I’ve often said “I am not good with numbers, but I can spot a trend.” I have spent hours poring over data from milking machines. Unit-on time, peak milk flow, average milk flow, milk in the first two minutes, first 30 seconds and first 15 seconds are all data points that can be analyzed and at times need to be. But the truth is: At times the data can be truly overwhelming. What does it all mean?

Robotic milking embraces the basics in herd management and milk production, but other essential components like lifestyle, daily routines and housing facilities can and do vary. One hot topic concerning housing facilities in automatic milking system barns is bedding. Appropriate bedding systems should fulfill the requirements of lactating dairy cows milked robotically in a sustainable way, considering these four pillars:

As new technologies continue to change how dairy producers manage and operate their farms, it is good to keep an eye on the horizon to see what might be available in the next five to 10 years. Progressive Dairyman recently asked major milking equipment companies what they see as the future for milking equipment in the U.S. Read on to see responses from three of the companies.

Adapting to changing weather conditions is nothing new for farmers. Cycles of wetness, dryness, heat and cold have long been facts of everyday life. Some days it’s too wet to plow, other times soil moisture content ruins crop yields. The questions now, though, turn to whether weather changes are just a phase or a cycle, or part of something bigger and more permanent – known as climate change.

A cool cow is a comfortable cow that eats more and produces more milk. It’s a basic philosophy common to dairy farmers, but in practice, keeping cows comfortable can be a difficult feat. Improving air movement has been documented to effectively improve herd comfort, increase milk production and decrease the occurrence of reproductive issues and diseases. For years, dairymen relied on conventional fans for this task.