PLANNING FOR 6000 POUNDS PER ROBOT

We talked about goals in a farm team meeting a few weeks ago. Actually, the goal had already been established, and the customer shared that he planned to increase production per robot by about 12%. It’s a clearly defined and measurable goal. I ruined the moment with a simple question – “How?” Not that the goal wasn’t achievable, but it wasn’t going to happen without a plan.

My next question was, “Does this mean more cows, more milk per cow, or a combination of the two?” Hypothetically, with 60 cows per robot and 90 pounds per cow, there is room to improve in either direction. A 12% increase, from 5,400 pounds to 6,050 pounds, by increasing production with the same number of cows, means an additional 10 pounds per cow. Getting the same increase by adding cows, without increasing production, requires adding 8 cows, for a total of 68 per robot. Let’s take a closer look at each scenario.

8 More Cows

It may be possible to add 8 cows. The question is – “Where?” 8 more cows, averaging 2.8

milkings, and 6:30 per milking, is 145 minutes of robot time per day. If free time with 60 cows is 12%, that’s 172 minutes. All things being equal, 172 minutes of current free time, minus 145 of new milking time, leaves 27 minutes, or about 2% free time. It’s not really as bad as it sounds. It might be possible to gain some time by adjusting milk access to take milkings away from lower producing cows, or culling some cows that don’t perform well in the robots. There has to be a plan. With no plan, and 2% free time, it will not be possible to maintain production per cow. Extra cows also mean extra labor. 8 cows per robot doesn’t sound like a lot. That’s 32 cows in a 4-unit barn – feed and bedding for 32 more cows, manure from 32 more cows, 32 more cows to breed, 32 more calves to deliver, and so on. It’s all possible, especially if homegrown replacements are available. There has to be a plan.

10 More Pounds

A 10-pound increase in milk production is also very possible. The question is, “When?” Over time, improving reproduction, transition management, or cow comfort can produce that kind of increase. Most of those take time – time to put people and equipment in place, and time to affect production. Better quality forages can make a dramatic difference, but not until after they are harvested. Changes in bunk management can improve production sooner. Cows in the first 100 days of lactation can respond quickly. Late lactation cows may need to freshen again to see results. It’s all the more reason to start today, and it will make a difference over time.

Where Can You Get 12% More Milk?

We won’t promise you 12%. Cow Corner can help you make room for more cows at the robots. We can also help you find the management bottlenecks that limit production per cow. Our new Robotic Dairy Performance audit scorecard assigns point values to over 50 dairy management parameters to objectively determine strengths and opportunities, and apply them to your robotic system. It can be completed in a single in-person or virtual visit, and be repeated as often as you want to track progress. Contact us today.