Does Robotic Milking Benefit Dairy Producers

A recent presentation in Sunnyside focused on how robotic milkers are impacting the dairy industry and what producers need to know if they want to implement the machines.

WSU’s Amber Adams-Progar said interest in robotic milkers has begun to really increase throughout the industry.

“With concerns about reliability of labor, and on top of that how the machines may actually improve animal welfare on farms. As you can tell, there are a lot of potential advantages to the robotic milkers.”

Robotic milkers were also created to help with the lives of dairy operators and give them some flexibility.

Adams-Progar said they covered a lot of ground from initial costs, systems, barn designs, flow systems and beyond, but ultimately she says it’s worth at least some investigation by producers.

“These systems also have the advantage of being to provide a lot more data than what our current conventional systems are able to provide us. And then there’s the consistency. You never have to worry about the machine unless there’s some sort of malfunction.”

Adams-Progar emphasized that robotic milkers are not designed to replace the farm manager who should be on site and working with it, but can ease some of the labor concerns.

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