Effect of cow traffic system on cow performance and AMS capacity
Robotic milking in Automatic Milking systems (AMS) is proposed to reduce manual labour and at the same time increase milk yield by increasing milking frequency. In order to increase milking frequency, it is essential to have well-functioning cow traffic. Investing in an AMS is a great capital invest...
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| Formato: | H2 |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés sueco |
| Publicado: |
SLU/Dept. of Clinical Sciences (until 231231)
2013
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| Materias: |
| _version_ | 1855570876897951744 |
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| author | Markey, Carolina |
| author_browse | Markey, Carolina |
| author_facet | Markey, Carolina |
| author_sort | Markey, Carolina |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | Robotic milking in Automatic Milking systems (AMS) is proposed to reduce manual labour and at the same time increase milk yield by increasing milking frequency. In order to increase milking frequency, it is essential to have well-functioning cow traffic. Investing in an AMS is a great capital investment for the farmer, thus it is of major importance to ensure maximal AMS capacity. This study investigated the effect of the traffic systems Feed First™ and Free cow traffic with and without waiting area (WA) on cow performance and AMS capacity. The effects were estimated with multivariable linear regression models, accounting for other potentially influencing factors. The farmers’ satisfaction with the traffic systems was investigated as well as how often and how many cows that were fetched to the milking unit and how much time the farmers spent on fetching cows to the milking unit. Data was collected from 165 dairy farms in Denmark and the Netherlands for the period 1st July 2011 to 1st July 2012. The data was retrieved from the management systems on each farm as well as from a telephone based quantitative interview with the farmers.
Cows in Feed First traffic produced on average 0.6 kg less milk per day compared to cows in Free cow traffic with WA and 0.7 kg less milk per day compared to cows in Free cow traffic without WA (p<0.001). Cows in Feed First traffic produced on average 0.1 kg less milk per milking compared to cows in Free cow traffic with WA (p<0.05). On average, cows in Feed first traffic visited the milking unit 0.1 less times per day compared to cows in Free cow traffic with and without WA (p<0.001). Descriptive data showed that average milking duration per robot and day was 16.6 h, 17.1 h and 16.7 h in Feed First, Free cow traffic with WA and Free cow traffic without WA respectively. Average amount of milk per robot day was 1529.8 kg, 1583.7 kg and 1550.6 kg for Feed First, Free cow traffic with WA and Free cow traffic without WA respectively. Feed First traffic resulted in on average 138.1 milkings per robot and day whereas Free cow traffic with and without WA resulted in 142.2 and 140.4 milkings per robot and day respectively. The estimates from the statistical model, i.e. adjusted for the potential effects of other variables in the model, showed that Feed First traffic resulted in 5.6 fewer visits per robot and day compared to Free cow traffic without WA (p<0.05). Average number of cows per robot was 55 in Feed First traffic and Free cow traffic with WA and 54.1 in Free cow traffic without WA (p<0.001). Farmers with Feed First traffic reported that they fetched cows on average 1.5 times per VMS and day compared to 2.5 in Free cow traffic with WA (p<0.001) and 2.3 in Free cow traffic without WA (p<0.05). Farmers in Feed First traffic also reported that they fetched on average 16.6 cows per VMS and day compared to 24.0 in Free cow traffic with WA (p<0.05). In terms of cow performance, Free cow traffic seems to be more favourable than Feed First traffic. Weather the differences are due to actual differences in traffic systems or management is hard to determine with the information available. Several management factors, such as feeding strategy, determine the success of cow traffic. These factors might be more important in order to obtain successful cow traffic than type of traffic system. More research, taking these factors into account, is needed to investigate the question further and to confirm the results in this study. |
| format | H2 |
| id | RepoSLU5632 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Inglés swe |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | SLU/Dept. of Clinical Sciences (until 231231) |
| publisherStr | SLU/Dept. of Clinical Sciences (until 231231) |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU56322013-06-04T15:20:33Z Effect of cow traffic system on cow performance and AMS capacity Markey, Carolina Cow traffic Feed First Free cow traffic AMS capacity waiting are Robotic milking in Automatic Milking systems (AMS) is proposed to reduce manual labour and at the same time increase milk yield by increasing milking frequency. In order to increase milking frequency, it is essential to have well-functioning cow traffic. Investing in an AMS is a great capital investment for the farmer, thus it is of major importance to ensure maximal AMS capacity. This study investigated the effect of the traffic systems Feed First™ and Free cow traffic with and without waiting area (WA) on cow performance and AMS capacity. The effects were estimated with multivariable linear regression models, accounting for other potentially influencing factors. The farmers’ satisfaction with the traffic systems was investigated as well as how often and how many cows that were fetched to the milking unit and how much time the farmers spent on fetching cows to the milking unit. Data was collected from 165 dairy farms in Denmark and the Netherlands for the period 1st July 2011 to 1st July 2012. The data was retrieved from the management systems on each farm as well as from a telephone based quantitative interview with the farmers. Cows in Feed First traffic produced on average 0.6 kg less milk per day compared to cows in Free cow traffic with WA and 0.7 kg less milk per day compared to cows in Free cow traffic without WA (p<0.001). Cows in Feed First traffic produced on average 0.1 kg less milk per milking compared to cows in Free cow traffic with WA (p<0.05). On average, cows in Feed first traffic visited the milking unit 0.1 less times per day compared to cows in Free cow traffic with and without WA (p<0.001). Descriptive data showed that average milking duration per robot and day was 16.6 h, 17.1 h and 16.7 h in Feed First, Free cow traffic with WA and Free cow traffic without WA respectively. Average amount of milk per robot day was 1529.8 kg, 1583.7 kg and 1550.6 kg for Feed First, Free cow traffic with WA and Free cow traffic without WA respectively. Feed First traffic resulted in on average 138.1 milkings per robot and day whereas Free cow traffic with and without WA resulted in 142.2 and 140.4 milkings per robot and day respectively. The estimates from the statistical model, i.e. adjusted for the potential effects of other variables in the model, showed that Feed First traffic resulted in 5.6 fewer visits per robot and day compared to Free cow traffic without WA (p<0.05). Average number of cows per robot was 55 in Feed First traffic and Free cow traffic with WA and 54.1 in Free cow traffic without WA (p<0.001). Farmers with Feed First traffic reported that they fetched cows on average 1.5 times per VMS and day compared to 2.5 in Free cow traffic with WA (p<0.001) and 2.3 in Free cow traffic without WA (p<0.05). Farmers in Feed First traffic also reported that they fetched on average 16.6 cows per VMS and day compared to 24.0 in Free cow traffic with WA (p<0.05). In terms of cow performance, Free cow traffic seems to be more favourable than Feed First traffic. Weather the differences are due to actual differences in traffic systems or management is hard to determine with the information available. Several management factors, such as feeding strategy, determine the success of cow traffic. These factors might be more important in order to obtain successful cow traffic than type of traffic system. More research, taking these factors into account, is needed to investigate the question further and to confirm the results in this study. Robotmjölkning med hjälp av Automatiska MjölkningsSystem (AMS) anses kunna minska det manuella arbetet och samtidigt öka mjölkningsfrekvensen. För att öka mjölkningsfrekvensen krävs en väl fungerande kotrafik. Att investera i ett AMS innebär en omfattande kostnad för lantbrukaren och det är av största vikt att AMSens maximala kapacitet utnyttjas. Denna studie har undersökt effekten av trafiksystemen Feed First™ och Fri kotrafik med och utan väntfålla på kors mjölkproduktion, antal mjölkningar och mjölkkonduktivitet samt AMSens kapacitet. Analyserna har utförts med multivariabel linjär regression, där även andra faktorer som kan påverka utfallet har tagits hänsyn till. Lantbrukarnas belåtenhet med trafiksystemen samt hur ofta och hur många kor som hämtades till roboten och tidsåtgången för detta undersöktes. Data inhämtades från 1165 mjölkgårdar i Danmark och Nederländerna för perioden från 1 juli 2011 till 1 juli 2012. Datan inhämtades från gårdarnas managementsystem samt från telefonbaserade intervjuer med lantbrukarna. Kor i Feed First trafik producerade i genomsnitt 0,6 kg mindre mjölk per dag jämfört kor i Fri kotrafik med väntfålla och 0,7 kg mindre mjölk per dag jämfört kor i Fri kotrafik utan väntfålla (p<0,001). Kor i Feed First trafik producerade i genomsnitt 0,1 kg mindre mjölk per mjölkning jämfört med kor i Fri kotrafik med väntfålla (p<0,05). I genomsnitt besökte kor i Feed First roboten 0,1 färre gånger per dag jämfört med kor i Fri kotrafik med och utan väntfålla (p<0,001). Deskriptiv data visar att den genomsnittliga mjölkningstiden per robot och dag var 16,6 h, 17,1 h and 16,7 h i respektive trafiksystem Feed First, Fri kotrafik med väntfålla och Fri kotrafik utan väntfålla. Genomsnittlig mängd mjölk per robot och dag var 1529,8 kg, 1583,7 kg och 1550,6 kg för respektive trafiksystem Feed First, Fri kotrafik med väntfålla och Fri kotrafik utan väntfålla. Feed First resulterade i genomsnitt i 138,1 mjölkningar per robot och dag medan Fri kotrafik med och utan väntfålla resulterade i genomsnitt i 142,2 och 140,4 mjölkningar per robot och dag. De uppskattade värdena från den statistiska modellen, dvs. justerade för de potentiella effekterna av andra variabler i modellen, visar att Feed First trafik resulterade i 5,6 färre mjölkningar per robot och dag i jämförelse med Fri kotrafik utan väntfålla (p<0,05). Genomsnittligt antal kor per robot var 55.8 i Feed First och Fri kotrafik med väntfålla och 54.1 i Fri kotrafik utan väntfålla (p<0,001). Lantbrukare med Feed First trafik rapporterade att de hämtade kor till roboten i genomsnitt 1,5 gånger per robot och dag jämfört med 2,5 i Fri kotrafik med väntfålla (p<0,001) och 2,3 i Fri kotrafik utan väntfålla (p<0,05). Lantbrukare med Feed First trafik rapporterade även att de hämtade i genomsnitt 16,6 kor per robot och dag till roboten jämfört med 24,0 i Fri kotrafik med väntfålla (p<0,05). Fri kotrafik verkar vara bättre än Feed First trafik i fråga om kors mjölkproduktion och antal mjölkningar. Huruvida skillnaderna beror på faktiska skillnader mellan trafiksystemen eller i management är svårt att avgöra på basis av den information som fanns tillgänglig. Flera managementfaktorer, så som utfodringsstrategi, verkar vara avgörande för en lyckad kotrafik. Dessa kan tänkas vara av större betydelse för en framgångsrik kotrafik än själva trafiksystemet. Vidare forskning, som tar hänsyn till dessa faktorer, krävs för att utreda frågan vidare och bekräfta resultaten i denna studie. SLU/Dept. of Clinical Sciences (until 231231) 2013 H2 eng swe https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/5632/ |
| spellingShingle | Cow traffic Feed First Free cow traffic AMS capacity waiting are Markey, Carolina Effect of cow traffic system on cow performance and AMS capacity |
| title | Effect of cow traffic system on cow performance and AMS capacity |
| title_full | Effect of cow traffic system on cow performance and AMS capacity |
| title_fullStr | Effect of cow traffic system on cow performance and AMS capacity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of cow traffic system on cow performance and AMS capacity |
| title_short | Effect of cow traffic system on cow performance and AMS capacity |
| title_sort | effect of cow traffic system on cow performance and ams capacity |
| topic | Cow traffic Feed First Free cow traffic AMS capacity waiting are |