Research Note

What’s Different with Robots?

Automated feeding and milking systems are enabling producers to optimize higher-cost labor, better measure herd performance, and profile individual cows. The current generation of automated feeding robots (AFR) can proportion feed ingredients, mix, deliver, and push up feed to cows according to programmable frequency and intervals.

What’s the effect of more frequent, better controlled feeding by robots?

Regarding more frequent feeding, Dr. Isaac Salfer of the University of Minnesota notes studies over the past decade pointing to:

• Greater feed intake, reduced sorting, improved feed efficiency, and improved milk and milk fat production
• More stable and higher minimum rumen pH associated with greater milk de novo fatty acid synthesis (resulting from less alternative biohydrogenation intermediates, including trans-10 cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid, which inhibits mammary lipogenesis)

“However,” Salfer says, “there’s been only limited research on how automated mixing and feeding robots impact feeding consistency, cow performance, and cow behavior. So we conducted an observational study involving 16 commercial dairies in the upper Midwest.”

All the dairies had automated milking systems and half had AFR systems. All the systems came from the same manufacturer, a leading international supplier of automated feeding and milking systems.

“Any observational study,” Salfer cautions, “has limitations due to numerous uncontrollable variables. Nonetheless, we were able to zero in on key differences between AFR and conventional feeding.”

For example, the study found the AFR dairies had a lower coefficient of variation for feed bunk dry matter, acid detergent fiber, non-detergent fiber, and lignin, but no difference in bulk milk fat, protein, or milk urea nitrogen. However, although the AFR dairies showed no difference in preformed or mixed fatty acids (FA), there was a greater proportion of de novo synthesized FA.

“The difference in de novo fatty acids was particularly interesting because it is a marker of more stable rumen fermentation, and may be related to more frequent meals in the herds with AFR.”

Automated feeding robots (AFR) versus conventional feeding — effect on milk fatty acid (FA) sources (adapted from Kamau et al., 2025).

“Controlled studies are needed,” Salfer says, “but it looks like AFR may reduce daily variation in fiber concentration at the feed bunk and increase mammary de novo fatty acid synthesis. Another effect appears to be more cow visits to the robotic milker, which could result in less need to fetch cows.”

Despite high levels of management training and skill and comparable automation technology, there were “confounding differences” in AFR application among the collaborating farms.

“Working robots require oversight,” Salfer points out. “Farm managers must understand the machines in order to optimize their performance and that of their cows.”

Questions?

Email FeedInsight 4Dairy