This podcast episode focuses on Drumgoon Dairy, a South Dakota dairy farm that recently began milking with 20 DeLaval VMS V300s. Rodney, Dorothy and their son, David Elliott, share about their family’s relocation from Ireland to the United States and answer questions about their decision to go robotic. This podcast is hosted by Bill Krivanek of Farm Systems, the dairy’s local dealership.

Season 3, Episode 33

 

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

  • 1:47 - Tell us about your farm & family.
  • 2:47 - How did you decide to start milking cows with robots?
  • 3:36 - Give us an overview of your robotic dairy.
  • 4:49 - Do you still milk cows in your conventional milking parlor?
  • 5:10 - How do you decide which cows go to the robotic barn?
  • 5:50 - What labor did you add to run the VMS facility?
  • 7:27 - How do you train cows that are introduced to the VMS?
  • 8:16 - What do the cows average lbs/day in VMS vs conventional milking? Tell us about your production goals.
  • 9:26 - What are some of the benefits you’ve seen from milking with robots?
  • 10:19 - What do you think of the teat prep on the VMS?
  • 10:52 - Do you use manual attach?
  • 11:20 - What info do you find valuable from DelPro?
  • 12:25 - Tell us about your local DeLaval dealer and why you selected them.
  • 13:31 - Has anyone from your farm attended DeLaval robotic operators training courses?
  • 14:12 - How has the InService All-Inclusive program worked for you?
  • 14:49 - If you could do it over, what would you change?
  • 16:57 - What are your plans for the future?

 

This episode is sponsored by DeLaval.

delaval logo

DeLaval is a full-service supplier to dairy farmers. DeLaval develops, manufactures and distributes equipment and complete systems for milk production and animal husbandry. Service, sales of a wide range of accessories, knowledge-sharing and consultancy are also key aspects of our operations.

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