NMR launches individual milk sampler for robots
Technician attaches milk quality testing kit to robotic milking machine © NMR Robotic dairies wanting to test individual cow milk quality can hire a shuttle testing kit from a national milk quality laboratory.
National Milk Records (NMR) has launched a UK-wide service to rent the Ori-Collector shuttle to dairy farms for £40 plus VAT for each hire.
The Ori-Collector system harvests milk from the milking robot and collects it in tubes for analysis.
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The shuttles are compatible with Lely, Fullwood and DeLaval systems with adapter kits, and collect a representative milk sample from each cow over a 12- to 18-hour period.
The launch follows a 15-month trial period on farms in northern England.
A spokesperson for farm machinery supplier and consultant Tim Gibson said several units had been shipped to the US. No negative feedback had been reported, with the Ori system never missing cows or sample tubes.
NMR’s Justin Frankfort said: “Individual cow milk samples are needed for determining milk constituent values, and for some disease diagnosis.
“The shuttles are particularly useful for taking milk samples for Johne’s testing, which is required by a number of milk buyers and farms on the Red Tractor farm assurance scheme.”
One shuttle is required for each individual robot, so if a herd is run in two groups with a robot each, two shuttles will need to be hired, but not necessarily at the same time.
The £40 hire charge pays for a trained NMR technician and includes all delivery, travel, setup, cleaning and postage costs.