Marc Vermue ‘Milk production has increased by three litres per cow per day since we started using the milking robots’

Dairy farm Vermue-Poelma has been milking with robots for more than two decades. They purchased their first milking robots back in 1999. By 2020, after many years of service, the machines were ready for replacement. ‘Milking techniques have changed quite a bit over the years, and we wanted to keep up with those innovations,’ says Marc Vermue. He tells us why he chose to replace his old robots with two M²erlin milking robots from Fullwood.

A calculated decision

Marc devoted a lot of time to making his choice. It was a careful process that considered several factors. ‘I’m in a study group with 11 other farmers, and we looked at at least four robot brands,’ Marc explains. ‘We’d heard good reports about Fullwood’s attachment and milking techniques. The milk flows quickly, which puts minimal strain on the teats. Our somatic cell count dropped from 180 to 130 within the first few months. That really surprised us.’

Suits even the most difficult cows

The Fullwood laser technology allows even the most difficult cows to attach to the robot,’ Marc says: ‘These are the cows with crossed teats or a high udder placement. Recently, I had a heifer with weak udder suspensory ligaments, and the robot was able to attach to her udders easily. I set the adjusting screw to the maximum position of 90 cm and made a few more tweaks to the settings. It worked, and the heifer was able to stay.’

‘If I’d had this cow several years ago, I couldn’t have kept her,’ Marc continues. ‘I’m very happy that this is different now. The M²erlin can handle so much variety. The robot’s laser tells it exactly where it needs to be. It’s really smart technology.’

Milk production and activity system

Marc is committed to the proper use of forage and minimal use of concentrate. ‘Milk production has increased by three litres per cow per day since we started using the milking robots, using the same feed,’ Marc says. ‘Of course, you are dependent on the quality of the feed, and that can change from year to year. But we’ve seen that the M²erlin provides a higher yield, regardless. And that’s really great.

Marc says that the activity system he got from Fullwood has also been a great success. ‘This system has more functionality than I could ever have imagined. The leg bands tell you about a cow’s health, when it’s in heat and if it’s about to calve. For example, we get a notification when a cow is about to calve or when a cow has been calving for longer than a certain number of hours. There’s also a ketosis alert. The bands are easy to put on, too.’

Efficient milking robot software

With an eye on the future, the dairy farmer is reassured by the fact that the robot will continue to operate for quite some time on the software from the year it was purchased. ‘Technology and software are obviously getting better all the time, but you don’t have to buy another robot right away,’ he says.

In the first few years, the robots also get regular updates. ‘The dealer comes by for maintenance three or four times a year and takes care of those updates on the spot,’ Marc explains. ‘For example, on one visit, the dealer made changes to the display screen so it gave a better overview. It’s good to see that Fullwood and the dealers carry out improvements like that automatically.’