automatic milking

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Spörndly E., Andersson S., Pavard N., Le Goc S.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
In an automatic milking unit, a daytime grazing system with production pasture (group P) was compared with offering cows a small grass-covered paddock only for exercise and recreation, i.e. exercise pasture (group E). Two experiments (Exp1 and Exp2) were performed during 12 and 5 weeks with 53 cows and 42 cows, respectively. Group P was offered new pasture daily with night-time access to grass silage ad libitum (Exp1) or in restricted amounts (Exp2). Group E was offered exercise pasture and silage ad libitum during 24 (Exp1) or 16 hours (Exp2) daily. In Exp1, group P had significantly (P

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Spörndly E. and Karlsson M.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
A field study on management during the pasture season was conducted on 20 Swedish farms with at least two automatic milking (AM) units and over 130 cows registered in the official control system. The objective was to compare milk production during indoor and pasture seasons, and to study cow traffic management during the pasture season. Using data from the official monthly control milkings, average yield of milked cows during winter (November-March) and summer ( June-August) seasons were analysed using a mixed model with farm as repeated subject and season as variable. Days in milk and cows per robot were tested in the model but were non-significant. Milk yield was 30.1 and 28.4 kg energy corrected milk in winter and summer season, respectively (P

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Foley C., Shortall J. and O’Brien B.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
Voluntary movement of cows from paddock to milking yard is an inherent aspect of an automatic milking system (AMS) integrated with grazing. The motivation for the cow to present at the milking yard, during the main grass-growing period, is the trained knowledge that they will be rewarded with fresh grass in a new paddock. In late-lactation concentrate supplementation assists in ensuring the cow receives adequate nutrition. Although the cow decides to present at the milking yard, AMS settings determine when the cow is milked based on milk yield and time since last milking. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of milking permission and concentrate supplementation on milk production and cow traffic. There were 4 treatments with combinations of milking permissions, 3.2 or 1.8 times per day and concentrate supplementation allowance of either 3 kg or 0.84 kg per day. This study has highlighted strategies to maintain consistent milk production and cow traffic in the latter stages of lactation, through adjusting AMS settings for concentration supplementation and milking permission.

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Kohnen H., Boonen J., Van Vliet G. and Wengler F.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
Pilot farm networks are very efficient in developing and implementing innovative measures and strategies to improve farm performances. At farm level, their specificities must be considered. A coordination of all actors, i.e. researchers, advisors, farmers and policy makers is essential. During the EU Dairyman project a strategy has been elaborated to establish coherent development plans. This method is applied on the four Luxemburgish commercial monitor farms, which are a part of the ‘Autograssmilk’ EU project with a farm network. Three steps have to be respected: (1) a detailed farm description; (2) a definition of objectives and their corresponding indicators; and (3) an implementation of a strategy, sub-divided into several actions. Farm data were collected and analysed during 2014, so that at the end of the year a specific development plan was elaborated on each farm. Due to the farm-specific approach, for identical farm objectives, concrete actions to reach the goal can differ significantly. Furthermore, the coordination between involved organizations is enhanced. The results were as positive as in the previous project and its seem therefore that they can be replicated. The method can be considered as an appropriate tool to monitor and improve commercial farms.

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Oudshoorn F.W., Brocard V. and Van den Pol-van Dasselaar A.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
Automatic milking Systems (AMS) have been practised for a number of years in Denmark, France and the Netherlands. During these years, combining automatic milking (AM) and pasture access for feeding has remained problematic. Grazing has, however, many benefits, both for farmers, animals, landscape, biodiversity, and for the overall image of dairy farming. In this study we compared the economic results of dairy farms with AMS (AMS farms) which practice grazing with those of AMS farms without grazing. The economic impact of grazing dairy cows on AMS farms was analysed using accounting data of commercial dairy farms in Denmark, France and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands grazing was economically beneficial but this effect declined with increasing farm size. In France, income tended to be higher on farms that practised grazing, and in Denmark no economic difference of farmer incomes were found. A complicating factor of the analysis was that the actual feed uptake during grazing was not recorded in the database in any of the three countries. A key recommendation from this study is that the level of grazing and intake from grazing as a proportion of the total diet is recorded in the future.