Just as the line at the concession stand depends on what is happening on the baseball field, the line at the robot depends on what is happening in the barn.

Robotic batch milking was introduced some years ago, but interest in this type of milking setup started gaining serious traction in the last year or two. Here’s what you need to know.

As the market for dairy robots has increased, so has the availability of used equipment. For producers interested in making a switch to automation, considerations around buying used or new do not differ greatly from traditional equipment.

Automated milking is part of the artificial intelligence revolution. There are, however, many myths surrounding the fundamentals of robotic dairies that may present unnecessary roadblocks to those considering the switch.

“Change is easy. Transition is hard. Are you open to surrounding yourself with people who have the best knowledge and listening to them?” Nancy Charlton of DeLaval asked listeners of the “Capitalizing on robotics to enhance animal health and reproduction” panel at the 2023 Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council annual meeting.

Robotic dairy systems have been available to the public for nearly three decades. In that time, numerous manufacturers have entered the industry, providing consumers with a variety of robotic solutions for milking, feeding and even manure management.

Progressive Dairy caught up with dairy producers who installed varying automated milking equipment on their farms in the second half of the 2010 era.

The key to being the best manager is making the most of your time and the robot’s time. Here is how to be an effective herd manager with robots.

The robotic aspect of milking a grazing herd is much the same as in a traditional one, but the primary difference is sending cows out to pasture and ensuring they regularly return to the robot for milking. Optimizing this condition is key.

There are several factors to consider when upgrading a milking system, particularly if that upgrade goes from a traditional parlor to robots – including cost, feasibility, labor and herd adaptation among others.