Manfrey expands its robotic dairy operation in Córdoba
Animals with similar genetics that would produce between 23 and 27 litres of milk a day in Manfrey’s conventional facilities are producing about 34 to 36 litres at the robotic site, according to Leonel Bianciotti, the facility’s veterinarian. He said higher figures have also been recorded.
The operation combines voluntary milking with several other changes. Cows receive a total mixed ration designed for high-yield systems, as well as additional feed inside the milking robot. Feed is distributed three times a day, and an automated unit moves along the troughs five or six times daily to bring feed closer to the animals. The facility also provides prepared bedding, shade and ventilation.
There are no fixed milking sessions for the entire herd. Each cow approaches the robot when it is ready, and an electronic gate identifies the animal before deciding whether to admit it. If too little time has passed since the previous milking, the system redirects the cow towards the feeding area. Staff receive an alert on a computer or mobile phone when an animal stays away from the robot for an unusually long period.
Electronic identification creates an individual record for every cow. The system stores data on milk production, days in milk, feed, inseminations, pregnancy and the time since calving. Sensors also track movement, intake and rumination. Bianciotti said changes in these measurements can signal a developing health problem before visible symptoms appear, allowing workers to focus on cows whose readings depart from their normal patterns.
The arrangement has also altered the staff schedule. “Here the young men work six or eight hours, they have their set day off each month. They work under a roof,” Bianciotti said. The facility does not require workers to rise at two or three in the morning for the first milking, and many tasks are performed away from mud and changing weather conditions.
Construction of the second shed is under way beside the first. Its dimensions and capacity will be broadly similar, although the robots will be positioned differently to shorten the distances travelled by the cows. The herd is also expanding through the addition of heifers, including daughters of cows already in the system.
Manfrey is applying the same approach beyond milking. It is gradually replacing some individual calf-rearing arrangements with covered pens offering greater comfort. The facility uses a flushing system to move waste with water released by gravity; the water then passes to a pre-treatment lagoon and returns to the cleaning circuit after several days. Rainwater is collected for several tasks, while solar panels supply part of the site’s electricity during periods of strong sunlight.
The farm was designed as a demonstration site for Manfrey’s members and other producers. The cooperative uses it to show how the technologies operate, how the animals respond and which elements might be adopted in other production systems. Bianciotti said the project’s central aim was to improve cow comfort, alongside the use of robotic milking.
