Adding grain to the dairy cow diet supplies energy and generally increases milk production above what the cow would produce on a forage-based diet alone. But production isn’t everything. There are a lot of moving parts to the dairy profitability equation, and producers who have opted to become certified organic – and particularly those who have taken it one step further and have added on the 100% grass-fed certification – know that pushing cows for milk production isn’t the only solution to the dairy economics equation.

Both conventional and organic producers primarily opt for a twice-per-day, year-round milking strategy. Although this remains the standard, other options are also being practiced. While some high-producing conventional dairies opt for 3X milking, most of those using other types of alternative milking strategies are either organic or grass-fed dairy farms.

Certified grass-fed dairy, as added on to the certified organic label, requires 60% of dry matter intake (DMI) from in-season pasture grazing, with the minimum grazing season being 150 days long. Both pasture DMI and the length of grazing season are longer for 100% grass-fed dairy producers.

Milking the grazing herd

A 2021 survey conducted by Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler – extension specialists with the University of Vermont (UVM) Northwest Crops and Soils Program – in conjunction with dairy consultant Sarah Flack, aimed to find out what milking alternatives were in use – or had been tried – on regional dairy farms.

The survey was sent to 800 dairy farms in New England, Pennsylvania and New York. The 134 respondents included certified organic dairy farmers (63.6%), certified grass-fed (34.1%), non-certified organic (1.55%) and conventional (0.78%). Of all the farms, 17% had tried something other than twice-a-day, year-round milking.

Of the respondents, 62% indicated they were members of the Plain community. Of those, 10% had tried or were currently using alternative milking schedules. Of the remaining respondents, 31% reported that they currently used – or had tried at one time – alternative strategies. Those who indicated they were members of the Plain community were less likely to want to try alternative milking than non-Plain respondents.

Of all the farms reporting alternative milking, whether current or past, the certified grass-fed farmers showed the highest adaptation rate, with 17% reporting they have used alternatives to 2X milking, as had 12% of the certified organic farms.

The alternative schedules included 1X milking, seasonal milking and three milking sessions over two days. Robotic milking was also reported as an alternative practice. The most frequently adapted alternative was a 1X milking approach, which had been used or is in use currently by 63% of respondents. Seasonal production was tried by 36% of respondents, while 13% have at some time adapted to milking three times in two days. Robotic milking was practiced on 9% of the farms, while another 1.5% stated they have tried milking 13 times per week.

The researchers collected data on the herd size, breed, milk per cow and the amount of time the farm practiced the alternative strategy. The average herd size didn’t impact the strategy adopted, with the average size of all dairies in the survey, no matter the milking strategy, between 50 and 59 head. Fifty percent of the 2X-milking farms had Holstein herds, while 70% of the seasonal herds were crossbred. No three-in-two milking farms had Holsteins, using crossbreeds or Jerseys exclusively. And of the 1X milking farms, 50% were Jersey herds and 40% crossbred, with only 7% Holstein.

The researchers noted that those employing alternative milking strategies were more likely to have non-Holstein cows. They concluded that these producers are likely selecting breeds for more than high milk production. They are likely selecting for components, grazing ability or other factors, which are important for certified organic or grass-fed milk markets.

Total herd annual milk production reached an average high of 13,479 pounds on twice-per-day farms, with a low of 9,864 pounds on those practicing 1X-milking. The three-in-two milking strategy averaged 11,584 pounds, and seasonal milk production averaged around 10,996 pounds per year.

Effectiveness

Switching from 2X milking had pros and cons. Once-per-day milking often led to higher somatic cell counts (SCC). Three-in-two milking requires milking at odd hours, rotating early mornings and late evenings one day, and midafternoon the next, keeping milking intervals steady. Seasonal milking has breeding window challenges, as the goal is to have all calves born within a three-week window.

Nate Severy, a certified grass-fed dairy farmer in Cornwall, Vermont, has successfully adopted a unique alternative milking schedule to suit both his herd’s needs. The 60-head milking herd of primarily Jerseys, with a bit of Ayrshire mixed in, is milked on a modified three-in-two schedule. This allows him weekly consistency for the milk truck and longer periods of time away from the milking parlor. It has not had adverse effects on the herd, which he monitors using DHIA data. The herd’s milk production is at 9,000 pounds per year, which is not significantly different than it was when he was milking twice per day, and the quality remains high. The herd SCC averages about 150,000.

Severy implemented an alternative milking schedule in August 2021, to better align with his non-farming responsibilities and the needs of his family. Severy’s milking intervals range from 14 to 17 hours. The first day has both a morning and an evening milking. The second day has one midday milking only. The third day consists of twice-per-day, morning and evening milking again. This continues in a repeating pattern through day six, which is another midday milking. The next day is the outlier.

On the seventh day, the milking schedule consists of a morning milking and a noon milking. He then takes the rest of the day off and begins the weekly three-in-two milking cycle again the next morning. Because of the odd milking schedule, the herd is not rotating to new pastures in synch with being milked, as is often the case on twice-per-day grazing dairies.

Additional data

The researchers now have more questions than answers. In the future, they’d like to explore the following: if labor savings seen with alternative milking strategies is worth any potential drop in milk production, if it's a viable approach to increase cow numbers in grazing herds using 1X milking to compensate for decreased milk production and if there are differences in heifer replacement rates between various milking strategies. They are also interested in exploring the cost-effectiveness of molasses energy supplements – another common expense on certified grass-fed farms.

“We’re just scratching the surface here,” Darby said. “Clearly there is interest in knowing more.”