Supplier of automated systems expands network

OSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) -- Rural Omro dairy farmer Pete Knigge ventured a bit into the unknown when he purchased the nation's first robotic milking system for his herd of cows 10 years ago.

He liked it so much that Knigge and his son, Charlie, recently upgraded to the newest version of robotic milking manufactured by Lely USA, which is headquartered in Pella, Iowa.

Globally, there are an nearly 10,000 Lely-manufactured robotic milking systems. Robotics has been a popular way to milk cows in Europe for nearly 20 years.

However robotic milkers, which milk each cow without the touch of a human, haven't caught on with abandon in Wisconsin. Knigge estimated about 40 dairy operations in the state have a robotic milking system.

There are 12,621 dairy farms in Wisconsin with the average herd size of about 100 cows, according to the Wisconsin Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Knigge said he's not really surprised at the current number of robotic milking systems in the state, although he said the number of systems has increased the past couple of years.

"Dairy farmers are pretty conservative with money and new ideas," he said. "They have to see them working first and not everybody has."

It's not as simple as writing a check for a robotic milking system. There are a variety of costs to operating a dairy farm.

"There are high feed costs and high input costs for planting and if a farmer is purchasing feed it's expensive. With low milk prices in the last couple of years a lot of dairy farms are running the red," Pete Knigge said.

That doesn't mean efforts aren't moving along to get more dairy producers to think hard about having a robotic milking system installed.

Rick Rugg, a regional manager for Lely USA, which is one of two active robotic milking manufacturers worldwide, said it's worked hard to get a distribution network in the United States, including the training of certified technicians to service the units.

"The biggest difference between Europe and us in the United States is we had to get a distribution network in place and that takes time," Rugg said. "With a concerted effort for distribution more farmers in the U.S. will be interested in a robotic system."

Rugg said Lely USA has future plans to open its first manufacturing facility in Pella, Iowa.