Robotic milking - English edition

The success of robotic milking is based on the cows in the barn. This concerns

communication he enjoyed three years of on farm work in a large

housing, feed, care and working with the animals.

animal practice before refocusing on helping farmers sharpen their

The first task of the robot farmer is to leave the cows in peace. They must be

critical thinking and observation skills, and increasing their awareness

healthy, they must enjoy eating concentrate and they must go easily to the

of the needs of their livestock and other management issues.

robot to be milked. No more is required, but certainly no less.

The basic needs of the cow can be defined with

Robotic Milking

With a degree in veterinary science and a strong interest in

The Cow Signals Diamond

The second challenge for the dairy farmer who is starting robotic milking With his company Vetvice, Jan developed the Cow Signals® concept

is organizing the work. There are few tasks that take place at fixed times,

and wrote the successful series of Cow Signal books. Vetvice is active

but the farmer still has to have daily work lists. And he relies heavily on

in more than 30 countries, providing lectures and training sessions in

information that is provided by the computer.

the areas of Cow Signals, hoof care, fertility and reproduction,

Because the cows must be super-healthy and stay super-healthy, and

management of calves and heifers, dry period and transition

the technical apparatus must continue to work perfectly. Prevention and

management, and building for the cow.

thinking ahead are crucial. “Good enough” does not work; only “excellent” is acceptable.

and focuses on the management of livestock, and people and other

important issues from subsidiary ones. He focuses primarily on the

resources on the modern dairy farm. The insights of co-author

cows, thinks in terms of processes and can work well with management

Jack Rodenburg, a thirty year veteran in dairy facilities design and

information.

management in Canada have enhanced the Vetvice team and this

Robotic Milking is a book about managing robotic dairy farms.

practical guide to robotic milking.

It is full of practical information, management information and ideas. It is written by Jan Hulsen of the Vetvice Group and Jack Rodenburg, so you are

“An excellent book with many illustrations and compact, clearly written

assured of practical, complete and accessible information.

text. It provides outstanding information that you can use immediately.”

The advisors and trainers of Vetvice and DairyLogix; this book was based in part on their expertise, knowledge and creativity.

From left to right: Standing: Nico Vreeburg (veterinarian/trainer, barn construction, dairy farm management) Joep Driessen (veterinarian/trainer, Cow Signals Company) Bertjan Westerlaan (veterinarian/trainer, barn construction, dairy farm management) Marcel Drint (veterinarian/trainer, hoof health)

ISBN 978-90-8740-043-9

www.roodbont.com

www.vetvice.com

www.dairylogix.com 9

789087 400439

feed, water, light, air, rest and space, and health.

Health is the result of the other six, but it is also a basic need itself, because dealing with infections, injuries and metabolic problems also exists as a separate focus in addressing the needs of the cow, along with the other six basic needs.

“To use a sport metaphor, the robot farmer

is more of a coach than a player.”

Sitting: Jan Hulsen (veterinarian/trainer, large dairy management) Jack Rodenburg (dairy design specialist, DairyLogix)

cow signals diamond. These seven basic needs are:

Jan Hulsen Jack Rodenburg

Fe

Wa

ed

te

Health

Pe

ac

e

r

Light

The successful robot farmer is a manager who knows how to distinguish

Jan Hulsen - Jack Rodenburg

The book series Future Farming® goes beyond the needs of the cow,

Robotic Milking

seven key words, which form the corners of the

Space

Jan Hulsen grew up on a farm with dairy cattle and finishing pigs.

“Robotic milking is truly different

than parlor milking”

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

About the authors

Ai

r

Future Farming Robotic Milking Authors Jan Hulsen, Vetvice®

Jack Rodenburg, DairyLogix www.dairylogix.com

Jack Rodenburg DairyLogix Consulting Telephone: 519-467-5294

Photography Jan Hulsen (unless stated otherwise)

Graphics Herman Roozen, Dick Rietveld

Fax: 519-467-5845 814471 Muir Line, RR# 4, Woodstock, Ontario, Canada N4S 7V8 www.dairylogix.com jack@dairylogix.com

Design Erik de Bruin, Varwig Design

For books:

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

Content editor Charles Frink With the collaboration of Dick de Lange, DAP Horst (www.daphorst.nl) Hans Miltenburg, GD Deventer (www.gddeventer.com) Nico Vreebrug, Vetvice Group (www.vetvice.com) Bertjan Westerlaan, Vetvice Group (www.vetvice.com)

Roodbont Publishers P.O. Box 4103

NL-7200 BC Zutphen The Netherlands

Telephone: +31 (0) 575 54 56 88 Fax: +31 (0) 575 54 69 90

And thanks to Christien Bas (danace), CR Delta, DeLaval, Joep Driessen, Marcel Drint, Arie Duizer, Frans Graumans, Paul Hulsen, Insentec, Frans Jans, Anne Kloek, Lely Industries NV, Francesca Neijenhuis, Jens Simonsen, Marcel Steen, U.G.C.N., Tom Vanholder, Wiebe Veenstra, Gerrit Wensink.

And the many cattle farmers and others who in some way contributed their inspiration, knowledge, help or advice.

www.roodbont.com info@roodbont.nl

Roodbont Publishers is part of Tirion Uitgevers.

For lectures and training:

Vetvice Group®

Moerstraatsebaan 115

NL-4614 PC Bergen op Zoom

© Jan Hulsen, november 2008

Telephone: +31 (0) 165 30 43 05 Fax: +31 (0) 165 30 37 58

No part of this book may be reproduced and/or published by printing, pho-

www.vetvice.com

tocopying or any other means, without prior permission in writing from the

info@vetvice.com

publisher.

The authors and publisher have made every effort to ensure the accuracy

Robotic Milking is part of Future Farming.

and completeness of information contained in this book. However, we

Future Farming is a registered trademark of Roodbont.

assume no responsibility for damage, or any kind whatsoever, resulting from actions and/or decisions that are based on this information.

2

ISBN: 978-90-8740-043-9

Robotic Milking

Ta b l e o f Co n t e n t s

Introduction

4

1 The daily tasks

6 6 7 8 10 12

The first tasks of the morning Organizing your day effectively Morning chores Inspection round Feeding and Feed Intake

2 Weekly and monthly chores

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

Develop protocols and systems Develop protocols and systems: insemination The dry period and transition Introducing heifers to robotic milking Cow flow and cow handling Mastitis, somatic cell count and treatment Hooves and cleanliness Attention to hygiene Hoof health

3 Know what is happening

Scheduling and process control Achievement indicators and standard operating procedures Work organization Monitoring at-risk groups Provide for cow welfare Healthy milking routine Labour organization Key numbers, cow information and communication Uno’s, You Knows and bright ideas

4 Preparation and design

Preparation and design Labor efficiency Quality of work Considerations for barn and operations planning Barn layouts Issue 1: grazing Issue 2: a bedding pack barn Management question: Are you a robot farmer?

Starting a robotic dairy

Index

Introduction

14 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 23 24

26 27 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 36

38 38 40 41 42 44 46 47 48 50 51

3

Introduction

History

organize the work in the barn efficiently and by the needs of the cows.

The next phase in design will focus on optimization of complete facilities based entirely on robotic milking. In many instances these will be family farms, where one person needs to be able to do all the work alone. In other cases these will be larger dairies where the farmer/entrepreneur/ investor works with hired help. In each of these situations, we need to learn to work from protocols, with continual evaluation and fine tuning. Dairy producers will learn the art of “letting go� of responsibility for day-to-day decisions, because the larger robotic dairy will run best with a team of responsible, motivated employees who play a role in management.

A note to the reader

This book is about the management of a robotic milking herd. This means that a specific way of thinking and working is often more important than hard and fast rules. It is more valuable for you to understand that you have to work from daily/weekly and monthly plans with standard protocols than it is to specify the protocols themselves.

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

Robotic milking is a new development in dairy farming that is still in its infancy in terms of management, work organization, barn design, and labor efficiency.

During the late 1990’s a substantial number of robotic milking systems were installed, with the majority going into existing dairy barns. From the experiences of these farms we learned that cows require excellent quality feed, water, light, air, rest, space and health to achieve frequent voluntary milking. We also learned that the farmer has to make major adjustments in thinking, and that not everyone can successfully make these adjustments.

At the start of the 21st century, new barns incorporating robotic milking began to appear. Many of these barns were built using traditional designs intended for parlor barns.

Often they included the same errors, such as inadequate space for special needs cows and handling, that are common to many parlor barns, as well as design flaws resulting from a failure to recognize the differences that come with robotic milking. But more and more barns are being designed specifically for robotic milking, and by trial and error some of these issues are being addressed. From this experience we should learn that the planning and design process should be driven first and foremost by the need to

4

Robotic Milking

Introduction

Some food for thought • The robot farmer has to think comprehensively and coherently about the interaction of activities, scheduling, barn layout and materials. This could be called “system thinking”. It is an essentially different approach than the traditional thinking in terms of processes, tasks and functions – which is also valuable!

• The robot farmers of today have developed most of their cow husbandry skills in barns with milking parlors. The newcomers will profit from their vision, daring and creativity, and also from their mistakes. It is interesting to see a new generation of dairy farmers coming on stream, who have never worked with anything other than robots.

Introduction

Photo: Christien Bas (danace)

These are some of the many concepts that demand further explanation. If you are currently working with robotic milking, this book provides the management information you need to optimize your robotic dairy. If you are still in the planning stages, this book will help you design an efficient robotic milking facility.

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

• The key to successful robotic milking is voluntary attendance. All cows must go to the robot voluntarily, regularly and with adequate frequency (this is equally true for their other activities such as eating, drinking and resting).

• Probably the least interesting aspect of managing a robotic milking dairy is the milking system itself. The challenges and success factors are the design of the barn, the cows themselves and the organization of the work.

• Will we ever teach cows to adapt successfully to forced traffic? And will we ever develop forced traffic barn designs that do not cause harm and stress to the cows?

• Robotic milking farms have the opportunity to develop varied, interesting and challenging work environments.

It should be easy to attract and keep good employees, as long as the work is well organized and defined and cows and people are treated with respect.

• We still have a long way to go toward achieving the optimum in labor productivity, cow health and comfort, job satisfaction and economic efficiency.

5

The first tasks of the morning

Chapter 1

The daily chores

The first task

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

A dairy farm with a robotic milking system has its own unique work organization and management. There will be four daily “stable rounds” in which you apply established work routines and control measures.

On a robotic dairy farm you will spend relatively more time in among the cows and working at the computer than on a dairy farm with a milking parlor.

It is crucial that the cows go to the robot voluntarily. Hence it is essential to have healthy cows with healthy rumens, a spacious barn with no obstructions and a farmer/herdsman who is a cow “caretaker” and cow “coach” and not a cow “chaser”.

Monday morning at 6:30, you enter the barn. As your first task you check the special needs cows. Ideally these cows should be along your route into the barn. You need to answer the following questions, so that you will also know if you need to work with these cows now or later in the day.

1. Does everything appear normal in the special needs group?

2. Is there a calving that requires attention?

For example you can begin your day by changing the milk filter.

Flakes tell you there is a cow with mastitis. A lot of straw and debris on the filter results from problems with the udder prep or from dirty udders.

6

Management question:

It is relatively easy to fetch a cow in a group of calm cows. How do you ensure your cows stay calm?

By being calm and predictable yourself. Cows will behave according to how they are handled. If you have to get cows up, do it calmly. When moving cows, let them set their own pace.

Yelling, hitting and stabbing will work against you. Encourage your employees to work calmly, and monitor and reward them accordingly. Because you work more often among the cows and because you never herd them to a parlor, cows on robotic dairy farms are generally calmer and more trusting of handlers than parlor-milked cows.

Robotic Milking

Organizing your day effectively Every cow must have certainty and be able to walk around undisturbed. Peacefulness is an important characteristic of cows on a robotic dairy farm.

Recognize and manage the key issues

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

If you can stay on top of cow management, feeding and health, a robotic dairy virtually runs itself. But to do this you must do certain things very well every day. If you ignore or fail to recognize problems with the cows, you will be facing bigger problems within a matter of days. In robotic milking, one problem generally leads to another, and as issues multiply they can quickly get out of hand. A decline in number of visits to the robot is always the first sign things are headed in the wrong direction, and poor udder health is commonly the second issue. Problems with lameness are often the underlying cause.

You can “buffer” the system by ensuring that cows can move around the barn in comfort (rest, space, a good floor, healthy hooves and good ventilation), by feeding a healthy ration (based on excellent rumen fermentation) and by providing reserve capacity for the robot.

Centralize your work areas

This farmer houses his breeding age heifers beside the special needs cows, behind one of the robots. This provides an excellent vantage point for observing heats.

The bedding pack is for fresh, weak and lame cows. There are freestalls for close-up dry cows to the left of it and they eat to the right. Cows in the pack access the robot via the holding area, and are directed back by the post-milking sort gate.

The bedding pack is situated so it can be cleaned with a tractor and loader.

Eighty percent of your labor will involve 20% of the cows.

These are the special needs cows and the cows requiring handling or treatment. In a well designed barn, these cows will be close together, close to handling facilities and close to other areas where work is done, such as the office. This gives you good oversight of the dairy, it makes the job easier and you waste less time walking from one work area to another. You should also provide good lighting, convenient storage of handling equipment and drugs, and washing facilities in this area. And while working here you can continuously monitor special needs cows.

These special needs cows should be housed in a separate, comfortable pen with a bedding pack or very spacious and comfortable freestalls.

ROBOT

Waiting room

Chapter 1: The daily chores

There are always some cows to be fetched, so a holding area is needed. However, cows prefer to walk to the robot without going through a holding area. In a “split entry” holding area, low ranking cows can wait, undisturbed, for their chance to enter, while dominant cows can access the robot directly from the barn.

7

Morning chores

The daily work routine If there are no urgent tasks involving special needs cows, the day should begin at the computer. You want to know the following information:

1. Is the system operating normally (the robot and the cows)?

2. Which cows need my attention/need to be fetched?

3. What else do I need to do today?

1. Quick scan performance indicators:

2. Attention cows:

a. milk production;

c. number of refusals;

b. attention for conductivity, failures, milk color or

e. attention flags and indicators specific to the

c. attention for activity (inseminate?);

b. number of milkings; d. number of failures; brand of robot.

her (is she sick or lame?);

cell count: check the cow (mastitis?);

d. attachment failure: check cow (mastitis?).

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

You check performance in comparison to normal values

a. long milking interval: fetch the cow, and check

and to values from previous days. You should also look for differences between quarters, which could identify problems like an air leak in a milk hose. If you have more

than one robot, looking at performance differences between robots is also useful.

3. Planning today’s work: a. check the calendar;

b. prepare for tomorrow (for example, separate cows);

c. prepare for the week.

Management question:

You want cow 8491. How will you find her?

There are three options.

1. You know all the cows on sight and can find one or several cows quickly. This works best in smaller herds.

2. You restrain all the cows once daily at the manger with self locks and pick out the cow you need.

3. You let the robot separate the cow. This could take 12 hours or longer (the next time the cow visits the robot).

8

Ear and neck identification numbers help you find cows quickly.

New technologies will probably help you to sort cows, such as a robot that color marks cows or a positioning system (desk-based or portable) that locates a cow in the barn.

Robotic Milking

Morning chores

Robot visits and cows to be fetched

The cows are attracted to the robot by the concentrate they receive there. Milking itself offers little or no attraction.

Early in lactation, cows are hungrier and they come to the robot more often than near the end of lactation, when they will also get little concentrate. The easier it is for cows to move freely around the barn and around the robot, the more often they will come to be milked. All obstructions or hindrances – such as slippery floors, inadequate open space in front of the robot and a permanent holding area that all cows must use – reduce the frequency of visits.

Cows are curious by nature and they regularly explore and visit open spaces. This activity stimulates milking visits.

Conversely, disturbances and distractions decrease the number of visits and decrease milking frequency.

Directed cow traffic

You should be able to access and use your computer close to the cow handling area, with your boots and dirty coveralls on.

Place the computer on a tall worktable so information can be read quickly and easily while you are standing or sitting on a tall stool.

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

With directed cow traffic, the cows have to pass through selection gates on the way to or from the feed station. The goal of directed traffic is to reduce labor and reduce the need to fetch cows. But in this system, the number of meals the cow eats decreases from about twelve per day to as few as six. This puts the digestive system under stress and at risk of reduced feed intake and poorer feed utilization. The risk of rumen acidosis increases dramatically with fewer meals, and if things go wrong, weak and low-ranking cows will be the first casualties.

Directed traffic also reduces the resting time, resulting in increased risk of lameness. Cows in this system are forced to stand and wait for robot access and are denied access to either freestalls or feed while they do so. A soft surface in these areas, such as rubber on the floor, will reduce the stress of standing and waiting.

Computer workplaces

Monitoring cows with the computer

With a little training, you can use the computer very effectively to identify cows that need attention before they develop serious problems. Attention lists and color coding on the screen make this even easier.

Chapter 1: The daily chores

A simple solution, close to the robot.

Here you can download and enter information related to daily and weekly tasks.

For more extensive computer work, you should have another terminal in a comfortable office.

This office has a view of the holding area and the space in front of the robot, all cows that could show heat signs and the special needs and calving areas. Make sure that office windows are easy to clean.

9

Inspection rounds

Check and combine

During the inspection round, you check the robot, the cows and the barn itself, and you combine this with cleaning and grooming the freestalls and cleaning water troughs.

On most robotic dairy farms there are four inspection rounds daily: two extensive rounds and two short ones. You make extensive rounds early in the morning and late in the afternoon, with shorter rounds at midday and in the evening. The extensive rounds also include the dry cows.

Work efficiently every day

If a cow appears sluggish, has an empty rumen or cold ears, or if you are concerned about her health for any reason, take her temperature. Therefore, you always carry a thermometer.

If it is elevated (> 39.0째C or > 102째F) or she has a fever (>39.5째C or > 103째F), check her udder (swelling, milk). Ask your veterinarian for a diagnosis and treatment plan.

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

If you can save 10 minutes of work every day, you will gain almost eight workdays per year (61 hours). So try to organize your day so work is done at the most appropriate time in a logical order that minimizes wasted time. Keep walking distances short by ensuring that materials, water taps, gate handles, lights and other equipment are close at hand in the areas where they are needed.

Labor organization

Two options for fetching:

Efficient work routes save time every day. They start and end at logical places. For example, where the stall rake is kept, where there is a faucet to wash your boots or where you can change boots.

Robotic dairy farms need employees who are capable of doing most of the work and can combine a wide range of tasks. If the tasks are split up and assigned to specific employees (as on large parlor milking farms), it will not work.

10

1. First fetch the special attention cows and then maintain the freestalls.

Fetching and freestall maintenance can be done by different people at different times. This works well if there is a temporary holding area, which you remove after fetched cows are milked. It also works well if cows are locked up in head locks at the manger once per day. After cleaning and grooming the stalls you can work with any cows separated by the robot.

2. Take the fetched cows with you by while maintaining the freestalls.

This works well with a calm and quiet herd where there are only a few cows to fetch. It also works well with permanent holding areas and temporary holding areas that open automatically. Automatic opening of temporary holding areas ensures that this task is not forgotten and increases your flexibility.

Robotic Milking

Inspection round

Components of the inspection round 2. Fetching cows

A notepad or pocket computer are essential for keeping track of special needs cows, to makes notes for later entry into the computer and to look up information.

Always ask yourself: why do I have to fetch this animal? What is wrong? How can I ensure that she goes voluntarily to be milked? Fetching is very efficient if you set out logical routes using gates or bars.

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

1. Retrieving, using, and saving information.

3. Maintaining the freestalls

4. Checking the cows

You should properly maintain each freestall three times per day on average and a minimum of twice per day. Freestalls with mattresses should have bedding added at least once a day. You can leave the cows lying down in a stall if it is clean, but get the cows up to clean stalls if they are dirty.

Inspect all the cows on the attention list and any special needs cows, such as those recently calved. Also observe the behavior of the herd and groups within the herd, such as heifers. See if any cows draw your attention. Pay attention to aspects such as uterine discharges, rumen fill, posture, leg position, locomotion, behavior, dirty flanks and skin injuries.

5. Monitoring and managing the barn

6. Monitoring, cleaning and maintaining the robot

Build routines and protocols into your inspection round to ensure that equipment is functioning correctly. Hang a cleaning brush beside every water trough. Make man passes in appropriate places to minimize walking, and to also keep the clean areas clean. Adopt routines such as adjusting the ventilation curtains each morning and evening according to the weather conditions.

Monitor udder prep cycles and post-milking teat spraying. Follow the recommendations of the manufacturer for daily robot maintenance. Twice daily, spray off the robot and the robot room. Also check the feed trough on each robot daily. While fetching, check the manager in the robot to make sure there is feed provided and there are no fines left behind.

Chapter 1: The daily chores

11

Feeding and feed intake

Feeding is a success factor!

See more on page 52.

Concentrate in the robot

The height and width of the bunker silos must provide a minimum removal rate of 2 m (80 inches) per week to prevent spoilage. Discard spoiled feed to keep it out of the ration, and remove loose feed from the bunker face at each feeding.

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

To attract cows to the robot, the feed they get as a reward must be tastier than the manger feed, so it is standard practice to provide a pelleted concentrate in the robot. But the amount fed must be controlled because too much concentrate will increase the risk of digestive disturbances and laminitis.

The maximum allowance of concentrate in the robot for high-producing cows is 2 Kg (4.4 lbs.) per visit. If these cows are milked 3 or 3.5 times per day, they will receive a maximum of 6 to 7 Kg (13.2 to 15.4 lbs.) concentrate per day. If you want to feed more concentrate than this, the best method is to add computer feeding stations in the freestall area. For lower producers, the amount fed is limited according to production and stage of lactation. The minimum allowance should be 0.75 Kg (1.65 lbs.) per visit. If you offer less, some cows will stop visiting the robot.

A healthy rumen

A healthy cow has a healthy and active rumen. She will get the maximum feed value out of her ration; her uptake of minerals, vitamins and trace elements will be optimum.

Good rumen activity results when the ration ensures that a floating mat of fibrous material is maintained in the rumen. This mat prevents rapid changes in rumen pH by stimulating cud chewing, which buffers the rumen contents. The mat also ensures that feed stays in the rumen long enough for proper fermentation, thereby ensuring that cows will actually digest and utilize as much of the feed value as possible.

The fibrous mat is made up of the fiber components of the ration (NDF, ADF). These components stimulate the cow to chew her feed and her cud, resulting in the production of saliva. Saliva contains bicarbonate, which acts to prevent the decrease in pH of the rumen (acidosis).

The most critical times for establishing healthy rumen function and a healthy cow are during the dry period, at calving and in the first month of lactation. These periods require excellent management, and special attention to cow comfort and rumen function (see page 16). You should also have a protocol for introducing heifers to the milking herd.

While you deliver fresh feed, only a few cows should come to the manger, otherwise you are not feeding enough. With automatic feeding, providing fresh feed more than twice a day is easy to do, but preventing spoilage in the bunker or in the temporary storage/preparation area is a challenge.

Crowding at the manger and other forms of restricted access reduce the number of meals and visits to the robot. With fewer meals, the rumen pH shows more extreme fluctuations, which aggravates problems with rumen acidosis.

12

Robotic Milking

About the authors Jan Hulsen grew up on a farm with dairy cattle and finishing pigs.

“Robotic milking is truly different

than parlor milking” The success of robotic milking is based on the cows in the barn. This concerns

communication he enjoyed three years of on farm work in a large

housing, feed, care and working with the animals.

animal practice before refocusing on helping farmers sharpen their

The first task of the robot farmer is to leave the cows in peace. They must be

critical thinking and observation skills, and increasing their awareness

healthy, they must enjoy eating concentrate and they must go easily to the

of the needs of their livestock and other management issues.

robot to be milked. No more is required, but certainly no less.

The basic needs of the cow can be defined with

Robotic Milking

With a degree in veterinary science and a strong interest in

The Cow Signals Diamond

The second challenge for the dairy farmer who is starting robotic milking is organizing the work. There are few tasks that take place at fixed times,

and wrote the successful series of Cow Signal books. Vetvice is active

but the farmer still has to have daily work lists. And he relies heavily on

in more than 30 countries, providing lectures and training sessions in

information that is provided by the computer.

the areas of Cow Signals, hoof care, fertility and reproduction,

Because the cows must be super-healthy and stay super-healthy, and

management of calves and heifers, dry period and transition

the technical apparatus must continue to work perfectly. Prevention and

management, and building for the cow.

thinking ahead are crucial. “Good enough” does not work; only “excellent” is

cow signals diamond. These seven basic needs are: feed, water, light, air, rest and space, and health.

Health is the result of the other six, but it is also a basic need itself, because dealing with infections, injuries and metabolic problems also exists as a separate focus in addressing the needs of the cow, along with the other six basic needs.

acceptable. and focuses on the management of livestock, and people and other

important issues from subsidiary ones. He focuses primarily on the

resources on the modern dairy farm. The insights of co-author

cows, thinks in terms of processes and can work well with management

Jack Rodenburg, a thirty year veteran in dairy facilities design and

information.

management in Canada have enhanced the Vetvice team and this

Robotic Milking is a book about managing robotic dairy farms.

practical guide to robotic milking.

It is full of practical information, management information and ideas. It is written by Jan Hulsen of the Vetvice Group and Jack Rodenburg, so you are

“An excellent book with many illustrations and compact, clearly written text. It provides outstanding information that you can use immediately.”

The advisors and trainers of Vetvice and DairyLogix; this book was based in part on their expertise, knowledge and creativity.

From left to right: Standing: Nico Vreeburg (veterinarian/trainer, barn construction, dairy farm management) Joep Driessen (veterinarian/trainer, Cow Signals Company) Bertjan Westerlaan (veterinarian/trainer, barn construction, dairy farm management) Marcel Drint (veterinarian/trainer, hoof health)

assured of practical, complete and accessible information.

ISBN 978-90-8740-043-9

www.roodbont.com

www.vetvice.com

www.dairylogix.com 9

789087 400439

Jan Hulsen Jack Rodenburg

te

Health

Pe

“To use a sport metaphor, the robot farmer

is more of a coach than a player.”

Sitting: Jan Hulsen (veterinarian/trainer, large dairy management) Jack Rodenburg (dairy design specialist, DairyLogix)

Wa

ed

Space

The successful robot farmer is a manager who knows how to distinguish

Jan Hulsen - Jack Rodenburg

The book series Future Farming® goes beyond the needs of the cow,

Fe

ac

e

r

Light

co pr py ot rig ec h te t d

With his company Vetvice, Jan developed the Cow Signals® concept

Robotic Milking

seven key words, which form the corners of the

Ai

r