Comparison of results coming from automatic milking system in selected countries in Europe and U.S.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to compare data recorded by the automatic milking in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland and the US in 2014-2017, which included the average number of robots per herd (n), the number of cows per robot (n), the daily milk yield per robot (kg), the daily milking frequency (n), the daily number of refusals (n), the milking speed (kg/min). A two- factor analysis of variance indicated a highly significant impact of the country and the country × milking year interaction on all of the controlled features related to automatic milking. The study indicated that, among others, most milk yield per robot was obtained from the robot in the US and then in Italy. In these countries, the highest milking speed was recorded, respectively: 2.74 and 2.79 kg/min, or the daily number of milkings, respectively: 2.79 and 2.74. The lowest values of the discussed features were observed in Lithuania and in Latvia. Furthermore, it was observed that, in 2014- 2017, the number of robots per farm was increased, together with the daily milk yield per robot and per cow, the number of milkings a day and the milking speed. The proven, statistical differences between the levels of milking parameters in the studied countries can probably result from the differentiated genetic potential of the milked cows and the diversity of the fodder base.

Keywords

• automatic milking system
• milking parameters
• dairy cattle