Robots milk cows so farmers can sleep later; mental health benefits for both
By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson and Local Journalism Initiative Reporter National Observer
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One cow is waiting for a milking robot while another is being milked.(File Photo by Bernd Wüstneck/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Mickey Aylard used to wake up in the dead of night and milk a hundred cows. Now, a robot does the job.
Three years ago, the fourth-generation Saanich, B.C., dairy farmer installed an automatic milking system that milks cows on their schedule, without human intervention. It was a relief, she said, boosting her mental health and making life on the farm more sustainable.