If your robot relies on cake to keep cows moving, ask yourself a blunt question: what happens the day the pellet system breaks? That single point of failure is one of the reasons we wanted this conversation, because Kelli Hutchings and Matt Strickland have gone the other way and proven a “cake-free robot” approach can work on a commercial dairy.

Kelli is a feed and herd management adviser who found herself deep in the world of DeLaval VMS after helping launch large robotic sites across North America. Matt is a fourth-generation dairy farmer in Merced, California, running eight robots milking around 500 cows in a guided flow barn, alongside a larger conventional herd. Together, they explain why feeding concentrate in the robot can be a costly habit, how cows learn expectations fast, and why cow behaviour and facility design matter as much as any dashboard.

We get practical about the change process: starting new heifers with no pellets, weaning conditioned cows slowly, and building a shortlist of KPIs that protect you from rumours and knee-jerk decisions. We talk visits, fetch lists, box time, incompletes, milk components, butterfat, and the commercial headline of income over feed costs. You will also hear the limitations, including why guided or modified guided flow is currently the best fit and why forage quality and TMR palatability are non-negotiable.

If you manage robotic milking, advise UK dairy farms, or are planning a robot investment, this is a rare chance to rethink concentrate strategy with real numbers and honest caveats. 

This was recorded in December 2025, and all information was correct at the time of recording.  

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