DeLaval to Host Free Robotic Milking Webinar Series
DeLaval is hosting a webinar series to discuss various robotic milking topics, including cow flow, low- and no-feed practices, with the North American dairy industry. These sessions, led by DeLaval’s Dairy Advisory Group and are free and open to the public, will educate and inform producers, consultants, academics, and other industry personnel on the different cow traffic systems and feed management strategies in voluntary milking systems. Here’s a look at the schedule:
Thursday, October 17: Robotic Milking Cow Flow: Choosing the System That’s Right for You
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. CDT
Presenters: Kelli Hutchings, Dairy Advisory consultant; Craig Blough, Robotic Specialist, DeLaval Dairy Services; and Stephanie Dillon, Dairy Advisor, DeLaval
Learn the key differences between different cow flow systems and how essential comfort zones—such as feed, water, bedding and cow brushes—can encourage natural cow movement within the barn. This presentation will explore the features of free traffic, guided traffic and VMS™ Batch Milking systems.
Thursday, November 14: Robotic Milking Permissions: Fetch Milk, Not Cows
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. CDT
Presenters: Nicky Tsai, VMS Herd Management Specialist, DeLaval Dairy Services, and Craig Blough, Robotic Specialist, DeLaval Dairy Services
Learn how milking permissions can improve the efficiency of robotic systems, particularly in free and guided cow flow setups. Discover how robots and automated gates can streamline daily routines and support better decision-making for farmers.
Thursday, December 5: Low Feed at the Robot in Automated Milking Operations
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. CDT
Presenters: Lindsey Schilling, Dairy Advisory Product Specialist, DeLaval, and Kelli Hutchings, Dairy Advisory consultant
As farms aim to cut operating costs, many robotic facilities are refining their feed management strategies to boost efficiency. DeLaval will share insights from its experience with guided cow flow systems that have reduced the amount of feed dispensed by the robots while still achieving production goals.
Thursday, January 30: No Feed at the Robot in Automated Milking Operations
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. CDT
Presenter: Kelli Hutchings, Dairy Advisory consultant
Feed is one of the largest expenses on dairy farms, and DeLaval has worked with VMS™ producers who have successfully eliminated feed in their milking robots. Discover more about this evolving feed management strategy for robotic facilities, which has shown success with several customers over the past two years.
About low- and no-feed in VMS
Low- and no-feed strategies offer innovative approaches to managing feed in robotic milking systems, helping farms reduce operating costs. The low-feed strategy focuses on minimizing the amount of feed provided through the robot, making it an attractive option for farms with guided traffic barns looking to optimize costs. The no-feed strategy takes it a step further by eliminating feed in the robotic milking process, a new approach that requires careful planning but can further streamline farm operations.
About the speakers
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Craig Blough is a Robotics Specialist for the DeLaval Dairy Services dealership in Indiana, with 12 years of experience in sales, project management and facility design for robotic milking systems. He has worked on a variety of projects, including Greenfield sites and retrofits, utilizing both free-flow and guided-flow traffic systems. Craig graduated in 2014 with a MS-MBA from the Program for Agribusiness Managers by Indiana and Purdue Universities. In his spare time, he enjoys working on his family farm and spending time with his wife, Jessica, and their son, Theodore. | |
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Stephanie Dillon is a Dairy Advisor for DeLaval North America with extensive experience in the evolution of the dairy industry from parlors to robotics. A 2016 graduate of the University of Kentucky with a degree in agricultural economics, she developed a passion for dairy innovation through work on her family farm and with dairy research students. Over the past five years, Stephanie has helped farmers optimize robotic systems, improve routines and analyze data to meet production goals. She also develops training and webinars to make this critical information more accessible to producers. | |
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Kelli Hutchings has over 30 years of experience in the feed and grain industry, focusing on nutrition and forage programs for dairy and beef producers. She founded Kelli’s Ag Service in 2018 to offer feed, nutrition, and dairy management solutions, including on-farm consulting and training. Since joining Fiske Electric/High Plains Robotics in 2019, she has been involved in all aspects of Longs Peak Dairy’s DeLaval VMS™ V300 project and now works with the DeLaval Advisory Team on robotic dairies across North America. Kelli holds a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and a Master of Science in Extension Education from Colorado State University. | |
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Lindsey Schilling, raised on a dairy and crop farm in Central Wisconsin, has a deep passion for dairy farming. She holds a Bachelor of Science in dairy science from University of Wisconsin-River Falls and has worked in various agricultural roles before joining DeLaval as a Dairy Advisory Product Specialist in February 2023. Lindsey supports upper Midwest dealers with herd management and milk quality, and enjoys outdoor biking, fishing and gardening in her spare time. | |
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Nicky Tsai, originally from Taiwan, has been with DeLaval for over seven years. She came to the U.S. to earn a Master's Degree in Dairy Management from the University of Kentucky, where she focused on using precision technology for early detection of fresh cow diseases. Since graduating in 2016, Nicky has worked at DeLaval Dairy Services in Michigan as a VMS Herd Management Specialist, helping producers understand and utilize DelPro™ software for improved efficiency. |