whenever they fancy, day or night

[keannu]

This might be a stupid question, I think "they" definitely means 'dairy farmers' not 'cows' as cows can't have any voluntary will to do something, right?

st29)...computers are now milking cows. Computers admit the cows into the milking area and then activate lasers to guide milking cups into place. Dairy famers no longer must wake up at 5:30 am, and cows get milked whenever they fancy, day or night.

 

[Gillnetter]

This might be a stupid question, I think "they" definitely means 'dairy farmers' not 'cows' as cows can't have any voluntary will to do something, right?

st29)...computers are now milking cows. Computers admit the cows into the milking area and then activate lasers to guide milking cups into place. Dairy famers no longer must wake up at 5:30 am, and cows get milked whenever they fancy, day or night.

I assume that you have never had the pleasure of working with cows. Cows can be "pig-headed" and do just about what they want to do. Their actions certainly indicate a strong will. Cows know when they have to be milked. The writer here is saying that the time of milking is left up to the cows.