The 5 major advantages of milking between the hind legs in a milking robot!
All the things that happen on a dairy farm interact with each other: comfort, animal health, and work efficiency. It's a chain reaction, so if one aspect goes well, it has a positive effect on the other aspect, and ultimately leads to healthy cows, high-quality milk, and a happy dairy farmer.
Besides a comfortable environment, cows enjoy freedom, routine, and a peaceful life; all benefits provided by a milking robot. Each cow can follow its instincts freely, is not obliged to wait, and can maintain her regular milking, eating and lying down (resting and rumination) routine. If she decides to visit the milking robot, it is important that she is relaxed and able to keep the herd in view.
A dairy farmer can exercise a lot of influence on this by their approach, arranging the right environment, and allowing cows to follow fixed routines.
So, how is all this related to milking between the hind legs? More than you might think! The dairy cow is approached in a similar way as in a side-by-side milking parlour. While the cow calmly eats, the milking robot approaches her from behind. It is also a safe place for the milker, in this case the robot arm, to milk cows and get them used to being milked. With a milking robot, everything is therefore completely automatic and relaxed.
Below, the five major advantages:
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1. The cow is relaxed and has no stress
She is not unnecessarily distracted by a moving or noisy robot arm, which allows her to be milked frequently and quickly. In addition, the arm does not remain active below the cow during milking. So a calmer atmosphere is created than when the cow is approached from the side.
2. The cow has an open view and remains in contact with her herd
We all know cows don't like to be isolated. Milking from the rear allows an entry and exit access to the left and right in the milking robot. This means the cow has an open view to the barn and she can be milked in the company of her peers.
3. The cow visits the robot more often
Since the cow feels comfortable and the robot is very easy to reach, she visits it more readily and frequently. This is a big advantage for cows in early lactation or cows with very high yields that you want to milk more often than average. Healthy cows that eat a good ration also spontaneously visit the robot multiple times a day.
4. The dairy farmer can work safely
Sometimes, a cow has to be connected to the robot manually. The connection from the rear means this can be done from a safe and comfortable position.
5. Long service life and milking technology in a safe area
The system is made of stainless steel, so it is extremely durable. Milking from behind prevents cows from stepping on important system components. Only the required connection technology is placed under the udders. The arm namely puts itself in the parking position - in complete safety - during the milking time.
BouMatic supplies an advanced, patented system in which the milking cluster is connected between the hind legs of the cow. It is unique in the market, and an invention based on practical experience. This completely reflects BouMatic's longstanding milk philosophy:
“milking gently, quickly and completely”.
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