Combining Robotic Milking with Grazing in Dairy Production Systems

Between 2010 and 2013, a national CASDAR project in France conducted trials across experimental stations and 20 pilot farms to develop and evaluate systems combining automatic milking systems (AMS) with significant pasture-based feeding. At the Derval experimental farm, fixed robots were assessed under temperate conditions, while a mobile Delaval robot prototype was tested at Trévarez for remote grassland access. Pilot farms across diverse regions contributed practical data. Results identified key success elements: strong farmer engagement, uninterrupted pasture access from the robot station, and cow traffic strategies aligned with robot stall capacity. The program produced technical guidelines to optimize AMS–grazing integration.