The Raterink family wanted to pursue transitioning their dairy herd from a stanchion barn to automatic milking systems for labor reasons. But the biggest benefit they have seen since the move has been in animal health.
During a Michigan State University Extension “Virtual Coffee Break” podcast episode, Mike Raterink described that monitoring their herd of 110 cows with two robots and an activity monitoring system has resulted in fewer cows off feed, reduced metabolic issues, and less disease overall.
“We’re definitely able to find sick cows or cows off feed faster and take care of them before they get too far downhill,” said the third-generation dairy farmer.
He acknowledged that the farm’s labor needs have not really declined since the robots were added. Raterink runs the farm with his parents, so the same number of people are working on the farm — they just use their time differently. Instead of spending six hours a day milking, they are able to fine-tune other areas of their operation, such as animal health. Raterink said he now spends more time looking at computer-generated reports than ever before, but that is how they are able to cut down on health-related issues. The activity system also helps them catch heats better, particularly at night when no one is in the barn, he said. While their pregnancy rate has remained about the same, they are able to breed more cows off of observed heats rather than relying on synchronization.
In addition to using the technology to keep a closer eye on the cows, he believes overall health has improved because cows are on their own schedule. Instead of bringing cows from the freestalls into the stanchion barn for milking, meaning some cows were standing around waiting to be milked for three hours a day, Raterink said the cows have adjusted well to milking on their own schedule. This allows them more feeding and resting time.
Milking frequency has also climbed from their previous 2x schedule to cows now milking close to an average of three times a day. That has boosted production per cow from 85 pounds to closer to 95 pounds and up, while maintaining component levels. “I would attribute that to the environment they’re in and about three times a day milking versus two,” Raterink said.
Making the decision
Choosing to move to robots was the best choice for their family as the stanchion barn wore out and impacted labor time and wear and tear on the body, he explained. The automatic system allowed them to continue to operate the farm with no outside employees while also allowing Raterink and his parents to have more flexibility.
The process of implementing the robots took about eight years, he said. That included making the decision, visiting other farms to find out how they wanted to do it, and making the installation. Raterink’s biggest advice to other farms considering robots is to visit others and learn what you might want or wouldn’t want. Every farm will tell you advantages and disadvantages of their system, and gaining that perspective prevents you from going into the process blind.
And for those who are leery of the technical components of using robots, Raterink offers encouragement. They are fortunate to be in an area with helpful support staff, he said, and oftentimes, he can simply call them and be walked through the repairs without a technician needing to come to the farm. “It’s intimidating, but if you’re willing to learn, it’s something you can manage yourself,” he described.
