Making Milk at the Robot Academy

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Are you getting the most out of your robot milkers? The recipe for success includes a combination of technical savvy and good herd management skills.

Earlier this month at the World Dairy Expo, RealAgriculture talked with DeLaval Robot Academy instructors Ryan Weis and Lizzy French. The Academy, based in Madison, Wisconsin, offers a two-and-a-half day program open to all North American farmers who are looking to optimize their robot performance.

Weis recommends that farmers consider the course after they’ve been working with robots for six months to a year. At that stage farmers have a good understanding of the machine, have carried out some maintenance, and can then learn the next steps to better performance.

Related: Dairy Robots to Double in Five Years

“We encourage farmers to bring their data bases and information so Lizzy can review and identify key performance indicators that need to be improved,” says Weis. “This helps determine what areas farmers need to focus on – attaching, movements of the arm or other aspects.”

In her role, French stresses the need for good herd management in robot success. She says it’s critical for farmers to evaluate how their cows are adapting to the robot system. Are they feeding on the robot? How are they flowing to the robot itself? These are just two of the questions French says farmers have to address.

The Robot Academy wraps up its first year with one more course in November. Farmers interested in attending should contact their DeLaval dealer.

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