Robotic Milking System Research Paper

Robotic Milking Systems: Is it worth it? Automatic milking systems, also referred to as robotic milking systems, came out around 2000 in the United States and are beginning to become very popular. Although there are many benefits that go along with having the AMS there are also some downfalls. Automatic milking systems are designed to make milking cows in a simpler way. The cows walk into a chute and into the robot. When they walk in the robot reads the cow’s electronic necklace to make sure it is time for them to get milk and gives them a feed ration specially designed for them. Then, brushes rise up and clean the cow’s teats. After the teats are clean, lasers are used to put the teat cups on. When the cows is done milking, the teats are …show more content…
Training the cows is not an easy job and can take up to three months. Not only do stubborn cows not enter, but fresh heifers, lame, or sick cows also have a problem with entering the robot (Trannel). Those that the robot has not read for at least twelve hours have to be caught and chased into the robot to get milked (DeGier). Some times it is not the cow’s attitude but her udder that affects the milking process. If a cow’s teats are too dark, she has too much udder hair, or the udder is not positioned correctly; the robot may not be able to locate her teats to milk. Also, if the cow has mastitis, a bacterial infection that affects the mammary gland and causes her milk to go bad, the automatic system is not likely to detect the infection. The biggest disadvantage is the high costs. “AMS can cost $180,000-$275,000 for the first unit and can handle 55-70 cows” (Trannel). For the average person, this is not pocket change. Making Automatic Milking Systems a big investment. This price does not include all of the costs it will take to rebuild the barn in order for the robot set up to fit and operate smoothly and how much it will cost if the robot breaks down (Trannel). If the robot does break down, it will not only take money but also time to …show more content…
It can also be beneficial to the cows in regards to their comfort level while milking. On the other hand, begging to use the AMS can be rather expensive compared to manual milking. Also, the manual way could help save a lot of time, money, and stress on the cows if robotic milkers were to malfunction. Manual milking provides a source of labor in today’s ecosystem as well, which overall makes manual milking a more logical way of milking cows until other issues with robotic milkers are