AUTOMATED MILKING SYSTEMS Are they a fit on your farm and in your life? By Craig Lester
CONTRIBUTOR
T
hirteen years ago, D.R. Vaandrager was in the process of upgrading his milking parlour at Lavender Farms in Abbottsford, B.C., when it struck him that he could go a different route. He took those plans, set them aside and decided to invest in an automated milking system (AMS). And while he has had a few late nights fixing the AMS, he says he doesn’t regret the decision because it’s changed his lifestyle. “Thirteen years ago, our oldest was six years old,” Vaandrager says. “(Because of our AMS), I was able to put the boys in hockey, and I was able to help coach hockey. It created a lot of flexibility.” There’s been a steady growth of producers across the nation like Vaandrager, moving from a conventional parlour to an AMS. For example, Alberta has experienced steady growth over the past five years, seeing an average of 12 farms per year converting to AMS. Today, there are 114 operations with AMS, meaning about 23 per cent of the approxi-
mately 500 farmers across the province have an AMS, according to Alberta Milk. British Columbia has seen similar numbers, with 30 per cent of the nearly 500 herds in the province using an AMS, according to the B.C. Dairy Association. The same can be said about the number of dairy farms in Ontario. Dairy Farmers of Ontario says operations using the system jumped from 526 to 558 in the past year. There are more than 3,300 dairy farms in the province, according to the Canadian Dairy Commission.
LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP Long before a farmer opens a sales catalogue or takes in a robotic milking demonstration, experts say they should ask themselves some questions about their operation and establish a plan for the future, so they know definitively where the farm is headed. Richard Siebring, co-owner and public relations and sales manager at Pacific Dairy Centre in Chilliwack, B.C., says it’s imperative to plan accordingly and see what the farm will look like in a year, five years and 10 years. Ed Vandenberg, who handles capital sales with
J&D Farmers Dairy Service in Abbotsford, B.C., points out producers need to realize this is what they will be doing day in and day out and they need to understand how an AMS will be managed. “Most people embrace it, some people learn as they go, and some people are just quick adapters and really enjoy that lifestyle,” Vandenberg says.
CONSIDER THE COSTS Siebring says it’s interesting to see the evolution of AMS since the early 2000s, including the change in price. “They’re not as expensive as they used to be,” he says. Both Siebring and Vandenberg say producers considering a switch to robotics need to remember milking is always happening if robots are in the barn. “At the end of the day, you are looking at less scheduled labour with robotics,” Vandenberg says, adding there are more maintenance costs to consider with an AMS compared with a conventional parlour, but the benefits are cow comfort and increased milk production. Continued on page 26
