The present work represents main steps of the mechanization of the milk-production and development of dairy cattle housing systems within the last 50 years. Many factors led to an extensive structure-change in milk-production. The most important triggers to this development are lack of man power as well as competitiveness of the agricultural businesses. Developments aimed at increase of the productivity and rationalization arose until the eighties.
Spread from about 1950 the machinery milking was the solution of the high work burden of milking by hand. The dunging was mechanized by introduction of stationary and mobile manure removing technique, as well as slatted floor and cattle grid as components of liquid manure systems. Also in the feeding, mechanization of the transportations makes work easier.
The animal is increasingly in the focus of technology development. For reasons like efficiency-increase, animal control complicated by risen herd-size and requests for the documentation of the production, there was a demand for individual process-technology (Precision Dairy Farming). However, the single animal identification as key-technology makes also regulation of the processes possible, relating to an individual.
Further developments should optimize above all the regulation and strengthen the competitiveness of the farmer through won precision of the milk production.
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