Automatic milking systems (AMS) allow cows to be milked voluntarily, with significant welfare implications from changed management and monitoring approaches.
Automatic milking systems can provide significant welfare benefits through voluntary milking timing and more frequent milking reducing udder discomfort. The data richness of AMS enables earlier detection of health problems including mastitis. However, poorly managed AMS transitions create welfare problems: cows intimidated from robots by dominant herd members may be chronically undermilked. Management of competitiveness around robot access, particularly for subordinate or lame cows, is essential for welfare benefits to be realised across the whole herd.