The Great Brook Dairy Farm in Carlisle was the first in Massachusetts to adopt a state-of-the-art voluntary milking system complete with a robotic milker.

A cow wanders in to the voluntary milking station at the Great Brook Dairy Farm in Carlisle, Massachusetts. The farm was the first in the state to adopt a state-of-the-art voluntary milking system complete with a robotic milker. Lasers are used to guide the robot’s arm to each teat before a cleansing of soap and warm water are used, followed by a spray of disinfectant to conclude a visit.

Lasers are used to guide the robot’s arm to each teat before a cleansing of soap and warm water are used, followed by a spray of disinfectant to conclude a visit. Each cow has an ID chip in their collar used by the robot to identify which cow is entering the stall. The robot monitors and records each cow’s sample after every milking.

By using the robotic milking system, Mark Duffy, who operates the farm with his wife Tamma Duffy, said they are able to focus on other aspects of the farm such as crop management and nutrition for the cows.

Mark Duffy said the voluntary milking system saves the farm about 9-11 hours a day that someone would have otherwise spent milking.

An employee fixes a sensor on the arm of a robotic milking device at Great Brook Dairy Farm. The robot monitors and records each cow’s sample after every milking.

A cow is milked using a robotic milking system at the Great Brook Dairy Farm Lasers are used to guide the robot’s arm to each teat before a cleansing of soap and warm water are used, followed by a spray of disinfectant to conclude a visit.