As roasted high-oleic soybeans gain more attention and adoption in the industry, consider how they may find a place on your farm. With an automated milking system, the producer has a unique opportunity to embrace the technology in their system. 

Dairy farming, like any other industry, operates with clear goals and strategic plans. In automated dairy systems, a vast array of data is collected from a variety of performance indicators.

There are many ways to optimize the efficiency of farms, but one of the most effective manners is by doing so with the equipment already installed on the dairy. And, with hot weather not too many months away, now may be the time to consider equipment tune-ups.

There is a trend toward increased stocking density in automated milking barns. Quite a few farmers have made it work and made it look easy. It has worked for them because they have the fundamentals right.

When you consider that milk is a dairy’s top revenue source, milking technicians have a huge impact on the operation’s profitability. If parlor performance lags or procedures drift, the entire enterprise may be at risk.

There has been much variation in the dairy industry in how nutritional management occurs on automated milking system farms. In a recent large benchmarking study of automated milking system farms from across Canada, we aimed to quantify that variation, describing the diets fed on those farms and also detecting associations of nutritional practices with productive metrics from those farms.

At Jer-Lindy Farms, crops are grown, cows are cared for and milk is produced, much like many dairy farms across the nation. In addition to the conventional way of dairying, the Jennissen and Sjostrom families also turn their milk into cheese at the on-farm Redhead Creamery and make whey-based spirits, all while telling their story through public and private on-farm gatherings.

Milking technologies have changed over many decades, so have feeding strategies incorporated on the dairy farm. For those using automation to milk cows, providing feed at the robot was thought to be paramount to the system’s success. Recently, some automated milking producers have started to rethink this approach.

Routines to maintain udder health change with the transition to automated milking. In a parlor, most of the monitoring of the cow, the equipment, and to some extent the environment, is part of the milking routine. It is completed by the workers in the parlor as they prep, strip and attach milkers. In automated milking, it is important to develop daily routines to monitor those milk quality control points in other ways. 

Milking automation represents not only a technological advancement but a fundamental shift in dairy farm management. While automation simplifies processes, the human touch remains indispensable. Successfully managing employees requires finding the right balance between leveraging the power of technology and nurturing a supportive, engaged work environment.