Buffer tank.

It seems like an advertising tip.
The cleaning of the milking robot takes place at the same time every day and is therefore a stable factor in the farm and cows rhythm. Emptying the milk cooling tank is done once every 2 to 3 days. But this causes rhythm disturbances every time.

Emptying and especially cleaning the tank quite a bit of time is lost, and the cows that want and may be milked again are not able to do so.
When the cleaning is finished, other cows will come allready and they may be milked again.
And so it accumulates.
And who are the victims again, who keep getting out of their rhythm?
Right! The (new) heifers and low-ranking cows….

A buffer tank solves this.

Where is the USB Stick with Backup?

Recently there was a fire on a farm.
Office and engine room completely burned out.

The farmer had regularly changed USB stick with backup and placed it in a cupboard in the office ….
That was already very neat, but now also burned.

All data from backup, cow information, teat positions, … gone!

Make sure you regularly put a current backup on a stick, but also store it in a different place! (Tip of the Month – April 2012)

And pay attention to the Tips for the winter!

This site has also paid attention to this.
(Tip of the Month – December 2010 and January 2012)
A heating element is important.
And in any case make sure that no or minimal cleaning is required at night.
Many milkings, possibly earlier milk permission, and minimum rinses.
So milk the separation cows earlier and later, and prevent cold (east) wind / air under VMS.
Where we are happy with a lot of air circulation in the VMS space on summer days, we are not like that on freezing days ..

What is needed for the highest daily production per VMS.

We often hear interesting stories about the average daily production of a milking robot.
Sometimes 1500 liters per day, sometimes more than 2000, some regularly reach 2500 liters and a few are milking even more than 3000 liters per robot per day.

What do you think is necessary and important to achieve a high production per milking robot?
Here I would like to add experiences and practical tips from you, so I hope for responses from you:

If this is successful, I would also like to make a list with more tips from you, for example about increasing the number of visits to the milking robot, keeping the somatic cell count low, …

Some examples of mine what is needed for high daily productions per VMS:

• High-yielding livestock, high persistence
• High quality roughage.
• Pay extra attention that newly calved heifers learn to visit the VMS soon after calving and are given time / space for this.
• Many cows with 2+ lactations

It is therefore the intention that this list is getting longer.
I would like to add your practical tips and experiences to this!

Added by you:

• Punctually claw care policy (for dry period and after negative energy balance period) by the skilled person.
• Short interval between calves
• Reward high-yielding cows (concentrate, space, …)
• Often push feed, also at night
• Generous, comfortable lying places

Do not let dry cows eat the wrong ration.

Make sure that the dry cows at the feeding fence cannot eat the feed of the lactating cows.
Compared to the lactating cows, the dry cows need a ration with less energy but with enough protein, and a lot structure plus the for them necessary minerals, vitamins, and exercise!

That is a different ration than that of the lactating cows.

So stop feeding about two eating places earlier in the vicinity of the dry cows The fattest cows are already ready when you come near with the feed for the lactating cows.

Make sure that they cannot eat the richer ration, which is good for the lactating cows!

Every newly born heifer calf is a potential 100,000 liter cow….

That sounds like someone is saying “dream on”.
Because there are a lot of links in the chain along the way that can break too soon.
Can you identify weak links within your company?
Rearing – housing – first year – start of first lactation – perhaps too few cows calving for the third time – condition – claws – nutrition – housing / cow comfort.
Good rearing produces well-developed heifers that can calve at 22-24 months of age.
That is where the basis lies.

We want to take good care of the old cows. But these have also been young.
And to get old cows we have to take good care of the young stock and the younger cows by giving them plenty of space.

Go through the different stages, links, at your farm with a (feed) advisor, veterinarian.