Robotic milking systems are often installed with the hope that more frequent milking will result in higher production per cow. Certainly, more frequent milking is possible. It goes without saying, that cows need to get out of their free stalls and move around the barn to get those extra milkings. Cow flow is the term used to describe how much cows move around the barn. Feeding, barn design, cow training, and people all affect how much cows move around the barn. In order to manage any of those, we need to measure cow flow. In free flow barns, we use refusals or rejections to measure cow flow.
WHAT ARE REFUSALS AND REJECTIONS?
A refusal or a rejection occurs when a cow comes to the robot to be milked but she is released unmilked because she does not have milking permission. Lely calls this a refusal, while DeLaval calls it a rejection. For simplicity, I will use the term refusal to refer to either, for most of this article. At least 1 refusal per cow per day ensures that she is coming to the robot enough to get the desired number of milkings.
WHERE CAN I FIND REFUSALS?
The Lely Horizon dashboard includes 24 hour and 7-day averages for the herd. It can also be broken down to a variety of different cohorts. in DeLaval DelPro, use the cow traffic report, and some calculations, to track refusals. Inside DelPro, filter the cow traffic report to get the total number of rejections for the desired time period and the desired group. Next, working outside of DelPro, divide total refusals by the number of cows in the group or herd. Check your math to make sure your units result in refusals per cow per day.
HOW MANY REFUSALS TO EXPECT?
Manage the barn for at least 1 refusal per cow per day. In general, more refusals are better, but there are some limitations. Refusals do take time in the robot. As idle time drops towards 10 percent, reducing refusals makes more time for milking. Conversely, refusals are likely to be lower when idle time is lower because the robots are less available.
HOW ARE REFUSALS USED?
If refusals are low, look for ways to make cows move around the barn more frequently. Review the energy relationship between nutritional needs of the cow, and what is provided in the robot and the bunk. Evaluate cow health, especially lameness. Consider feeding more often at the bunk, or pushing feed up more frequently. If refusals are too high, make sure feed is always available in the bunk, and make sure feed is not left behind when cows leave the robot. Finally, if refusals are high and more frequent milking is desired, review milking permission. Less restrictive milking permission allows more of the trips to the robot to be used for milking.
Cow Corner can help you find the refusal information you need. I can also help you break it down for different lactation groups and different stages of lactation. Call, email, or leave a message in the contact section at www.cow-corner.co for more information.
تعليقات