We are currently milking about 160 cows, 118 in our new barn with automated milking robots and the rest in our pre-existing milking parlor. We have about 130 replacements from calves to springing heifers. We have primarily Holstein/Friesian cows, with some Jersey crosses mixed in at various percentages from previous breedings (think great-great grandparents were half Jersey/half Holstein).
We are traditionally a closed herd with all breeding done via AI, however we have added a few heifers this year purchased from some friends including our first Ayrshire cow.
In July 2017 we launched our voluntary robotic milking system in our brand new barn. We currently run two DeLaval robots with room for a third when we are ready for it. The robots run 24/7 and allow us to milk cows in the most efficient and productive way possible. The cows choose when they want to get milked, and when they’re done they don’t have to wait for the rest of the cows to finish like in a traditional parlor before heading out for food. We have two “smart gates” that make this all possible by reading ID tags on the cows ears and directing them to the milking area or the feed area. All of this info is connected to our computer system so we can not only track each cow’s milk production over time, but also learn about her activity patterns and even breed more effectively. Licky (1077) is the number one robot-loving cow, averaging 5.1 visits per day to the robot. In the old parlor, every cow would only get milked twice per day. Now, most cows average three milkings per day.
