Successful Gemini Barn Design

What You Need To Know

Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to move to a robotic milking system. Now the question is where are you going to put these new units in your barn and how are you going to make them work?

There are several ways the Gemini can be configured in your barn, but the real question is how do you get the most production out of your Gemini milking system and make it as labor efficient as possible. Simply put, how are you going to manage your workflow?

Here is a short list of items to consider when designing your barn for maximum production and efficiency.

1. Cow Comfort

Were not just talking amenities (cow brushes, feed pushers, etc.) here, but the basics of cow comfort. Proper freestall size and length with adequate bedding to promote proper rest (12-14 hrs) and maximize milk production.

-Adequate water and bunk space per animal so that each animal’s nutritional requirements are met.

-Proper ventilation to minimize heat stress and reduce respiratory issues

-Enough spacing for animals to move freely and unhindered, especially for timid animals.

Finally, remember the stocking density of the barn is also very important. Although it is common to overstock barns 15-20% in a parlor, in a robotic milking system it will be detrimental to the usage and its efficiency. The goal is to plan for a stall per cow in the general population, and approximately 80% stocking density for fresh cows, close-up dry cows and special needs cows. Maintaining these stocking densities will ensure excellent cow flow and maximize each cow’s milk production.

2. Cow Management

Consider how you will work with your cows on daily basis. How can you make this as labor efficient as possible? Headlocks? Management Rail? Sort system? These are all possible scenarios in a Gemini system. A full sort system allows the sorted animals to be separated so they can quickly and easily be worked with, and still make their way back to the Gemini to be milked automatically.

3. Cow Movement

Since cows are no longer going through the parlor all at the same time, looking at how to handle large groups of cows (dry off days, vet checks, etc.) needs to be considered. Moving fresh cows from the calving area to milking robot, sick cows going back and forth from treatment area and fetching cows that need to be milked are a few of the routine cow movements that need to evaluated. Proper gating can minimize the labor needed to retrieve cows that require special handling.

4. Footbath Management

To maximize cow traffic to the robot, good foot health is essential. Ideally getting cows through a foot bath 4 times a week helps ensure this. Having the proper cow lanes when exiting the robot will make footbath routines run smoother and less disruptive vs pushing cows through a footbath that is placed in the barn.

5. Manure Management

Keep in mind that the cows never leave the pen, so traditional scraping is a challenge and offers a disruption to cow while they are in the pen. Ally scrapers, flush options, and slatted floors, along with mechanical robot removal are all ideal solutions that can work for cleaning the pen. Keeping the allies clean is just as essential in robot facilities as conventional ones. Cleaning around the robot multiple times a day and flushing away manure needs to be planned out to continue to keep all floor areas ideal for cow foot traction, overall sanitation and equipment performance.

6. Labor Considerations

Cow movement, maintenance, cleaning, sorting are all daily tasks that need to be accomplished. Depending on herd size and layout, barns can be operated with the least amount of people as possible. Capitalizing on efficiencies to help maximize return on investment (ROI).

As mentioned, there are many areas of consider consideration when designing a new Gemini facility. Many of the same needs exist as in conventional barns, but methods of handling those needs must be carefully considered or handled differently for success when using a robotic operation.