Milking Equipment

Automated systems: Consistent owner maintenance equals long-term performance

lbrown@lely.com — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Consistent daily and weekly owner maintenance is necessary to get the most from automated milking, feeding or cleaning systems. Regular cleaning, inspecting and checking components prevents costly downtime, protects milk quality and reduces stress on cows and farmers.

Should you pretrain your heifers for automated milking?

salfe001@umn.edu — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Is pretraining heifers a worthwhile investment of time and labor? The evidence shows that a strong, consistent training program can provide significant returns, but the results of pretraining research are mixed.

A winning game plan for automated milking

john@cow-corner.co — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

They say football is won and lost in the trenches with fundamentals like blocking and tackling. The fundamentals of automated milking systems are monitoring performance and completing maintenance.

Equipment, chemistry and people: A three-tier checklist for modern parlors

shaun@futurecow.com — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Milking parlors perform at the intersection of three forces: equipment performance, chemical effectiveness and human compliance. Each one can elevate milk quality or quietly sabotage it.

Impact of automated milking systems on dairy reproduction

dmeihak@lely.com — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

While automated milking systems are widely recognized for their capacity to increase milk yield and enhance cow welfare, their sophisticated data collection capabilities offer substantial advantages for optimizing reproductive management in dairy cattle.

Rotary parlors are a smart choice for any dairy

courtney.claypool@delaval.com — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Few things reflect a well-run dairy like relaxed, happy cows chewing their cud in the milking parlor. Rotary parlors are designed to support that kind of consistency. They bring comfort and efficiency to the milking process through steady movement and streamlined routines.

Avoid dry-off surprises: Use robotic tools to smooth the end of lactation

john@cow-corner.co — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Like the speedometer, the dry-off list may include cows that are milking more than expected, and it might be necessary to pump the brakes hard to dry them off successfully. Or, like the blind spot, life happens, holidays and time off intervene, and suddenly, there are more cows on the dry-off list than expected. Automated milking systems and milking system software have some options for managing cows going into the dry period.

The ‘toll’ of an automated milking barn design

keith.ortiz@delaval.com — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The dairy industry has spent the last few decades designing barns for automated milking – resulting in hundreds of different configurations – all of which have been a variation of two robots layouts: perpendicular and tollbooth.

Is it time to upgrade your milking robots?

john@cow-corner.co — Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

I asked ChatGPT whether farmers should upgrade their automated milking systems. The artificial intelligence (AI) answer was, “If the current system is outdated and requires frequent repairs; if newer technology offers clear efficiency, milk yield or labor savings; if financing options make the investment viable.” Those are good answers. I talked to several real farmers and got better answers.

Go with your goals: How to choose the right cow flow system for your automated milking barn

stephanie.dillon@delaval.com — Thu, 08 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

A great feature of automated milking systems is the flexibility they can offer in terms of cow flow. For every producer interested in automated milking, the philosophy of, “If you can imagine it, it can become reality,” holds true, as there are a variety of cow traffic setups that can be used to help producers meet their goals.

Affordable automation: Preowned automated milking systems offer cost-effective entry

bguelker@lely.com — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Whether dairy producers are making the switch to automation for the first time or adding to existing equipment, preowned systems offer access to the benefits of automation at significant savings from new pricing.

Getting the fundamentals right in automated milking – and golf

john@cow-corner.co — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 16:39:03 -0500

There is a trend toward increased stocking density in automated milking barns. Quite a few farmers have made it work and made it look easy. It has worked for them because they have the fundamentals right.

A new ‘no-feed' strategy for robotic dairies

jason.french@delaval.com — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Milking technologies have changed over many decades, so have feeding strategies incorporated on the dairy farm. For those using automation to milk cows, providing feed at the robot was thought to be paramount to the system’s success. Recently, some automated milking producers have started to rethink this approach.

Using a custom index to select your best robot cows

john@cow-corner.co — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The best robot cows combine four factors – milk production, milkability, milking speed and trips to the robot. Each of these factors can be measured, and the measurements can be combined to rank the best robot cows.

Four factors to maximize time, resources in the parlor

akinney@boumatic.com — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Efficiency is the key to success in the dairy industry. There are never enough hours in the day to do everything you want to do, so maximizing those hours, minutes and even seconds is the hallmark of a good operation.

Using automation and data to catch mastitis early

smcburney@lely.com — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

While it is impossible to eliminate cases of mastitis in a dairy herd, automation can help producers save time, money and resources, ensuring their cows get the best and most timely care possible.

What’s in your pellet bin?

john@cow-corner.co — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Is your robot feed bin a place that you avoid until the cows stop eating? Here are some tips to help monitor and manage feed in the bin, before the cows run out of pellets or stop visiting.

Minimize downtime with efficient maintenance

kcarlson@boumatic.com — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

It might seem counterintuitive to work on something that isn’t broken, but a small amount of effort can prevent major disruptions down the line. By dedicating a small amount of time to maintenance tasks now, you can avoid costly downtimes and ensure your dairy operation runs smoothly and efficiently.

Breeding for the ideal milking robot cow

dmeihak@lely.com — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The purpose of this article is to identify the traits that make an ideal robot cow. I would like to shift it to a call out to industry: Let’s define the personality traits that impact feeding and milking behaviors in robot herds.

How to ensure the highest milk quality and standards

joel.prince@waikatomilking.com — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

At the heart of the approach of harvesting high-quality milk is ensuring farmers have a thorough understanding of key milk quality parameters, including milk composition, somatic cell count (SCC), bacterial count and the absence of contaminants.

Navigating between internal and external milking systems: Understanding your dairy's needs

aoughton@boumatic.com — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

To continue meeting consumer demand, successful producers must invest in their operations, including their milking systems. Deciding to invest in a rotary parlor will set the course for your business for the next two decades (or more).

Take me out to the robot

john@cow-corner.co — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Automated milking system retrofit barns: A viable consideration for a barn upgrade

amelie_mainville@cargill.com — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Consider productivity, longevity and sustainability when considering a retrofit for automated milking.

Managing new and used dairy robots for longevity

dmcintyre@lely.com — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Three principles of successful dairy facility projects

layman.pierce@delaval.com — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

When it is time to consider new equipment or a new facility project, these three key principles will help provide clarity of purpose and ease of process.

Building the right foundation for your rotary milking system

jane.burton@waikatomilking.com — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 11:52:29 -0500

The platform is the starting point for constructing a robust, efficient and scalable rotary milking system that can solve your farm’s unique challenges and withstand the rigors of daily farm life.

Reproduction management in a robotic facility

dmeihak@lely.com — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 14:41:42 -0400

Reproduction management plays a critical role in any dairy. The ability to monitor, detect and act quickly when heat is detected significantly impacts herd performance.

Benchmarks for rotary performance in the first year of operation

courtney.claypool@delaval.com — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

The first year of milking cows in a rotary can be both a dynamic and humbling experience; the learning curve is different for every individual farm.

Solving challenges with parlor data

matthew.heisner@nedap.com — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Whether you are looking to invest in milk meters for the first time or upgrading your current system, it is important to consider what you are trying to accomplish with parlor data.

Become a better cow manager with milking robots

andy.lenkaitis@gea.com — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

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.