WestVic Dairy News - December 2010 Edition
Farming for the Future Field day at Colac
By Helen Chenoweth, DPI Warrnambool
An interesting field day was run at Terry and Danila Kavenagh’s Farm at Larpent in late November where farmers from several discussion groups were able to check out their robotic milking system (or Automatic Milking System: AMS).
DPI’s Connecting Dairy Communities Project Leader, Janet Sloan, co-ordinated the activities on the day where farmers were organised into four groups and rotated every 30 min to look over each aspect of the operation, whilst hearing from experts who explained the action at each station.
Terry and Danila Kavenagh with DPI's Janet Sloan discussing their system
The stations were:
1. The Vat room - Why 2 vats?
Speakers: David Hintumn, Kevin Dwyer, WCBF.
2. The Robots - Watch all four in action.
Speakers: Bill Jackson & Bill Clark, Lely.
3. The computer - What it can do?
Speaker: Jurgen Steen – Lely
4. The Pasture - How do we manage the pasture and encourage the cows to walk to the dairy by themselves?
Speaker: Dr Kendra Kerrisk, Future Dairy.
Dr Kendra Kerrisk, FutureDairy Systems Research Fellow based at Camden NSW was able to give some useful insights into how the system manages cow flow effectively in a pasture-based farming business. She has been involved with the set up and running of the Camden AMS for almost 4 years and had some interesting comments about how AMS has been working on their farm for a number of years. The Kavenagh’s experience is very similar in many ways to that found at Camden.
Dr Kendra Kerrisk discussing managing cow flow in a pasture based dairy system
One cow being milked by the robot with another ready to go.
The CAMDEN experience:
Automatic milking with a pasture based system is vastly different to a conventional system. The fact that cows volunteer themselves for milking and that milking is distributed throughout the 24 hour period (rather than milking times – e.g. am and pm) by default cause a change in mindset regarding the operation of the dairy system.
How hard is it to train the cows during the commissioning period?
The commissioning period of an AMS dairy is largely a one-off event but one that potentially could be a difficult period. Technically the dairy must perform to a standard allowing the herd to be milked, the cows must be trained to use the system and importantly the farmer and/or staff will go through a steep learning process regarding the technology and operation of it, the system, the cow traffic and the monitoring systems.
Cows self feeding at the dairying prior to milking
How do you train heifers?
Heifers have proven very easy to train and at Camden they are run with the milkers for a period of two weeks starting 6-8 weeks before due calving. This improves their early lactation performance and minimises any assistance needed from staff in the first few days post-partum.
How difficult is it to achieve high levels of pasture utilisation?
Achieving high levels of pasture utilisation is not difficult. It is suggested that any farmer that is good at managing pasture in a conventional system can be equally as good at pasture management in an AMS.
With an automated milking system cows need to be provided with incentives to motivate them to move around the system, which in turn generates the opportunity for milking. Cows do not respond to udder fill or pressure as a motivation to be milked. They will come to the dairy in the search for feed, water, shade, shelter or herd mates. At the Camden AMS only feed is used as an incentive to generate cow traffic. Cows are given a fresh break of pasture twice a day and the diet is supplemented at the dairy by way of concentrate in the machines and a balanced ration on the feedpad (only when pasture is limiting).
It was noted at the field day that a three-way (three pasture breaks/day) grazing system creates more opportunity for regular cow movement and would be the recommended grazing option where the farm layout allows for it.
Bill Clark, Lely Robot Technician, showing aspects of robotic milking machine
FutureDairy’s Google Group
Throughout 2008 and 2009 the interest in AMS and the number of farmers committing to installation of AMS has increased and the need to provide farmers with sufficient knowledge to be successful with the operation of the farm system around the AMS has also grown. During this early adoption period there is a limited number of people in the industry who have the knowledge and experience required to answer queries/questions from farmers adopting this ‘new way of farming’. To address this issue FutureDairy thought that an on-line discussion group would be useful to provide farmers with a forum in which they could enquire about farm system experiences and knowledge – hence the development of the FutureDairy Google Group. Farmers can request help or direction from industry experts and researchers and begin to learn from each others’ knowledge and experience – in much the same way as they do from physical discussion groups.
You can access this email discussion group to share ideas, ask questions specific to your situation, learn from the experience of dairy farmers with AMS and pick the brains of Australia’s AMS researchers.
To join, visit www.google.com.au, click on the “Groups” on the top panel, then on the top right side of the screen click on “sign in”, then create an account, nominate a password and then click “I accept, Create my account”. Finally register with the FutureDairy Google Group by emailing darold.klindworth@dpi.vic.gov.au
If you would like more information regarding this field day, contact the field day coordinator, Janet Sloan, DPI Warrnambool, 5561 9906. Thanks to Terry and Danila Kavenagh for opening up their farm for the field day. Note that farm visits are only by prior appointments.
