Milking equipment is one of the critical components of dairy farm equipment. There are four main categories: general-purpose milking equipment, milk cooling, and storage, equipment, equipment that improves cow comfort, and miscellaneous barn and transport equipment, such as milk trucks and wash vats. Some of the most common milking equipment used to increase the efficiency of dairy farming include automatic milk detachers and teat spray robots (TSR). When it comes to milk cooling and storage, there are closed-loop water systems, mat vats, plate coolers, tanks, and silos.
Many dairy farmers will work to enhance the well being of their dairy herd with numerous pieces of equipment. Fans, activity systems, holding pen cooling equipment, misting equipment, sort gates, and cow-activated brush systems, ensure the cows are occupied, kept cool, and clean.
In the 80s and 90s, robotic milking systems were first developed and introduced. Today, thousands of robotic milking arrangements are in routine operation across intensive dairy farms in the U.S. and beyond. Within these systems, cows have a high level of autonomy and can choose their milking times freely. When cows enter the milking unit, they are fed and scanned to record production data.