A 22,500 cow dairy operation in Saudi Arabia

**sumdumguy** · Mar 11, 2017, 20:55

I wish I could open this.

**biglentil** · Mar 11, 2017, 21:19

[URL="http://www.farmersjournal.ie/milking-22-500-cows-in-the-saudi-arabian-desert-260568?mc_cid=72cb4ba14f&mc_eid=aa90e558b5"]http://www.farmersjournal.ie/milking-22-500-cows-in-the-saudi-arabian-desert-260568?mc_cid=72cb4ba14f&mc_eid=aa90e558b5[/URL]

**GDR** · Mar 11, 2017, 21:46

Pretty interesting story, hard to wrap my mind around farming over there. They all need to eat too and I guess people have lived there for a lot longer than in the west but I always picture a family living in the hills with a goat and a couple chickens. Guess I need to get off the farm a bit more!

That is one heck of a parlor, Mallee might know better but I think Australia and New Zealand have some comparable sized dairies too. Lots with robotic parlors.

**sumdumguy** · Mar 11, 2017, 22:50

Ty Biglentil.

**grassfarmer** · Mar 12, 2017, 06:46

Originally posted by GDR View Post

That is one heck of a parlor, Mallee might know better but I think Australia and New Zealand have some comparable sized dairies too. Lots with robotic parlors.

Robotic systems are used more for smaller herds actually, usually built to handle 65 cows or maybe up to 100. They are generally a solution to labour shortage/quality of life issues associated with family farms milking cows 365 days a year. Once you go to big cow numbers you need squads of workers so robots have less of a role. New Zealand still is largely grass based dairying so their uptake of robotic milkers is probably the lowest among the leading dairying nations.

A 22,500 cow dairy operation in Saudi Arabia