Adapting dairy cows to automated milking systems: Influence of training and individual cow personality

The objective of this thesis research was to understand how previous exposure and training affects how dairy cows adapt and perform on automated milking systems (AMS) and how individual cow personality traits influence the response to training and adaptation to the AMS. The first study focused on what aspects of the AMS are most important for active training, and how personality influences response to different training methods. Cows exposed to the mechanics of the AMS were the hardest to train, but had the greatest milk yield once milked on the AMS. Adaptation was influenced by cow personality for those only exposed to the AMS environment and untrained cows. The second study was focused on active training of heifers to the AMS before first calving using both mechanics and concentrate exposure. Trained cows adapted better, as evidenced by fewer fetching events and greater milk yield. Further, these cows were personality tested, and it was demonstrated that personality did not influence how well the trained cows adapted to the AMS. However, the more bold-vocal and active untrained cows did not adapt as well compared to less bold-vocal and active untrained cows. The third study was focused on passive training and its interaction with personality, where cows experienced a 48-h social period in the AMS pen before first milking. Cows that experienced the social period had a lesser odds of a fetching event, had greater milk yield, and their AMS adaptation was influenced by their personality as compared to untrained cows. Lastly, the final study was focused on the long-term associations between previous exposure to the AMS and performance of primiparous cows on Canadian AMS farms. Farms that exposed heifers to the AMS before first calving were associated with improved adaptation for first-lactation cows during the first month of milking, as well as improved milk yield across lactation compared to farms that did not train. In summary, this thesis research provides novel insights on factors that influence adaptation to the AMS. This includes how different training methods and dairy cow personality traits influence adaptation and production when milked on the AMS.