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Smart milking, smarter cows: A pilot study exploring voluntary dry-off in automatic milking systems

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Automatic milking systems (AMS) can provide dairy cattle with agency over milking frequency, including when they transition from lactation to the dry period. The aim of this observational pilot study was to determine if dairy cows would dry off voluntarily and to characterize self-milking behavior in late lactation. Holstein dairy cows (n = 15; 12 multiparous, 3 primiparous) were enrolled in a voluntary dry-off procedure in late lactation (mean ± SD: 74 ± 3 d days before expected calving) in which they no longer received concentrate in the AMS and were not fetched for milking. Cows were considered dry if they did not visit the AMS for 72 h or produced < 4.5 kg milk/d for 3 d consecutively. If cows did not dry off by 40-d before expected calving, they were dried off by farm intervention. Twelve cows met the voluntary dry-off criteria 20.3 ± 8.0 d (range: 10 - 32 d) after enrollment. From enrollment to the last day of milking, daily milk yield was reduced by 46.6% ± 18.9%, and the time between AMS visits increased from 9.6 ± 1.7 h to 25.1 ± 5.3 h. Daily milk yield had a high negative correlation with the interval between milkings; with higher daily milk yield corresponding to shorter intervals between visits. Additionally, cows with a greater percent reduction in milk yield by 9 d after enrollment and cows with more variable daily milk yield met the dry-off criteria earlier. This pilot study suggests that cows can reduce milking voluntarily, which may improve their agency and welfare. However, if cows are allowed to reduce milkings voluntarily, they still require monitoring during late lactation to ensure proper progression into the dry period.

Source: JDS Communications

DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2026-1093

Authors: Megan Woodrum Setser, Elizabeth McGuire, Ryan Pralle, Jimena Laporta, Jennifer Van Os, Katherine Creutzinger