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Free traffic in robotic milking of cows through ethological and welfare approach

Cow welfare is subject to various influences, in both negative and positive ways, such as: social interactions with other cows, human-animal interactions, management systems, nutrient supply, barn design, climate, etc. Two basic behaviours that are important in the ethology of animals are eating and resting. The milking was incorporated between those two needs in robotic milking, or it was given to the free will of the animal itself. Robotic milking has gained widespread acceptance, as a way to reduce labour on dairy farms, increase milk production and simultaneously improve dairy cow welfare by allowing cows to choose when to be milked. Free cow traffic is one of the variations of cow traffic strategies, where cows can access feeding and resting areas of the barn with no restriction. The basic concept for such traffic is to increase the comfort of cows, and compliance with the five freedoms of animal welfare.

dairy cows ; free traffic ; robotic milking ; ethology ; welfare

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