LivestockAt Lactanet's dairy forum, two large farms said they no longer use type classification, relying on genomics and robot data instead, while a Quebec farmer warned that fewer records could weaken genetic evaluations.
AgrotechAn analysis published on 9 June 2026 by USDA's Economic Research Service found that American dairies using robotic milking earned net returns $3.15 per hundredweight of milk higher, on average, than dairies that had not adopted it.
AgrotechCows milked by robots produced 6 percent of U.S. milk in 2021, up from 4 percent in 2016, USDA's Economic Research Service reported. Thirteen percent of dairies with 150 to 499 cows used the technology, more than either smaller or larger farms.
AgrotechUSDA's Economic Research Service found that in 2021 dairies of 50 to 149 head with milking robots had unpaid labour costs of $5.30 per hundredweight against $9.22 without, while adopters with 150 to 499 head paid $1.17 for hired labour against $2.10.
