Robotic milking

[Peter]

A4 to A5 is an easy swap out. If prep work done ahead of time and enough man power can be done in a few hours, depends on space and access. A2 or A3 to A5 different story, concrete work to do. Easiest would be a new space for the A5 so the older machines could stay running till new one ready to run. But rarely get that lucky. Can be done. We did two A2 to A5 in one day, then the next 2 another day at the same farm. Takes planning, prep work and man power. 6 Lely guys and 5 farm staff, 1 electrician and 1 welder. Everybody had their assigned jobs and just got at it. Started 8am, new machines milking by 3pm.

 

[Peter]

Fun one we did a year or so ago. Watched the blue team take one of theirs out. Then we rolled an A4 in and milking in 6 hours. This farm started with one A3, then added a blue one, then changed the blue to red, then added a 3rd red.

 

[pappuller]

One of my aims was always to see if my ragtag herd of many colours could achieve a 40kg average and I'm feeling very proud that we have achieved it this last week and appear to be holding steady. But we rarely see cows peaking over 60 kg and I was wondering how much purchased feed people will feed to cows/heifers at 60dim before feed to yield takes over I don't particularly want to change anything but am curious as to what sort of peaks people experience on robots as a norm. Tia

 

[Scholsey]

One of my aims was always to see if my ragtag herd of many colours could achieve a 40kg average and I'm feeling very proud that we have achieved it this last week and appear to be holding steady. But we rarely see cows peaking over 60 kg and I was wondering how much purchased feed people will feed to cows/heifers at 60dim before feed to yield takes over I don't particularly want to change anything but am curious as to what sort of peaks people experience on robots as a norm. Tia

Go onto feed to yield after 21 days if a 2+ calver, calved down well and is chugging along nicely.

 

[deleted user 837354]

42.7kg as 7 day average but don't ask me how its done. Witchcraft.

 

[Spear]

Go feed to yield at 10 days for cows and 14 days for heifers
I prefer my cows peaking at 55-60 and still averaging 40-45 at 280 days than 70+litres and mastitis and other problems knocking them back to 35 or below after 100-180 days.

 

[Stuart1]

Go feed to yield at 10 days for cows and 14 days for heifers
I prefer my cows peaking at 55-60 and still averaging 40-45 at 280 days than 70+litres and mastitis and other problems knocking them back to 35 or below after 100-180 days.

How do you hold them back from doing 70+ litres? Any of my cows that peak at 70+ litres always lose a little more condition than I’d like. I recently took 1kg of dairy nuts off everything in the robot but put it at the feed fence hoping to push more intakes there to try prevent too much condition loss on them massive yielders.

 

[pappuller]

Go feed to yield at 10 days for cows and 14 days for heifers
I prefer my cows peaking at 55-60 and still averaging 40-45 at 280 days than 70+litres and mastitis and other problems knocking them back to 35 or below after 100-180 days.

How much cake do you build them up to by day 10 ? We build up to 12kg for coos by day 35 then fix feed that to day 60 and then feed to yield after day 60 we find we have a very flat lactation curve which is probably better than a higher peak and a quicker drop off

 

[Spear]

How much cake do you build them up to by day 10 ? We build up to 12kg for coos by day 35 then fix feed that to day 60 and then feed to yield after day 60 we find we have a very flat lactation curve which is probably better than a higher peak and a quicker drop off

Cows start on 4kg and step up to 6 by day 10. Heifers start on 3 and go to 5 by day 14, then it’s feed to yield to a max of 10kg cake in robots.

 

[upnortheast]

A4 to A5 is an easy swap out

What about A3 - A5. ? Slats come right up to A3s.

 

[s line]

What about A3 - A5. ? Slats come right up to A3s.

I will do some photos tomorrow of our robot project.
Meanwhile we have got A3 for sale.

 

[Peter]

What about A3 - A5. ? Slats come right up to A3s.

Most the same as changing from an A2. Hole to fill in or cover. Or if the room is extra wide could re use the pit. That would be an unusual room though.

 

[upnortheast]

Most the same as changing from an A2. Hole to fill in or cover. Or if the room is extra wide could re use the pit. That would be an unusual room though.

So do you need a sump under the cows in A5

 

[Peter]

So do you need a sump under the cows in A5

Most put in a gravitor deck which is same foot print as the part of the A3 that sits down in the sump.
Some make the gravitor pit then put in a concrete slab with the slated grate, with plans for the gravitor in the future.
Smallest would be the sump with the the grate and rubber mats.

 

[s line]

Right here we go. Taking out the robot.

 

[s line]

Start digging new hole's!

 

[s line]

Building work coming on nicely now. Just waiting for the installation team to complete now.

 

[Winklepicker]

I’m looking at robot milking, going to start ringing round for quotes soon, he are my opinions of the machines, am I right?
Lely, market leader and arguably the best but you have to pay for it, bit like JD and Apple at marketing as you need to have the latest model and they stop supporting the older ones after a while.
Fullwood, good, but not quite as good as Lely.
GEA, the MIOne was unreliable, but is the Monobox and Multibox better?

Am I correct with my assessments? Which should I look at and steer away from? Any I should look at not listed?

 

[kill]

I’m looking at robot milking, going to start ringing round for quotes soon, he are my opinions of the machines, am I right?
Lely, market leader and arguably the best but you have to pay for it, bit like JD and Apple at marketing as you need to have the latest model and they stop supporting the older ones after a while.
Fullwood, good, but not quite as good as Lely.
GEA, the MIOne was unreliable, but is the Monobox and Multibox better?

Am I correct with my assessments? Which should I look at and steer away from? Any I should look at not listed?

Why have you missed Delaval's excellent VMS 300 ???

 

[upnortheast]

One of the main factors in choosing a brand is availability / quality of local service. Without that you are fooked