I read somewhere that “There are 2 kinds of people in the world. Those who think there are 2 kinds of people, and those who know that nothing is really that simple.” I think there could be similar words of wisdom for how cows are grouped in robot barns. Especially the, “Nothing is really that simple,” part.
The principles are simple. Grouping decisions come down to balancing 3 goals. 1) Maintain groups of similar animals; 2) Make efficient use of labor and space; 3) Minimize pen moves. The application of the principles is not really that simple. Different grouping strategies in robot barns balance the 3 goals in different ways.
One strategy is to return all cows to the same group every lactation, regardless of age, production, or stage of lactation. This strategy eliminates pen moves for lactating cows. Small herds with one pen have no choice but to group all the cows in one pen. If all the robots in one pen are left-handed and all the robots in another pen are right-handed, moving cows move from one to the other may involve retraining. Some dairies avoid the retraining by returning cows to the same pen. Others accept retraining so they can maintain the uniformity of the groups.
Grouping by lactation group is the most common strategy for farms that have enough pens to split them up. First lactation cows require different nutrition, different training, and different spaces compared to their mature counterparts. Training fresh heifers can be focused in one pen while mature cows are not disturbed. Timid heifers can be separated from mature boss cows. You can even configure robot size differently or use different inflations in the heifer pen. Heifer pens might be stocked with less cows per robot than mature cow pens so extra idle time can encourage more milkings for the heifers.
Most robot dairies avoid pen moves during lactation but some are testing new strategies. Pens can be configured with extra robot capacity to maximize daily milkings for cows in full flow of milk. Cows are moved to pens with less robot capacity in late lactation when less milkings are needed. It does add a pen move, but it keeps a uniform group of cows in each pen and maximizes use of space and milking capacity.
Special needs robots are becoming more popular. Reserving one robot or one pen for special needs cows can optimize the performance of the other pens and robots. Training new heifers reduces the productive time for the robot to milk other cows. Extra washes take extra time when treated cows are milked. Even the best cattle handlers interfere with cow traffic when they are in the pen working with special needs cows. A special needs robot requires an extra pen move but it can make the rest of the system more efficient.
Grouping cows in robot barns always involves compromising between maintaining uniform groups, making efficient use of labor and facilities, and minimizing pen moves. Balance those factors to get the best results for your herd.
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