Transforming Dairy Operations: Insights on No-Feed Robotic Milking Systems

Nov 13

A Look at Why Producers Are Shifting to VMS Without Feed Incentives

Moving Away From Pellets in Robotic Milking

In this live-recorded episode with DeLaval from World Dairy Expo, dairy producers Matt Strickland of Double Creek Dairy (California) and Jay Heeg of Heeg Brothers Dairy (Wisconsin) shared why they removed pellets from their Voluntary Milking System (VMS) units. Alongside advisors Kelli Hutchings and Jodi Erickson, the group discussed how eliminating feed incentives has changed labor, performance, herd flow and overall cow behavior.

Their motivation centered on simplification, consistency and putting feed management back where it belongs: at the bunk.

The Wyoming Ranching Idea That Inspired the System

Advisor Kelli Hutchings described how her background in Wyoming ranching shaped the “no-feed” approach. Instead of relying on pellets to pull cows into the robot, she drew on principles of grazing behavior, cow flow and natural motivation, applying them inside robotic barns. Her concept helped producers break from the long-held assumption that robotic milking requires grain incentives for traffic. She explained that this idea stemmed from a typical day feeding her cattle when she noticed some of the cows not following the feed truck. As she looked closer, she realized that those were not her cows and they had no idea what the feed truck meant. Those cows didn’t associate a feed truck with food.

That’s when it hit her, what if she took the same approach in a VMS. If the cows never got fed in the robotic milking system, they would never know the difference. While the idea seemed a bit “out of the box”, it was worth trying.

What Producers Experienced After Removing Pellets

Across both dairies, the panel outlined consistent results after transitioning to a no-feed VMS system:

• More Predictable Cow Flow
• Cleaner separation between feeding and milking behaviors.
• Reduced competition and stress at the robot.
• Simplified nutrition and feed cost management.
• More Consistent Production

Producers also noted that once pellets were removed, cows quickly adapted and robot visits became more uniform.

Labor, Health and Performance Impacts

With the robot no longer serving as a feeding station, the teams found it easier to manage fetch lists, observe cow behavior accurately and track true exceptions. Cow health and production remained strong, with both dairies reporting improved consistency and reduced disruption related to feed changes or pellet availability.

While each dairy’s setup varies, the panel emphasized that success depends on managing the entire system, not just the robot.

A New Way to Think About Robotic Milking

The conversation challenged the long-standing belief that pellets are essential for robotic milking success. While the panel made it very clear that this modern no-feed system is not for every dairy, it’s still an alternative that producers should look into and see if it’s the right fit for their herd.

For more from this conversation with the full DeLaval panel, stream part 1 and 2 on Apple, Spotify or watch below.

Part 1: Stream on Apple Podcasts or Spotify