Ganados Carballo, the first Spanish farm to milk with the Gemini double box from BouMatic

After the launch of this model in Portugal last year, BouMatic has now begun its implementation in Spain. The first unit to be installed and put into operation was that of the Ganados Carballo farm in Coruña.

After fifteen days working at full capacity with the Gemini double box from BouMatic, Ganados Carballo opens the doors of its farm to us to present the specificities of this model of robot with rear milking and the capacity to assist a hundred head.

“We have been in this building for 14 years, the same time we have used a 10-point herringbone parlor for milking”, says Bruno Pena, co-owner of the business. With 101 milking cows, the parlor was beginning to become too small and, seeing the increasing difficulties in finding qualified labor, robotization seemed the safest option.

Specifically, Pena explains that two of the characteristics of this robot model that particularly interested them were the rear milking and the double box. “We were looking for rear milking because we believe that this way the animals are less stressed and are more comfortable. Furthermore, the double box not only makes it possible to milk two cows at the same time, but also allows delays to be introduced in one of the boxes, while the other continues to function normally”, he points out.

This is the first robot of this model that BouMatic puts into operation in Spain, although they already have five other best-selling robots pending installation, and in Portugal a little over a year ago the first units began working. “The evaluation of the robot, especially double, is very good because it adapts very well to the type of farms we have in Spain and Portugal”, says Javier Liste, BouMatic sales representative for the peninsula. In typical farms in this area, with 80-90 cows, a single robot is not enough and two may be too much, but “our double robot, with a capacity for 100 cows, fits perfectly.”

In the design of its robots, BouMatic seeks gentle, quick and complete milking of the cow. “We always focus our attention, from the moment we structure the implementation until we carry out the installation, on the animal. The entire robot is designed to milk looking for production, efficiency and smoothness", lists Liste.

IMPROVEMENTS AND ADAPTATION PROCESS

After the change, they have increased the average number of milkings from the 2 that they performed in the parlor to the 2.4 that they are now achieving in the robot. They focus especially on quality since, although a percentage of the milk is delivered to Celega, they also allocate a portion to the production of their own fresh cheese.

On this farm they prioritize longevity and avoiding leg and fertility problems, among others. Furthermore, since they own many hectares, their diet is mainly grass-based; "Their cows eat very little concentrate, and everything is supplied directly to them by the robot", explains Ismael Grandal, salesman at Frior, the company in charge of installing the Gemini in Ganados Carballo.

Regarding the process of adaptation to the robot, the dairy farmer points out that it was very bearable. “We did the work and after three days we already had them coming in to eat the feed. First we let them get used to it and then we stopped the parlor and started milking on the robot”, he recalls. “It was much better than expected. It is true that for a couple of days you have to be very attentive, but the cows adapted well and we are not having major delays. They go to the feed, which is what they like.”

ROBOTIZATION, WITH BOUMATIC AND NEXT TO FRIOR

“For me, in choosing the machine, half the weight lies with the dealer and the technical service”, says Bruno Pena, who in this change has continued to trust Frior, with whom he has been working for 14 years. “We really liked this model, but the experience with them was decisive, because they have always been very good to us and we know that, when we need them, the people of Frior are here.”

The installation was a learning process for both the dealer and the farmer. “This was the first robot we built, but we were able to solve the challenge without any problem and I think we were up to the task,” says Grandal. “We also received support from our colleagues from Agros Comercial, from Portugal, who helped us resolve doubts, and from personnel from BouMatic factory, who were here on the day of installation.”

For Frior, starting robotic milking meant a series of changes and challenges: on the one hand, the training of technicians and, on the other, the investment in stock material to, in the event of a breakdown, solve it as quickly as possible. Now, with the first robotic unit already installed and with another three double and two single robots on the way, they assure that their commitment to this market has been the right one and that they are "prepared to face the challenges that robotic milking poses."

THE FEATURES OF THE GEMINI DOUBLE BOX

• The double version of the Gemini optimizes the operation of the robotic arm one hundred percent, allowing more cows to be milked per hour. Thanks to artificial intelligence, tasks are optimized and jobs can be combined in the 2 boxes at the same time.
• Rear milking, a BouMatic patent, means that the arm is less exposed to dirt and kicks from the animal, which extends its useful life, since during milking the arm is not located under the cow.
• The location of the arm in the back is what makes it possible to place two entrance doors and two exit doors. In the simple version, this allows the robot itself to act as a sorting door, and in the double version, it makes it possible for two cows to enter at the same time, which favors adaptation and promotes the cow's tranquility, since it has a companion at the same time. side throughout the process.
• The Gemini arm is hydraulic, which makes it very precise in its movements, and does not generate any type of noise, an aspect that helps improve the well-being of the cows.
• This robot offers the animal a perfect lateral view of the stable, which eliminates the feeling of being isolated in a box.
• The Gemini includes OneView software, which allows you to manage both the herd and machine settings.

Discover the testimonial video (Spanish)