en.Wedoany.com Reported - A livestock operation facility in China has been put into operation, equipped with the world's largest automatic rotary milking system. With high automation and minimal human intervention, the system can handle over 5,000 lactating cows per day.
The operational logic of this project differs from traditional dairy farming. Unlike conventional milking parlors that rely heavily on manual labor, this farm functions more like a highly interconnected industrial factory, integrating sensors, software, continuous digital monitoring, and automated systems to maintain a constant production flow throughout the day.
The core of the system consists of two automatic rotary platforms, each with 80 milking stalls, providing a total of 160 simultaneous milking points. As cows enter the rotating platform, the system automatically identifies, prepares, and initiates the milking process without interruption. Operating in a continuous flow similar to an industrial production line, the system achieves high throughput throughout the day.
According to information released by companies involved in the project, based on the operational strategy adopted by the farm, this configuration can achieve a productivity rate of 120 to 400 cows per hour.
The technologies integrated into this operation include 3D cameras, independent sensors for each udder quarter, continuous milk quality monitoring, and real-time animal health tracking digital tools. This system is designed to standardize processes traditionally performed manually, reducing human error and improving operational consistency.
The first commercial model of this system was launched in 2015, equipped with only 40 automatic milking stalls, capable of handling approximately 400 cows in about two hours. Since then, technological advancements have expanded it to 160 automated milking stalls, with an operational capacity to handle over 5,000 livestock.
This case demonstrates how large-scale dairy farms can transition from labor-intensive systems to structures centered on operational efficiency and technological integration, providing a reference for the automation transformation of the global dairy farming industry.
