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What affect will introduced feed have on AMS?
Voluntary milking systems are reliant on motivation within the system for cow movement. Milking robots have a feed bin at the front of the stall in which meal can be dispensed. The introduction of imported feed requires no labour input as the feed is allocated to the cow as she is milking. As the feed allocation at the AMS increases so does the motivation to ‘visit’ the AMS.
The 1 –5 system definitions used by DairyNZ are based on the feed imported, and a system that is totally reliant on pasture, as the feed supply, will require efficient pasture management skills. DairyNZ research has demonstrated that the system is effective with 97.5% of the diet from pasture. As the quantity of imported feed increases the emphasis shifts from intense grazing management to ration balancing skills. In essence the same factors that are applied to a conventional system when increasing the feed input (i.e. importing feed) will apply to an AMS. With the exception that the infrastructure required is reduced (i.e. feeding concentrates ‘in bail’ is an existing facility).
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