MANAGING LONG ROBOTIC MILKING INTERVALS

Time is relative. Minutes can pass quickly when a gate is left open and the cows are out. Hours can pass slowly when waiting for a down cow to get up, or a favorite cow to deliver a heifer calf. Milking intervals are relative too. High producing fresh cows need to be milked more frequently than cows that are close to dry off. Regardless of the stage of lactation, cows that go more than 12 to 14 hours between milkings need attention. These are long interval cows. It is important to know how many long-interval cows you have, and why.

Fewer long interval cows is always better, but we can expect up to 10% of the herd to go more than 12 hours between milkings. For late-lactation, low-producing cows with close rear teats, a longer milking interval might make it easier for the robot to attach cups. High producing cows will have fewer problems after dry off if we reduce milking frequency before dry off. Long milking intervals become a problem when more than 10% of cows are over 14 hours, or when mid-lactation production drops because cows stop coming to the robot. Then we need to look at herd trends and individual lactations to figure out why cows became long-interval cows.

System Settings

Review whole herd and individual cow lactation graphs for production and milking frequency. Compare the cows that have long intervals. If the long intervals start at a specific stage of lactation, the milking permission or feed tables could be the problem. If the transition from early to mid-lactation is too severe, or if milking permission and feed tables change at the same time, cows can get frustrated. Remember, she doesn’t know she can come back in an

hour – she just knows she loves routine, and something disrupted her routine.

Health Events

Compare health events to milking frequency. Look at whole-herd events, like vaccination protocols, pen moves, or foot trims that all cows receive at a certain stage of lactation. Individuals might milk less frequently because of mastitis, pneumonia, or lameness. When these events interrupt milking frequency, milk production almost always drops. Lower milk production reduces the desire to visit the robot, and production and milkings spiral down. Prevention is the best medicine.

Crowding

Overcrowding isn’t always intentional. Sometimes we get backed into it because of a slug of calvings. Other times it sneaks up on us over time. The number of cows per robot should be based on performance in your barn, not your neighbor’s. If production doesn’t increase when cows are added to the barn, it’s time to slow down and figure out why. Timid cows will become frustrated when robots are crowded, and they will find a more comfortable space – away from the robot.

Don’t overlook cow training and feed management. Both of these can contribute to long milking intervals but they are more likely to affect larger groups of cows. Review the heifer training protocol if a high percentage of the heifers under 50 days in milk have intervals over 10 hours. Review the ration and the feed tables if milking frequency for the whole herd drops following a forage change.

Long interval cows are unavoidable. It is important to know how many you have, and why you have them. Sometimes it helps to have a fresh set of eyes or a new perspective. At Cow Corner, we can put our robotic milking perspective to work with your team to find the opportunities on your dairy.