Dairy farmers now have a more powerful, long-term tool to affect the milking time of their herds with a new trait developed by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB): milking speed, which became available for Holsteins in the August triannual genetic evaluations.

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.

Efficiency is key to making the milking system as profitable as possible. Parlor turns can greatly impact milk collected per stall, and milkabilty measures of individual cows, like milking speed and milking duration, will impact how quickly cows make their way through the parlor.

The first year of milking cows in a rotary can be both a dynamic and humbling experience; the learning curve is different for every individual farm. 

Let’s be very clear – we do not use vacuum to “suck” the milk out of the cow. She must give it to us voluntarily. If we want to milk cows more gently, quickly and completely, the goal must be to improve milk flow rates through better stimulation and milk letdowns.

When is the last time you evaluated milking settings in your parlor? Read our latest article to learn more.