ROBOTIC MILKING WITHOUT FEED - WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

Robotic milking without feed in the robots is gaining momentum in the US and Canada. Can it work? Experience clearly shows that it can. Do you need feed in the robots on your farm? Maybe. Start with why. There are many reasons to feed pellets and many reasons not to feed pellets. This article will cover 3 examples of each.

First, let’s review the ground rules. Number 1: the barn has to have guided flow traffic. Feed

is the most reliable incentive to bring cows to the robots. The feed in the bunk can be that incentive because the gates in a guided flow barn can direct cows to the robot on the way to the bunk. Number 2: the farm has to be committed to cow training. Cows need to learn to go through the sort gate to get to the feed bunk, and cows need to learn to go through the robot to get to the feed bunk. If you have a guided flow barn, and you are committed to training cows, the next step is evaluating the following factors for your farm.

Reasons to feed in the robot:

Precision Feeding Opportunity – Robot feed is not only an incentive for cows to come to the robot. It is also an opportunity to get nutrients into cows. If the forages require supplemental concentrates, the robot may be the best opportunity to supply those concentrates. Furthermore, feed tables allow us to target those concentrates to the cows that need them and withhold them from cows that don’t. Feeding in the robot offers an opportunity to feed each cow according to her needs.

Reduce PMR Cost – The precision feeding opportunity creates an opportunity to reduce the cost of the partial mixed ration. When expensive specialized ingredients are fed in the robot, they can be targeted to the cows that need them, and produce a return on them. If those ingredients are fed in the total mixed ration, they are available to all cows whether they are needed or not.

Influence Cow Behavior – Farms that transitioned away from feeding in the robots have documented that kickoffs, incompletes, and milking duration did not change with the transition. At the same time, other farms indicated faster attach times when feed was offered in the robot. Robot feed may still be an opportunity to influence some cow’s behavior.

Reasons not to feed in the robot:

Reduce Variability – Research has demonstrated that robot feed intake varies significantly. First, cows have to come to the robot for feed to be dispensed, and cows that milk less frequently can be underfed. Individual cows can choose not to eat their entire allocation. Depending on the robot brand, the uneaten feed is either not dispensed, or dispensed and left for another cow to consume, compounding the variability. Feeding less in the robot reduces this variation.

Utilize Parlor Strategies – Most parlor farms in the US provide all of the feed in a total mixed ration, and many use the same total mixed ration for all groups. Eliminating feed in the robots allows farms to feed the robot cows the way they feed their parlor cows. Farms that have both parlors and robots can even feed the same batch to both groups if they don’t feed in the robots.

Reduce Cost – Concentrates fed in robots are frequently more expensive than the rest of the ration. Pelleting can increase the cost even more. In addition, there are the capital costs of the bins and the delivery system for the pellets. The system, and the total ration can both be less expensive when all of the feed is provided in the total mixed ration.

This is not an all-inclusive list. Consider how each of these applies to your farm. Think about other factors specific to your farm. Robot feed may have an essential role, or there may be advantages to eliminating it. A compromise might be reducing, but not eliminating the robot feed. Cow Corner can help you sort out the options and find the best fit for your farm, whether you are planning a new facility or considering changing your strategy.