DairyTalk 203: Less Cows, More Profit - Rethinking Herd Size in Robotic Milking - by Helmut Demmelhuber

DairyTalk by Helmut Demmelhuber · Jan 3, 2026 · 13m

In robotic dairies, success is often measured by how busy the robot is - but that metric can be misleading. This episode explores why reducing herd size can actually improve profitability in automated milking systems. Overcrowding increases stress, limits feed access, and suppresses individual cow performance. Financial models show that gains in milk per cow, better health, and lower labor and treatment costs can more than offset reduced total milk volume. The key shift: stop maximizing cows per robot and start optimizing milk and margin per cow. With comments on a "agarheute"-article…