| Designing the automatic milking farm in a hot climate. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 15202662 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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A mathematical simulation model was used to assist 5 farmers in developing design criteria for inclusion of robotic milking systems in each farm situation. The barn layout influences arrivals of cows to the milking robot as well as other cow traffic and must be carefully planned. Each farmer had individual objectives and consequently unique design criteria that determined the optimal solution. Planning factors addressed by simulations on these farms included: 1) optimal cow cooling locations; 2) optimal facility allocation in expanding dairies; 3) concentrate feeder locations and feeding management; 4) number of feeders--based on expected rations; 5) use of a robot in an open cowshed without free stalls; 6) number of robots needed, currently and in the future; 7) eight robots working in harmony; 8) robot locations that allow for expansion; 9) floor space needed in each barn section including maternity and veterinary treatment areas; 10) location of bottlenecks that limit efficiency or expansion; and 11) cow traffic routine as affected by management practices, feed allocation, and farm layout. The simulation allowed farmers to receive a course in managing a "virtual robotic milking farm" before installation of the barn. Therefore, each could be more confident that his future barn would work properly under his unique local conditions and management practices. One farm checked 2 yr after construction achieved an average daily robot utilization of 84%, nearly matching the 85% projected before the barn was built. Important variables considered in the simulations were facility allocation, cow space needed in each farm area, robot utilization, number of cows, milk yield, milk flow rate, feeding method and timing, robot location and orientation, and farm physical layout. |
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Authors:
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I Halachmi |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Journal of dairy science Volume: 87 ISSN: 0022-0302 ISO Abbreviation: J. Dairy Sci. Publication Date: 2004 Mar |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2004-06-18 Completed Date: 2004-07-22 Revised Date: 2008-11-21 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 2985126R Medline TA: J Dairy Sci Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 764-75 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Agriculture Engineering Institution, Agricultural Research Organization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, The Volcani Center, P. O. Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel. halachmi@volcani.agri.gov.il |
Export Citation:
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APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animals Cattle* Climate* Dairying / instrumentation, methods* Facility Design and Construction / methods* Female Hot Temperature* Housing, Animal* Israel Lactation Mathematics Robotics |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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