Robot milking comes with numerous benefits for the farmer, a key benefit being that every individual cow will receive the exact same and consistent experience every time they use the system, maintaining that constant routine for the herd. Additionally, this should also mean that the risk of udder health related diseases is reduced as the robot conducts the same thorough pre-milking routine and post-milking teat disinfection each time, with no risk of over-milking with the correct teat cup removal timing.
While consistency is imperative, there are limitations to what a robot can do when it comes to udder health. Applying effective and robust chemistry treatments through the robot can be seen as too big of a risk, however, sometimes the reward of improvements in udder health will outweigh it.
Finding the right robot milking udder care product
Many of the ‘very best’ pre-milking products are not suitable for robot usage and placement is often the biggest challenge with post-dip spray which can result in using more of the product and producing more waste.
Valiant™ Everyday by Genus ABS was designed specifically with the robot milking farmer in mind. When creating the product and formula, much of the testing and trial work was carried out explicitly on farms with robot milking systems. During this process, Genus ABS developers found that the amount of fluid passing through the teat cup nozzle is so small that the balance between product thickness and thinness was a very fine line to walk, especially when the cooler weather arrives and the product becomes naturally thicker.
A modern milking robot does many things well making it important to ensure the udder care chemical that is being used through it complements its strengths and compensates for any shortcomings.
Utilising a product with antibacterial properties which provide instant and ongoing protection for the cow is the correct step to take. Chemistry that promotes great skin condition is also key, leaving progressively fewer places for bacteria to hide on the teat. Using a balanced formulation, which is also kind to the environment, fits in well with those in organic farming systems.
Nancy Thorne, UK Valiant Manager at Genus ABS, commented: “Many of our robot milking customers are using technology to milk their cows that is considered cutting-edge. The challenge we faced is to produce a teat spray that was similarly advanced in terms of technology and capability. In Valiant™ Everyday we’ve done that, providing a product the farmers can trust to protect their milking cows 24/7.”
Using udder care products that are specifically designed to work alongside modern technology but have also been developed by industry experts is a critical choice to make.
What are farmers saying about Valiant™ Everyday?
The Perrin Family, based in the Aube region of France, operate a robot milking system with 55 cows producing 10,000 litres of milk each on average. Prior to using Valiant™, their herd had an average cell count between 200k and 220k, leading to around six cases of clinical mastitis every year.
Having used Valiant™ udder care solutions for four years, the herd now sees very minimal cases of clinical mastitis and has a consistently low somatic cell count.
Paul Perrin explains: “The use of the new Valiant™ Everyday formulation has coincided with further improvements in the health status of the herd. We are now at 80,000 cells and feel well in control of mastitis too. Since using Valiant™ we have seen a real improvement in milk quality. Used through our robot, the spray is consistent and effective. We recommend this product!”
Interested in using Valiant™ Everyday on your robot milking herd? Get in touch with your local representative today or visit our website to learn more.
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