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Early adopters of automatic milking systems have primarily been farms with 240 cows or less. According to Jack Rodenburg of DairyLogix, there are “probably less than 60 dairies worldwide with more than 500 cows and traditional single-box robots.”
Two years ago, Curtis Nolan was sure renovating the milking parlour was the next step for Kenyon Hill Farm, his family’s dairy in northeastern New York, which is operated by Nolan; his dad, Mike; and his brothers, Shane and Ryan.
The Baas family, parents Wiebe and Akke with sons Jan and Bert, emigrated from Holland in 1996. They settled northwest of Edmonton, near Barrhead, Alberta, purchasing a quarter-section of land (160 acres) with an existing dairy operation.
Dairy producers find themselves in a precarious situation these days. Faced with a growing world population, dwindling natural resources and actions guided by the social, ethical and environmental dictates of public opinion, they are under great pressure to produce more with less.
It is no question that agriculture is one of the most important industries in Canada. One thing that we tend to forget is how dangerous farming can be, and in return how expensive the cost of an injury or fatality can be.
On a daily basis, dairy farm managers make decisions that impact the profitability of their farm. These decisions have both short-term and long-term impacts. Controlling cost is critically important. Cutting excess cost can drive efficiency and improve overall profitability. However, cutting inputs that are generating a positive return on investment will reduce profits. For this reason, careful evaluation should be made before cutting input costs.
On behalf of Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC), Holstein Canada will be the service provider for animal care cattle assessments for a two-year contract beginning late in 2016. This means that Holstein Canada’s DFC-qualified staff will be responsible for assessing body condition score, injuries (hock, knee and neck) and lameness on a random sample of lactating cattle in milking herds across Canada.
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