Today it is possible to milk cows virtually without human involvement in a fully automatic milking system (AMS). The main part in such a system is the automatic milking unit (AMU) or milking robot. Research on cow behaviour has been carried out touching this topic, especially in the Netherlands and in England. Ketelaar-de Lauwere et al. (1998) studied the effects of free and forced cow traffic in a simulated automatic milking environment. Time studies of dairy cows in an automatic milking system with a selection unit and one-way cow traffic was carried out by Stefanowska et al. (1997). Studying cow behaviour requires 24-hour surveillance during a longer period in order to obtain enough data. This means, in most cases, that video techniques are the only available method. By placing an appropriate number of video cameras in the loose house, time budget studies at, e.g., the feeding fence and cubicles can be made. However, identification at the animal level is not possible.

In an AMU all cows are automatically identified when they visit the AMU. After identification the system decides if the cow in question should be milked or not. Each cow carries a tag around her neck that is read on each visit in the AMU by a small ID-antenna. All data from a cow's visit to the AMU is stored in computer files: cow's ID, time and date of visit, milk yield, milk conductivity, etc. By using the same identification equipment used in the AMU, cows can be identified at the animal level on each location where such an ID-antenna is installed.

The methodological results of this study are that it is possible to combine existing computer files from the AMU with The Observer Video-Pro software (Noldus Information Technology). All data from the AMU is stored in computer files. With a special program, NEDAP dfquery, specific data can be retrieved from the AMU files. The data is then further processed in such a way that it has the same format as the ODF data files used in The Observer. With The Observer Video-Pro software, videotapes can then be scored using the newly created ODF files containing date, time of visit, cow-ID and type of visit. The configuration file in The Observer should be designed in such a way that it recognises all cows and all possible behaviours (milking, failed milking, unqualified visit, passing through ID-antenna). It is important that the internal clock of the tape recorder is set on the same date and time as the internal clock of the AMU. Both systems should have synchronised clocks throughout the entire period.

References

1. Ketelaar-de Lauwere, C.C.; Hendriks, M.M.W.B.; Metz, J.H.M.; Schouten, W.G.P. (1998). Behaviour of dairy cows under free or forced cow traffic in a simulated automatic milking system environment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 56, 13-28
2. Stefanowska, J.; Devir, S.; Hogeveen, H. (1997). Time study on dairy cows in an automatic milking system with a selection unit and one-way cow traffic. Can. Agricult. Eng., 39, 221-229.

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