As I work with more and more dairies with box robots to increase efficiency and reduce expenses, the scenario I see over and over again is this: The dairy farmer invests in robots to reduce the need for human labor, and that can be achieved.
However, in many cases, these dairies have not actually cut back on labor at all, and in fact, may be paying more than before they made the switch from conventional milking.
So what is the difference between those that successfully reduce labor and those who end up paying out more?
I’ve seen situations where the owners are really hands on doing, a lot of work and minimizing the amount of labor. On the other hand, I’ve also seen where the owners get this brand new facility, they get everything up and running, and once cows are going through the robots, they step back and try to take on more of a management role. As that transition occurs, the owner then starts bringing on more and more labor and they’re getting a little more out of touch with the daily tasks, as other people take on the day-to-day work in the barn.
The dairies that tend to be must successful at actually reducing their labor costs are the ones where the owners have a little more “boots on the ground,” doing some of the work themselves. This is especially true for dairies 400 cows or less. Paying out labor at this size puts a tight squeeze on cash flow.
The best guidance I offer to the owner of a robot dairy in that range is to take on a lead role yourself, whether it’s feeding or being the herdsperson. Also, take a look at what you are outsourcing and what you are doing in-house. Shift time to tasks that you would otherwise be paying an outside service to do, such as hoof trimming or breeding. Crosstrain your employees to do these things allows you to get more out of the hours of labor you are paying out.
And what you may find is that you are able to reduce your staff, as well as your total labor costs. Every robot box in your barn may be the same, but every dairy’s management situation is different.
