Designing a robotic barn with your needs in mind

Everything you need to know about cow traffic

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You discussed with your family, friends, team and farm stakeholders before going ahead with an automated milking system. Now, what about cow traffic in the barn and to and from the robot?

Constructing a new robotic barn or installing one or more milking robots in an existing building raises a number of questions. For example, how cows move in the barn and to and from the robot will need to be carefully considered. There are many compelling options, but how do you ensure that what’s being offered is what you need in terms of work efficiency and profitability? The following points are sure to guide you in the right direction.

Make your own choices

It’s important to remember that this is your project, and it should reflect your preferences. Feel free to share your expectations, goals and long-term vision. Visit facilities and talk to dairy farmers about their experience and why they chose one barn layout over another. With a range of available options, your equipment vendor for automated milking systems can turn your needs into reality to your complete satisfaction. Feel free to express what you want.

Barn layout

When it comes to deciding on barn layout and cow traffic, a number of considerations will influence the choice of traffic type, such as how you manage overdue cows, cows in heat, insemination and special care, etc. Individual cow management can also influence the organization of traffic to maximize milking performance. For example, do you want to bring only cows ready for milking to the robot? Do you want milked cows to rejoin cows to be milked? Variables such as time, available workforce and daily tasks to be completed factor in to create a winning formula.

Above all, animal comfort should be top of mind. The number of rows and their layout as well as the number of stalls and their size must be determined to suit not only the current number of cows, but more importantly the number of cows you plan to keep in the future. The same applies to manure management: opting for a simple, standard layout is a safe bet should you decide to change the system for collecting and transferring manure in the barn in the future. There’s also the crossing alley pace, feeder space, number of water troughs, hoof trimmer, foot bath, cow brushes and the rear of the robot to be considered. How do you keep cow traffic flowing smoothly while meeting your performance targets? Milking robot manufacturers usually offer a barn layout service so that you and the other stakeholders can agree on the perfect plan for your project.

Free-flow traffic in the barn means that cows can move freely to the robot, feed bunk and stalls. There are no finger gates or one-way gates to guide cows to a specific area.

Cow traffic in the barn

Since the arrival of the first milking robots, cow traffic principles have developed and diversified as robotic milking has evolved. This evolution is largely due to the meticulous assessment dairy farmers have made of their working environment over time. The quest for operational efficiency combined with the demands of cow comfort and labour scarcity have taken the organization of farm activities to a new level, where farmers can greatly improve efficiency if they so wish.

Here are some cow traffic options for automated milking systems. First, it’s important to understand that in a robotic barn, cow traffic flows three ways: in the barn, toward the robot and away from the robot. In the barn, there are three traffic options: free, guided and semi-guided. Here’s a description of each option:

Free-flow traffic
Free-flow traffic in the barn means that cows can move freely to the robot, feeders and stalls. There are no finger gates or one-way gates to guide cows to a specific area. However, with advancements in robotics over the last few years, we’ve seen facilities where free-flow traffic has been optimized to improve work efficiency, notably when the farmer uses a gate system to close the crossing alley and direct overdue cows to the milking robot. The initial monetary investment for this type of traffic is lower, but involves an investment of time and resources to bring overdue cows to the robot or to a specific enclosure to perform routine tasks.

Guided traffic
When guided traffic is used in the barn, cows are directed to a sort gate, which gives or prevents access to the waiting area for milking. One-way gates installed on crossing alley and sort gates are used to guide cows to the waiting area for milking. The investment is higher, but overall, cow management can be organized on an ad hoc basis, without wasting time, requiring additional resources, or congesting the robot with cows that don’t need to be milked immediately.

Semi-guided traffic
Semi-guided traffic is a combination of free and guided traffic. It allows certain cows to have access to a stall for resting and to the feed bunk without having to go through a sorting system. For example, in a three-row installation, one row gives free-flow access to feed bunk and stalls, and two rows guide cows toward sorting and the waiting area for robots if they have milking authorization. A semi-guided traffic system offers a good balance between free-flow and guided traffic. The initial investment is lower, and the return is substantial in terms of improved overall efficiency.

Cow traffic to the milking robot

Free access
All cows have access to the robot whether they are ready to be milked or not. Free access to the robot is a cost-effective configuration that’s easy to install in an existing barn. However, managing the first milkings of new or fresh cows is time-consuming since the farmer has to fetch these cows and bring them to the robot. To remedy this situation, some dairy farmers have developed strategies such as a catch pen to make their work easier.

Optimized access
Inside the milking area, sort gates give access to either the waiting area for robots or the feed bunk, depending on milking authorizations. Only cows ready to be milked are directed to the waiting area for robots. The others will be directed to the feed alley and then to the free stall.

Cow traffic from the milking robot

Upon leaving the robot, there are several options other than returning the cows directly to the free stall. These options are referred to as an “optimized exit,” since the configuration uses pre- and post-sort gates. Whatever herd management practice you employ, such as the catch pen for overdue animals or the hospital for special care, you need to calculate the resources and time used to track and bring animals to their penDEs. An optimized exit saves this time by determining which animals need to go there immediately after milking.

This also applies to the possibility of directing cows to pasture during the summer season, isolating cows in heat so that they don’t disturb the peace of the rest of the herd, bringing in cows that require veterinary checks, and scheduling foot baths and hoof trimming at a specific time for the whole herd. Some companies also offer an in-line guided exit from several milking robots, allowing cows to move toward the exit without creating congestion.

Upon leaving the robot, there are several options other than returning the cows directly to the free stall. These options are referred to as an ''optimized exit,'' since the configuration uses pre- and post-sort gates.

The options as wide-ranging as the ways each dairy farmer wants to manage their herd and organize tasks on the farm. Ask yourself which tasks are the most demanding and require the most time and resources? You’ll probably be surprised to learn that they can all be organized to save time and energy. Feel free to ask questions. Automated milking systems have evolved at breakneck speed over the last 10 years, including practices around cow traffic in the barn and milking robots. Be sure to get all the information you need and identify your specific needs. Because you know your needs best!