SHOULD YOU RETROFIT THAT BARN WITH ROBOTS?

This winter I have had a few opportunities to sit down with families to help them plan their future with robotic milking. In many cases, the first question was whether to retrofit robots into the old barn, or start over with a completely new facility. I suggest moving that question to the back burner. Instead, start with a clean slate, and create a list of the features you want in your robotic facility. Begin with the end in mind. Once you have your list, evaluate your existing facility and determine which features can be incorporated into the existing barn, and which ones can’t. You may choose to cross some things off your list to make the old barn work, or you may decide retrofitting involves too many sacrifices. Either way, you are making decisions rather than accepting the status quo.

Anyone who has built a barn will tell you to visit as many barns as possible, and talk to as many farms as possible, to learn what works and what doesn’t. As you visit, you will have the added benefit of developing a network of experienced people who can answer your questions as you transition to robotic milking. One farmer who has been milking with robots for 2 years told me he misses all the farm tours he took during the planning process. Here are some things to look at.

Cow Traffic

There isn’t room in this article to cover the advantages and disadvantages of free flow and

guided flow. You should completely understand both systems so that you can choose the system that fits your priorities. Don’t make this choice based on what your neighbor has, or what your favorite dealer promotes. Visit a guided flow barn, and visit a free flow barn. Consider how each system can be retrofitted to your existing barn, or impact the foot print of the new barn. Evaluate how each will fit with the forages you feed, and the time and effort you want to spend operating the barn.

Work Flows

Where will you handle cows in your robot barn? Many management tasks can be done in headlocks. Some can be handled more efficiently in a separation pen. Think about how cows will move from the maternity pen to the robots after calving. Plan access to the freestalls for bedding maintenance. Scraping manure with a skid steer works well when the cows are removed from the pen for milking, but it interrupts cow flow in a robot barn. Collectors and automatic scrapers can remove the manure without moving the cows, but they have to fit the barn layout.

Pre-existing Conditions

What are the bottlenecks in the existing barn, and will they be more or less restrictive after a retrofit? Will the existing manure storage have enough capacity? Can a new barn be positioned to use the existing manure storage or will new storage be needed? Evaluate the stall comfort and ventilation. Inspect the structure of the existing barn to determine whether it will outlast the robots.

Life Cycle

Finally, consider the planning horizon for your project. Older farmers who are adding robots to extend their own careers will have different priorities than older farmers who want to include the next generation. Younger farmers who are building equity might view a retrofit as an intermediate step to grow the herd. Those with more equity might choose a new barn to increase milk production and use labor more efficiently.

Cow Corner can help – whether that means sharing resources, arranging tours, making connections, or just translating the jargon. Talk to us for help planning your robotic milking project.