Economic analysis of early-lactation milking frequency in automated milking systems

Automated milking systems (AMS) allow cows to be milked voluntarily, resulting in a wide variation in milking frequency, particularly during early lactation. This study aims to understand the relationship between milk yield, revenue and milking frequency in guided-flow AMS, with emphasis on cows achieving at least 3 milkings per day (3X) after 21 d in milk (DIM). Daily cow-level data were collected from 5 commercial Wisconsin herds, covering July to December 2024, and analyzed using 4 econometric models. First, we characterized the relationship between daily milking frequency and milk yield across lactation. Milk yield increased with milking frequency, but with diminishing marginal returns. Second, we compared milk yield and revenue from d 22 to d 150 for cows averaging ≥3X by d 22 of lactation and those below this threshold. Cows that reached early 3X averaged 2.7 kg/d more milk per day and generated 5.4% higher mean milk revenue at US all-milk prices from July 2022 to December 2024. For one dairy farm with detailed milk composition records, early 3X cows had higher yields of milkfat, protein, and other solids and lower SCC, increasing mean milk revenue by $1.40/cow/d. These findings suggest a positive association between milking frequency, production, and milk revenue in AMS herds.