Published: January 17, 2008 07:13 am            

‘Intelligent’ programming helps units handle malfunctions

Originally published in the December 28, 2007, print edition.

Lely Astronaut is only seven years into the American dairy market and the only Minnesota dealer at this point is Rusty Hartke, president/owner of Gorters Clay and Dairy, a long-time Pipestone dairy supply firm.

“The Goblirsches (see related story "Robotic milking keeps family dairy farms viable") suggested I check out the Lely brand on the internet. They already knew about them. I did and then wrote Lely asking if I could become a dealer. I found out they’ve been into robotic milking systems since the early 1990s so that helped convince me they were a proven manufacturer of this new technology,” Hartke said.

Important to Hartke was the intelligence Lely has programmed into their robotic units for handling malfunctions.

“Any malfunction during the milking process gets logged with the particular error identified. When the operator next reads the computer, he/she sees exactly the error. The operator sets the threshold on what type of errors he/she wants the system to handle. Beyond that acceptable threshold level, an automatic dialing system kicks in making a series of phone calls to either the dairy farmer, the dealer or the service center.

“But these are remarkably trouble-free units. They have to be, otherwise their reliability as a 24/7 robotic milking unit just wouldn’t happen. These systems are big in Europe. I think they are the next big step in keeping the family dairy farm in America a continuing family dairy farm. And that is simply because when you have robotic units that can handle 55 to 70 cows, you really have dodged the important issue of dependable labor.

“Run a spreadsheet on these units and you find daily financial costs are about $70 per unit. That compares rather favorable with hired labor and as Nels and Matt are already finding out, this Lely unit provides much more total information on each and every cow than a hands-on system of hired labor could ever hope to achieve. Plus, the most important aspect is the total comfort of each cow which simply means better herd health, better production and, we think, longer longevity.”

Price depends upon options fitted with each Lely unit but freight, delivery and installation are included. Multiple units grouped together in the same facility and sharing the same air system lowers the cost.

“Daily costs can be even less than $70 per unit if the right circumstances prevail,” Hartke said.

Word on the Lely system is encouraging other dairy farmers. His firm is bidding out several possible installations. “The interesting business aspect that got us excited is that Lely felt so confident of moving their equipment into the U.S. market that they have affiliated with an international lending institution that will finance or lease the robot units on a 10-year plan. Take that $70 per day financial costs against hired labor costs and the Lely unit looks like a solid investment. Most dairy farmers today run with a labor ratio of one man for 60 to 70 cows. So your actual out-of-pocket expense is the same or less by having a robot. Yet the robotic system gives your cows a 24-hour agenda for eating, sleeping and getting milked three times, four times, or even five times in that time frame.

“Once dairy farmers and lenders look at the trade-offs on investment costs versus additional flexibility for the total dairy farm operation, robots make a lot of sense,” Hartke said. Warranties on Lely robotic systems have different time frames for different components. The lasers, for example, have a five-year warranty. Lely also has service contracts, which the local dealer extends to the dairy farmer, keeping the technical service conveniently available.

Hartke sees robotic milking developing rapidly among Minnesota family dairy farms because expansion of existing herds isn’t easy in Minnesota, be it because of local zoning, Minnesota Pollution Control requirements, cap limits on animal units, etc.

“I think robotic system will allow smaller dairy farmers, under 200 cows for example, to continue dairying up to a certain level that is still very viable. And because of the ease and labor savings, dairy farmers may find robotic milking is the easy way to make those last 10 years with the cows a lot more enjoyable.”

        

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