As one of the big challenges is the availability of labour and the associated lifestyle issues, FutureDairy’s current focus is on automatic milking systems, or ‘robotic milking’. While robotic milking technology is now in wide use overseas, there’s less experience with automatic milking in grazing-based farming systems such as in Australia, particularly with larger herds. FutureDairy’s research is investigating the real impact of automatic milking on all aspects of cow, herd and farm performance.