Growing your business is top of mind for most dairy producers with expansion of herds and facilities under heavy consideration. For many dairy farmers with both large and small herds, robots are becoming the solution.

Many dairies across North America were originally built with a milking center connected to a freestall housing facility. They have since expanded the size and number of barns and increased the number of cows to the maximum capacity of the milking center. Now that the existing facility is maxed out, robots present a great solution for continued expansion. 

Why add robots? Adding a new robotic facility to your existing dairy, whether it’s on the same site or another site close by, could help reduce the pressure on the existing facility. Here’s what robots could add to your dairy:

Where to start? There are countless considerations when converting to a robotic facility, including management style, nutrition options and many others, but cow comfort and cow flow during and after the construction process needs to be a top priority. 

In the example shown here, an existing 3,500-cow (plus or minus) facility has been converted into a robotic facility by adding lean-to structures and new, centralized milk house facilities. The following considerations were made when designing the robotic expansion of this dairy:

Whether reducing labor, increasing production or just replacing aging equipment have you thinking about a robotic solution, remember to take careful consideration in the design of your facility. Even the best robotic equipment in the world will not be able to show its potential if the cows are not able to flow through it easily and comfortably.

Fill out the form below to learn how adding robotic milking systems to your dairy could help you expand your operation.

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