I’m fed up with talking about the weather, but I can console myself with the fact we have grabbed every opportunity so far and progress is not too bad.Lely Astronaut adds new features
LELY’s Astronaut milking machine has received an update to its software, and can now measure fat and protein levels, detect watery milk, analyse the animal’s weight patterns and more efficiently detect mastitis.
The existing T4C (Time for Cows) system fitted to the Astronaut gives information on a cow’s health and performance, but Lely says that the new software can collect far more data, including behaviour patterns.
Information such as fat and protein is now instant, rather than being relayed back from the dairy, and farmers can choose how much data is recorded and to what level. Set performance indicators can also be monitored for each cow or the herd in total. Lely says that this data will allow changes to occur quicker, resulting in healthier herds, lower vet bills and less milk checks.
Mastitis detection has also been improved, and the company claims its Astronaut system is the only robot milker which pulsates per quarter, so milking each one fully. This leads to a claimed sensitivity of mastitis detection of over 90 per cent. All information on this, including conductivity, colour and milk yield per quarter is relayed via one display.
Watery milk is also detected, and is seen as an important indication of coming diseases or of an E.Coli infection. If watery milk is detected, the new T4C will alert the operator and allow a pre-setting for standard separation of watery milk.
The Astronaut also has a weighing floor, which not only enables the machine to know where the arm is before milking, but also weighs each cow after every milking. The software records daily weight and analyses it against initial weighing, again giving an indication of potential sickness or disease setting in.
Upgrades can be installed on older Astronaut A3 machines as long as they include the MQC (milk quality control) system.
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