow is lying down, she must stop this activity. The forced break from lying can be considered in terms of cow welfare. The study compared the number of cows lying down when the exit gates opened in four pens over a period of 26 days. A greater number of lying cows were found before leaving for morning milking compared to afternoon milking. More cows were lying on the stalls with a lower level of sand compared to a higher level of sand. For comparisons between animals, an index of forced standing up of cows has been proposed. The results of the research may be an inspiration to identify solutions that will reduce the forceful getting up of cows. Such solutions include milking cows with a voluntary milking system instead of a milking parlor.Equipping a farm with a milking parlor requires moving groups of cows from their pens to the part of the barn where milking takes place. The task of moving cows, carried out two or three times each day, shows links to the lying area of the barn. When the cows are taken from the pen to the milking parlor, some of them may be lying down, and this lying down must be interrupted. The forced standing up of cows can be considered in terms of their welfare. The aim of the study was to examine the number of cows lying in the stalls at the time of opening the exit gates in the pens in order to take the cows to the milking parlor. The study covered four pens, each with 12 cows. The behavior of the cows in the pens before morning and afternoon milking was recorded over 26 days. In the analysis, the dependent variable was the number of lying cows, and the independent variables were the time of milking and the level of sand in the lying stalls. The results of the study showed the significance of differences in the number of lying cows for stalls with a low and high level of sand, both in the case of morning and afternoon milking. Differences in the number of lying cows were also found when comparing the time before morning and afternoon milking. To compare the tendency of individual cows to lie down before going to milking, an index of forced standing up was proposed. The research conducted showed differences in the behavior of cows before leaving the pen to the milking parlor. The stage to reduce the forced standing up of cows is to equip the farm with an automatic milking system (AMS) instead of using a milking parlor. In barns with AMS, cows have full freedom to get up and approach the milking stall. The results of the observations are thus an additional argument confirming the benefits of using an automatic milking system, considered in terms of the welfare of dairy cows, regarding their lying down and getting up.

the aim of study was to find out the influence of milking by automatic milking system (AMS) on the physiological needs of dairy cows within 30 minutes after milking. Ethological study covered the needs of feed intake, water intake and need of lying down. The need of feed intake in 30 minutes after milking was found at 75.51 % of dairy cows in the barn with AMS. The need of water intake was found at 41.79 % of dairy cows. The percentage of cows, which needed to lie down after milking, was 3.7 %.

The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of supplementing a low level of dry glycerol product pre- and postpartum on the feeding behavior, lying behavior, and reticulorumen pH of dairy cows. Multiparous Holstein dairy cows (n = 60) were enrolled in a 2 × 2 factorial design study. Twenty-one days before expected parturition, cows individually received a dry cow diet with (1) 250 g/d glycerol supplementation (GLY; 66% pure glycerol, United States Pharmacopeia grade), or (2) no supplementation (CON). Following parturition, cows were individually assigned to either (1) 250 g/d glycerol product (GLY; 66% pure glycerol), or (2) no supplementation (CON) to their partial mixed ration (PMR) for the first 21 d in milk (DIM). All cows were milked by an automated milking system and offered a target of 5.4 kg/d pellet (23% of target total dry matter intake [DMI]). For both treatment periods, cows were individually assigned to automated feed bins to measure PMR feeding behavior. Rumination time and lying behavior were monitored with electronic sensors for the whole study (-21 to 21 DIM). Reticulorumen pH boluses were administered to a subset of cows (n = 40) where pH was recorded every 10 min from 21 d prepartum to 21 d postpartum. Prepartum, cows fed GLY had fewer, larger meals and spent 20.2% more time feeding than CON while consuming feed at a similar rate. Cows on the CON diet prepartum spent more time lying down in more frequent bouts in the 21 d before calving. Following parturition, cows that received GLY prepartum continued to devote more time to eating, while tending to spend less time ruminating per kilogram of DMI. Cows receiving CON postpartum had larger meals with longer intervals between meals. In the first 21 DIM, cows receiving CON prepartum tended to have shorter, but significantly more frequent, lying bouts than cows fed GLY prepartum. Glycerol supplementation pre- and postpartum resulted in less time spent lying down following parturition. Minimal differences between treatments were observed for pre- and postpartum sorting behavior or reticulorumen pH. Overall, supplementation of glycerol pre- and postpartum altered cow time budgets, with cows spending more time eating pre- and postpartum, less time lying pre- and postpartum, and having fewer, larger meals prepartum when receiving glycerol prepartum, and with cows having slower feeding rates and smaller meals following parturition with postpartum glycerol supplementation.

Methane emission is currently an important trait in studies on ruminants due to its environmental and economic impact. Recent studies were based on short-time measurements on individual cows. As methane emission is a longitudinal trait, it is important to investigate its changes over a full lactation. In this study, we aimed to estimate the heritability of the estimated methane emissions from dairy cows using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy during milking in an automated milking system by implementing the random regression method. The methane measurements were taken on 485 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows at 2 commercial farms located in western Poland. The overall daily estimated methane emission was 279 g/d. Genetic variance fluctuated over the course of lactation around the average level of 1,509 (g/d), with the highest level, 1,866 (g/d), at the end of the lactation. The permanent environment variance values started at 2,865 (g/d) and then dropped to around 846 (g/d) at 100 d in milk (DIM) to reach the level of 2,444 (g/d) at the end of lactation. The residual variance was estimated at 2,620 (g/d). The average repeatability was 0.25. The heritability level fluctuated over the course of lactation, starting at 0.23 (SE 0.12) and then increasing to its maximum value of 0.3 (SE 0.08) at 212 DIM and ending at the level of 0.27 (SE 0.12). Average heritability was 0.27 (average SE 0.09). We have shown that estimated methane emission is a heritable trait and that the heritability level changes over the course of lactation. The observed changes and low genetic correlations between distant DIM suggest that it may be important to consider the period in which methane phenotypes are collected.