A joint study by the University of Melbourne and Lely Australia has shown that milking cows more than 2.5 times per day offers little extra milk production in pasture‑based herds using Lely robotic milking systems.
Researchers looked at data from 24 commercial farms, three years of information from the University of Melbourne’s Dookie Dairy, and detailed measurements of pasture quality. Across all datasets, milk yield levelled off at around 2.5 milkings per cow per day, even though results differed between farms. The study also found that many farms don’t reach this frequency, which means they may be missing out on potential milk production.
Another interesting finding was that milking frequency tended to rise as pasture NDF increased, possibly because cows seek more concentrate feed when pasture quality drops. However, this trend contradicts earlier research, so more work is needed to understand it fully. The researchers noted that factors like season, feeding systems, and lactation stage all influence cow movement and milk production in grass‑based robotic setups.
Overall, the study highlights that improving cow flow, not simply increasing milking attempts, is key to getting the most out of pasture‑based AMS farms. Do you agree?
You can read the full article here: (PDF) Optimisation of Milking Frequency in Pasture Grazing-Based Single Box Robotic Milking System
