Development of an Automatic System for Carrying Milking Units (Part 4)

Evaluation of the Prototype System in Private Farms

Abstract

A second prototype of an automatic system for carring milking units was installed in a face-out stall barn on a dairy farm with fifty cows. Milking performance and problems of a real milking routine were studied. As a result, we found the standard performance to be one man with eight milking units milking fifty cows per man-hour, as we predicted in the first report of this system. The third prototype was modified from the second prototype, and installed on four dairy farms. In these farms, cows and workers were allowed ten days to four weeks for familiarization with this system. Working time and working load were reduced, so workers evaluated this system highly.