Labour organisation on robotic milking dairy farms

Abstract

1. Research issuesThe research described in this dissertation is focused on the effects of the integration of the milking robot in a dairy farm on the labour organisation at operational and tactical level. Attention was paid to the future requirements concerning human labour and labour (re)organisation with respect to the complex interaction between the cows and an automatic milking system (AMS) on a robotic milking dairy farm. The study was divided in a number of research issues (Chapter 1) :(a) What is the capacity of a milking robot ? In determining the amount of human labour that can be replaced by the milking robot, the capacity of the milking robot forms an indispensable basis for calculations of possible labour requirement when an AMS is used.(b) What are the remaining "milking" operations and work elements of the farmer according to the chosen work method with the AMS ? Because cows will be kept closer to the milking system, other grazing systems than unrestricted grazing where cows are pasturing day and night will have to be applied with automatic milking. Therefore, the question requires an evaluation of the work methods with an AMS and grazing systems. A grazing system refers here to a specific time distribution of "keeping cows in- or outdoors" on daily and yearly basis.(c) What are the effects of different AMS management strategies on the daily labour requirement and labour organisation at operational level?(d) What are the effects of different AMS management strategies on the annual labour requirement and the labour organisation at tactical level ? What are the possible annual labour savings in comparison with conventional milking dairy farms?(e) The results of the above-mentioned research questions will have to give indications about labour quality and the quality of life of the farmer on robotic milking dairy farms.The two main AMS management strategies considered in the dissertation are : (1) the fullyautomatic strategy with computer-controlled cow traffic based on voluntary visits of the cows to the milking point during 24 h of the day, a cubicle house with restricted one-way cow traffic and individual concentrate supplementation and milking (AM-CCT) and (2) a semi-automatic strategy with humancontrolled cow traffic based on milkings at fixed moments of the day, under supervision of the farmer and either individual concentrate supplementation by means of computerized self-feeders or group feeding using a total mixed ration (AM-HCT). All studies discussed in this dissertation used an automatic milking system with a 'Prolion' milking robot with one robot arm serving one or more milking stalls. From an evaluation of the dairy technology, we conclude that technical solutions for the automation of each milking operation performed in conventional milking parlours are potentially available (Chapter 2). Automatic milking can replace the milker and the milking parlour to a large extent.2. The milking capacity of a milking robotThe interaction between milking robot and cow was investigated by means of a simple formula of tuning which enables to calculate the milking capacity of any type of milking robot (Chapter 3 or research issue (a)). Using this static model, the main factors of robotic milking such as the times required for cow movements, milking processes and robot motions were investigated. It was shown that for a milking robot with one robot arm serving two stalls, the idle time of the robot arm was 54% and that the robot arm can serve up to four milking stalls in-line. The model showed also that the capacity of an AMS arrangement with two stalls in-line, can be increased from 11.7 to nearly 15.4 cows/h by increasing the robot speed, by simultaneous executing of some milking processes such as the simultaneous opening of the entrance doors of the milking stall and the milking parlour, and by changing the sequence of milking processes. If the robot is available for milking for 20 h, 308 milkings could theoreticall