Automatic milking systems (AMS)

Since the 1970s, much research effort has been expended in investigating methods to alleviate time management constraints in conventional dairy farming, culminating in the development of the automated voluntary milking system (AMS).

Voluntary milking allows the cow to decide its own milking time and interval, rather than being milked as part of a group at set milking times. AMS requires complete automation of the milking process, as the cow may elect to be milked at any time during a 24 hour period.

The milking unit comprises a milking machine, a teat position sensor, a robotic arm for automatic teat-cup application and removal, and a gate system for controlling cow traffic. The cows are permanently housed in a barn, and spend most of their time resting or feeding in the free-stall area.

When the cow elects to enter the milking unit (due to highly palatable feed that she finds in the milking box), a cow ID sensor reads an identification tag on the cow and passes the cow ID to the control system. If the cow has been milked too recently, the automatic gate system sends the cow out the unit. If the cow may be milked, automatic teat cleaning, milking cup application, milking, and teat dipping takes place. As an incentive to attend the milking unit, concentrated feedstuffs needs to be fed to the cow in the milking unit.

• High initial cost - AMS systems cost approximately €120,000 ($190,524) per milking unit (presuming barn space is already available for loose-stall housing). Equipment costs decreased from $175,000 for the first stall to $158,000. Equipment costs decreased from $10,000/stall for a double-six parlor to $9000/stall for a double-ten parlor with a cost of $1200/stall for pipeline milking. Initial parlor cost was increased $5000/stall to represent a high cost parlor.Whether it is economically beneficial to invest in an AMS instead of a conventional milking parlor depends on constructions costs, investments in the milking system and costs of labour. Besides costs of labour, the availability of labour should also be taken into account. In general, an AMS is economically beneficial for smaller scale farms, and large dairies can usually operate more cheaply with a milking parlor.
• Increased complexity - While complexity of equipment is a necessary part of technological advancement, the increased complexity of the AMS milking unit over conventional systems, increases the reliance on manufacturer maintenance services and possibly increasing operating costs. The farmer is exposed in the event of total system failure, relying on prompt response from the service provider. In practice AMS systems have proved robust and manufacturers provide good service networks. Because all milking cows have to visit the AMS voluntarily, the system requires a high quality of management. The system also involves a central place for the computer in the daily working routines.
• Difficult to apply in pasture systems - AMS works best in zero-grazing systems, in which the cow is housed indoors for most of the lactation period. Zero-grazing suits areas (e.g. the Netherlands) where land is at a premium, as maximum land can be devoted to feed production which is then collected by the farmer and brought to the animals in the barn. In pasture systems, cows graze in fields and are required to walk to the milking parlour. It has been found that cows tend not to attend the milking unit if the distance to walk is too great. There is currently a research project at the Dexcel facility in New Zealand where cattle are on pasture and milked by AMS.
• Lower milk quality - Somatic cell count (SCC) and Plate loop count (PLC) are, respectively, measurements of the quantity of white blood cells and total number of bacteria present in a milk sample. A high SCC indicates reduced udder health (as the immune system fights some infection) and implies lower milk quality. AMS herds consistently show higher SCCs than conventionally milked herds. A high PLC indicates bacterial contamination, usually through poor sanitation or cooling and similarly implies low milk quality. High PLC in AMS may be attributed to the continuous use of milking lines (rather than twice a day in conventional systems), which reduces the time window for cleaning, and the incremental addition of milk to the bulk milk tank which may not cool efficiently at low milk levels.
• Possible increase in stress for some cows - Cows are social animals, and it has been found that due to dominance of some cows, others will be forced to milk only at night. Such behaviour is inconsistent with the perception that AM reduces stress by allowing "free choice" of milking time.
• Decreased contact between farmer and herd - Effective animal husbandry requires that the farmer be fully aware of herd condition. In conventional milking, the cows are observed before milking equipment is attached, and ill or injured cows can be earmarked for attention. Automatic milking removes the farmer from such close contact with the animal, with the possibility that illness may go unnoticed for longer periods and both milk quality and cow welfare suffer. In practice, milk quality sensors at the milking unit attempt to detect changes in milk due to infection, and farmers inspect the herd frequently. However this concern has meant that farmers are still tied to a seven-day schedule.