When I grow up , I want one too

Bruce from Can.

Well-known Member
Stopped in to see my friends new barn, cows have been in it for two weeks now. Barn will hold 120 milking cows , with two robotic milkers. Cows have taken to the voluntary milking system very well, and production is increasing over what they did in their old barn. Cows seem very happy. Don't think old St.Nick will be bringing me one this year though, been too naughty.
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I've designed and installed a lot of product assembly robots, but have never seen a robot milker or one in action. Can anyone post a website or a link to a video of one in use? I would greatly appreciate it, thank you very much!
 
My neighbors brother has had a robot for a year and a half, don't look like it would work to me but it must, I've seen it do a couple of cows but I would think a skittish cow could destroy it.
 
Bruce, that looks nice! From the pic it looks close behind the headlocks to the stalls. I was unrolling a bale for the cows this morning how do they do it? My neighbor made a bale holder for his stall barn and you shove a spear thru and put a small piece of iron with a pin in the spear. Then you can winch it up or use the skid steer to lift. Then cut the strings and fork it down the chute. Another question what do you guy's like to use for bedding?
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Been going to take a picture of the one being built 3-4 miles south of me. Been working on it over a year, lots of dirt work, lagoon etc. The block work on the front looks pretty fancy for a barn, last time passed I see there building a huge shed next to it. Must be planning to do something, they made a small mountain of silage in the fall. I don't know the guy but heard it's for about 600 cows.
 
They can take a kickin and keep on tickin' , they can pull hoses off once in awhile but the thing can take quite a beating lol
 
What a beautiful barn even if it's red inside haha! I've been told that Jerseys make the absolute best robot cows they will be very pleased! What are the red basket looking things suspended in the air?
 
Here is one just South of me , been going for years. Happy cows! Less hours but still a lot of work. joe
dairy
 
Those are really neat too,eliminates fetch cows lol I've heard they use the Lely (same as in Bruce's friends barn).
 
Is it practical.. cost per number of cows milked per hour? The big dairies have 24 or more cows on a side herringbones etc. and those get milked in the time it takes that robot to do one, right?
 
The basket like things , are protein feed stations , for high producing cows. The cage just comes down behind the cow to protect her from some bully coming along , and shaking her down for her lunch money , lol.
 
Each unit will handle 55-65 cows depending how busy you want to keep it,stall time is 7-8 min/cow. Parlors are expensive plus you have to factor in holding area. You get your cost recooperation after you factor in labour cost savings.
 
Very nice! I wondered if that's what they were for,they can belly or udder bunt them to rattle them out,that's a great idea
 
Practical? I guess that all depends per dairy operation! I am more of a cheap skate and going to retrofit a parlor in my barn, I would guess 5 to 10 thousand tops for a double 20, I have most of the equipment for it that I bought from sales, so a robot for me would not be practical. Even bought a whole bunch of free stalls from a sale for 5 dollars a piece, I said I am cheap, right?
 
Thanks Bruce. I used my tractor on my neighbors chopper to chop bedding. We unroll a round bale to chop up. My flip phone didn't take a very good picture of the bearing he made a cage for that the bale hangs from. It's just a tapered roller wheel bearing that he made a cage around with a hook on it.
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If you want to see how the systems work take a trip over to U-Tube. Type in robot cow milkers. Tons of videos on there.
 
If you can make a decent parlor work for that kind of money your not cheap your smart if you ask me!
 
(quoted from post at 18:18:25 12/03/16) Practical? I guess that all depends per dairy operation! I am more of a cheap skate and going to retrofit a parlor in my barn, I would guess 5 to 10 thousand tops for a double 20, I have most of the equipment for it that I bought from sales, so a robot for me would not be practical. Even bought a whole bunch of free stalls from a sale for 5 dollars a piece, I said I am cheap, right?

Brown Swiss, Do you know Kevin Jahnke? He built a swing parlor in a greenhouse for about a plugged nickel. He had been milking for several years in the parlor when the Governor came out for some self-promotion a few years back. Governor was eating a burger, sitting on the concrete, and asked when Kevin was gonna start milking there. Kevin said, "Well, tonight, just like this morning". They keep it so clean, Governor thought it was brand new!
 
I don't know him, I know where he is and read about him, I guess pretty good guy. My brother told me some about him, he
combined his oats a time or two.
 
I even have my own concrete mixer, I figure it takes 70 to 75 dollars per yard doing it myself, it has been a while since I priced the reddy mix guys but I am thinking it is well over 100 per yard. And not to forget we have a wood mizer sawmill and plenty of woods to pick trees from.
 

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