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Tag Archives milking

As employee numbers increase on dairy farms, farmers have to learn to communicate the process improvement that has been part of their own way of working.
Barns, Cow health, Dairy, Milking equipment

Make your dairy processes lean and clean

Stopping and observing are the first steps to efficiency

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Dairy farmers work through similar processes every day, but taking another look at ordinary tasks can yield significant time and financial savings. Process evaluation has many names, including lean, Kaizan or Six Sigma, but the concepts are similar: constantly improve, find bottlenecks and reduce waste, says Dr. Chris Church, a master’s student at the Lang […] Read more
Panelists discuss their diversified dairy farm operations at the Canadian Dairy Xpo’s Canadian Dairy Business Conference. They included Korb Whale, left, Joel LePage, Gilbert Matheson, Bonnie den Haan and moderator Dan Matheson.
Barns, Dairy, Milking equipment

Diversifying dairy means more than milking

Here’s how four dairy farms grew their businesses beyond milk production

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Farmers who diversify their dairy operations can make it work with luck, great planning and a willingness to take risks. The Canadian Dairy XPO’s new Canadian Dairy Business Conference brought together four farmers who have diversified so milking cows is just part of what they do. Why it matters: Dairy farmers who want to grow […] Read more
Four of Becky and Bill Gordon’s six children wanted to farm on the property near Thedford. Involved at the farm are Michael Gordon, left, Jennifer Gordon, Becky and Bill Gordon, Erin Gordon and Samuel Gordon.
Dairy, Livestock

VIDEO: Gordon dairy expands operation, and family participation

The Gordon family has brought four children into the operation with one new barn

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Four family members were interested in continuing the dairy farm, so the Gordon family had a decision to make. Some dairy farm families work to establish each child with their own farm, and others, like the Gordons, decide to work together in one large facility. Why it matters: Farms continue to fine-tune the workings of […] Read more
Cows are brought to multiple robotic milking machines as part of a batch milking system in Texas.
Barns, Dairy, Livestock, Milking equipment

Batch milking combines parlour facility with automation of robots

The system can save labour and milk large numbers of cows

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A new concept in dairy equipment management brings the automation and data of robotic milking to a milking parlour orientation. DeLaval has several installations around the world where cows are herded into a holding area from which they access a group of automated milkers. Why it matters: The company says VMS batch milking is designed […] Read more
Dairy farms are one of the first types of farms using the Rakr app.
Livestock

New app tracks and simplifies barn equipment maintenance

Energy also can be monitored with Rakr’s tracking app

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A free new app launched by an Ontario start-up aims to simplify barn equipment maintenance. And it’s a precursor to an innovative monitoring system to track and manage on-farm energy use that Rakr is launching in 2021, called NeatMeter. Why it matters: Cost control is essential to farm profitability. Energy is a significant expenditure for […] Read more
The DeLaval V310 unit includes automatic pregnancy testing and heat monitoring.
Livestock, News

Reproduction testing added to robotic milking

The option is available on the VMS V310 from DeLaval

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DeLaval has created a simpler version of its on-farm milk-testing system, integrating pregnancy and heat monitoring in its new V310 robotic milking system. The DeLaval VMS V310 alerts farmers when cows are coming into heat and when cows are testing as pregnant due to their progesterone levels. An algorithm determines when a cow needs to […] Read more
Phil Mlsna expects his teat washing robot to be cost effective for most dairy farms.
Livestock, News

Dairy parlours, feed monitoring and genetic indices see innovations

The latest dairy technologies launched at World Dairy Expo

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Robotic teat washing coming for parlours Automations continue to arrive in milking parlours. First there was data recording and automatic shutoffs, then teat spray robots. There have been some attempts at full robotic milking, but adoption has been slow. The next step in the parlour milking process that begs automation is teat washing. There have […] Read more
Amanda Davison told dairy goat farmers to look at poor performing goats as a place to start improving production.
Livestock

Seven tips for better dairy goat performance

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A herd’s average production may be a go-to parameter for many goat dairy managers, but Amanda Davison believes their focus should shift instead to the average among a select group of that herd. “Don’t look at average production,” advised Davison on March 21 in Woodstock, as she addressed producers attending the annual general meeting of […] Read more

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