2021-03-03 PRESS RELEASE FROM DELAVAL
Flexible robotic set up allows batch milking for larger farms to utilize the benefits of DeLaval VMS™ V300 and V310 in a new way.
The consolidation of farms worldwide is picking up speed and is one of the reasons behind the increasing demand for efficient automatic milking solutions amongst larger dairy farms. “With the successful introduction a few years ago of our DeLaval VMS™ V300 and V310 and the high capacity of the station, we saw an opportunity to organize the robots in a batch milking setup to offer a flexible automatic milking solution for larger farms,” says Robert Jensen, Solution Specialist AMS Large Herd in Cluster EMEA. “With the potential of over 200 milkings per day and the great benefits of VMS milking, including InControl™, InSight™, PureFlow™ and online cell counter, we are positive that our VMS systems can be a great solution to large dairy farms that would like to milk automatic and at the same time keep the predictability that batch milking provides,” says Jensen.
There are several aspects to consider when looking at a new milking system. “Farmers need to look at their long-term strategies, barn design, cow comfort and of course personal preference, to mention just a few of the key areas. There is no solution that fits all farms. However, our VMS batch set up can be used in a great variety of farms, including very large ones, as it is flexible and can easily be scaled up. In addition, automatic milking requires little manual work which can reduce labour dependencies and related costs,” says Jensen.
Feed is the main cost on a dairy farm today. With the VMS batch set up farmers will be able to keep their current TMR (total mixed ration) feeding plan and only give teaser feed in the milking stations helping to maintain a more cost-efficient feeding.
“The milking capacity per milking station will vary from farm to farm depending on cow material, farm management, barn design and milking frequency, but somewhere between 8-9 cows per box per hour, are to be expected,” says Jensen. “The set up is being used from eight VMS units and upwards ─ the upper limit in size and capacity are still to be explored”.
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