From Tradition to Innovation: Ganadería As Cargas Embraces Milking Automation

Ganadería As Cargas SC is a family-run dairy farm located in Cabrui, in the municipality of Mesía (Galicia).

It is managed by Eva García and Juan Carlos Dono, who continue a tradition that has been passed down through the family for several generations. The farm has around 250 animals, including 110 lactating cows. It operates on a stable model, with no plans for expansion, based on producing its own fodder and optimized work organization.

In September, the farm installed two milking robots to improve the quality of life for farmers and modernize an outdated milking system.

This change has allowed for greater flexibility in scheduling, eliminating the fixed constraints of traditional milking. The work remains daily and requires constant monitoring, but the time saved can be reallocated to other essential tasks on the farm.

Robots have improved individual monitoring of the herd. Automatic sorting of cows as they leave the robot facilitates health checks, while the data collected allows for more accurate monitoring of production.

The choice of the Boumatic Gemini Up robot, with a rear-mounted milking arm, helps to keep the cows calm and speeds up milking.

From a technical and zootechnical standpoint, the cows adapted smoothly thanks to advance preparation, as the animals had been accustomed to entering the robot before it was put into service. The switch to robotic milking was accompanied by an increase in production of approximately 4 liters of milk per cow per day.

This development has enabled better overall organization of the farm, in particular by freeing up time for monitoring heifers, without increasing livestock numbers or labor, marking a significant change in the way we work while preserving animal welfare.