Sorting gates are gaining traction on dairies and continue to grow in popularity. These systems help dairy producers provide precise, individual cow care and help better organize cow flow around daily schedules and key tasks.
As I’ve helped operations across the U.S. implement sorting gate systems, the standout benefit has been the ability to optimize labor and encourage team ownership. However, sorting gate success and return on investment depends on a well-designed system that matches the specific needs of the operation.
How sorting gates work
Sorting gate systems provide a touch-free way to sort cows for management. Sorting gates can be retrofitted into an existing barn or built into a new facility to make the most of each dairy’s unique layout and management schedules.
Synched with electronic cow monitoring and identification systems, sorting gates automatically divert cows into separate pens as they exit the milking parlor – giving workers the ability to quickly identify and care for a specific subset of animals without searching entire pens.
Cows that are not flagged for sorting can continue to exit the parlor and return to their home pens to eat, drink and rest – eliminating the need to secure a full pen with headlocks. Forgoing this lockup time reduces cow stress and maintains productivity without interruption, while making more efficient use of labor.
Tips for designing a sorting gate system
Sorting gate designs are unique to every dairy. When planning a sorting gate system, consider your specific goals, facility layout and daily schedules. An experienced supplier can help you think through these needs and future-proof the design. Ask the following questions to help give clarity to what you can gain from a sorting system:
- What do I want to accomplish? Reduced labor, less lockup time, higher employee satisfaction, etc.
- Do I want to do cow work in one area? Needs can vary based on available space and the daily schedule.
- What management tasks do I want to sort cows for? Breeding, vaccinations, hoof trimming, health checks, etc.
- Do I want live sorting or catch and release? Live sorting assumes that all cows within a group will be sorted, processed and released by the time the rest of the group is done milking. Catch and release sorts cows into a staging area for specific management tasks to be handled later. Both options may require different cuts based on desired outcomes.
- What is my team accomplishing on a weekly basis? Consider how automatic sorting can enhance that schedule and complement your artificial insemination (A.I.) technicians, veterinarians and hoof trimmers.
In addition to asking questions, consider these six factors when designing a sorting gate system:
- Number of sorts/number of sort pens. There are many reasons to sort cows – pregnancy checks, vaccinations, dry-offs, health evaluations, etc. Depending on your dairy’s schedule, you may be sorting for multiple management needs at one time and require multiple cuts, sort pens or rails.
- Size of sort pens. Consider the capacity of your operation as well as potential expansion needs. The pen size needs to be adequate for both current and future cow numbers in each part of the management schedule.
- Cow flow. Sorting gate capacity needs to be matched with the milking parlor flow rate. If a sorting gate system doesn’t have a high enough capacity, it can be a bottleneck for cows leaving the parlor. Strive for a system that allows cows to be sorted, processed and returned to their home pen by the time the rest of the pen is finished with milking.
- Identification accuracy and maintenance. Sorting gate systems are, on average, 98% accurate. Additionally, depending on your supplier, tag maintenance can be automated with tag numbers being auto assigned and corrected if there is an error.
- Electronic interference. Ask your milking equipment supplier or sorting gate supplier to do a high-frequency electronic noise evaluation. If interference is a concern, opt for a system with infrared reading technology, which is not affected by high frequency noise. Shields can also be installed to prevent interference.
- Hardware and software interface. Will you be installing new software or integrating with existing software? Regardless, the system should be easy to automate with minimal manual intervention needed.
Monitor for success after installation
Whether you already have a sorting gate system or recently installed one, it is important to keep evaluating workflow to ensure the gate provides optimal benefits. From a management perspective, the addition of sorting gates may allow you to reallocate labor and resources to other areas. You and your team may find there are better ways to accomplish daily tasks. For example, cows may need to be grouped differently for weekly chores. Or some tasks, such as pregnancy checks, might be changed from weekly to daily.
The opportunity to improve specific KPIs may also exist. If you use the full potential of a sort gate system, you can quickly isolate every cow with a potential issue so she can receive individual attention. Additionally, keeping groups accurate is easier than ever, and mix-ups can be quickly rectified. Many of my dairies appreciate being able to see timestamps of where cows are located. Sorting gates make it easy to put cows back in the correct group for milking, breeding and health checks if they end up in the wrong pen.
An ROI that goes beyond numbers
The ROI a sort gate provides will be different on every operation. One of the most important benefits I see from sort gate systems is optimizing labor efficiency.
Oftentimes, employees are the ones championing the additions of sort gates. It allows them to better organize their day, stick to schedules and have more confidence when it comes to providing individual cow care. Dairies I’ve worked with have observed stronger team morale and employee retention after the addition of a sort gate system, especially when employees have had input on the sorting gate design.
Thoughtfully designed and monitored systems will benefit both cows and people. Cows receive higher-quality care when and where it is needed, reducing the need for unnecessary lockup time. Employees benefit from a better organized workspace and schedule, allowing them to feel more confident in day-to-day tasks.
To ensure a sorting gate system is designed for the best outcomes, sit down with an experienced supplier to review the specific needs of your operation. After installation, continue to evaluate your sorting gate system and make needed adjustments to improve your management efficiency and workflows.
