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.

The best robot cows combine four factors – milk production, milkability, milking speed and trips to the robot. Each of these factors can be measured, and the measurements can be combined to rank the best robot cows.

Efficiency is the key to success in the dairy industry. There are never enough hours in the day to do everything you want to do, so maximizing those hours, minutes and even seconds is the hallmark of a good operation.

While it is impossible to eliminate cases of mastitis in a dairy herd, automation can help producers save time, money and resources, ensuring their cows get the best and most timely care possible.

While the vision of a fully automated dairy may seem like a distant dream, the technology to achieve this is rapidly evolving. This article provides a roadmap for dairy producers considering the leap into automation.

Is your robot feed bin a place that you avoid until the cows stop eating? Here are some tips to help monitor and manage feed in the bin, before the cows run out of pellets or stop visiting.

It might seem counterintuitive to work on something that isn’t broken, but a small amount of effort can prevent major disruptions down the line. By dedicating a small amount of time to maintenance tasks now, you can avoid costly downtimes and ensure your dairy operation runs smoothly and efficiently.