A stable and reliable milking routine can make a significant difference. That is the clear conclusion for 30-year-old dairy farmer Gerrit Damsteegt from Marinusminde near Bredebro in southern Denmark.
At the end of March, he replaced two worn-out milking robots with a used 2x12 Mobistar Swing Over milking parlour from Dairy Systems Danmark. In less than a month, average milk yield in the herd of 140 Danish Holstein cows increased by around two kilograms per cow per day – and the improvement appears to be continuing.
Faster milking and improved daily workflow
Each milking now takes approximately two and a half hours, including preparation, washing and cubicle cleaning.
Gerrit Damsteegt took over the farm in March 2018. The barn dates back to 2008, and milking had been handled by two DeLaval robots since then.
“When I took over the farm, it quickly became clear that the robots were worn out. There were frequent breakdowns, and maintenance costs were far too high,” he explains.
“That made it obvious that something had to change in the milking setup.”
Unexpected increase in milk yield
“The Mobistar milking parlour works without any issues. I did not expect milk yield to increase when switching from robotic milking to conventional milking twice a day – but that’s exactly what happened,” says Gerrit Damsteegt.
The yield increase is therefore attributed to a more stable and consistent milking routine. Average production has now reached approximately 10,500 kg ECM per cow per year.
In addition, several cows that previously had only three functional teats have returned to full four-teat milking capacity.
Low investment and simple installation
The used Mobistar milking parlour was installed in an area of the barn that previously housed a sick pen. As a result, no additional building work was required to make space for the new milking system.
“Before choosing this solution, I considered investing in new milking robots or a new parlour. I chose the Mobistar because my strategy is to avoid large investments, keep production costs low and see how things develop,” Gerrit Damsteegt explains.
He agreed on a fixed price covering delivery, installation, start-up and removal of the old robots. This eliminated the risk of unexpected costs. The old robots were taken in as part of the deal.
“They started dismantling the robots at six in the morning, and by the afternoon we were already milking with the Mobistar,” he says.
Financing and future expansion
The used Mobistar milking parlour was financed through a purchase financing agreement.
“I secured a favourable financing arrangement with the bank over ten years, which I find appropriate for a used milking system,” says the southern Danish dairy farmer.
At the same time as the change in milking system, the barn has been rebuilt to allow expansion from the current 140 cows to 180 cows, plus youngstock.
Gerrit Damsteegt is originally from the Netherlands and worked as a herd manager in Denmark for five years before taking over Marinusminde.
Looking for a reliable and cost-efficient alternative to worn-out milking robots?
Contact Milcotec to learn more about used Mobistar milking parlours and flexible financing solutions.
🚜 Machines
Gerth Petersen – 📱 +45 20258260 – ✉️ gerth@milcotec.com
🔧 Spare parts
Anne Lang Krogh – 📱 +45 23354095 – ✉️ anne@milcotec.com
