Dairy farms are continually seeking ways to enhance productivity and efficiency on their farms. This drive for improvement is particularly evident in the dairy sector, where embracing new technology plays a crucial role in advancing operations.
For the family-owned Bilow Farms LLC in Malone, N.Y., this meant making a conscious decision to upgrade their milking parlor, a move that highlights their commitment to innovation and sustainability.
Vision for the Future
Bilow Farms, which now milks 5,100 cows daily, set out with a goal in mind.
“One of the ways I’ve always done business is by having a goal. I asked my GEA rep for a picture of a rotary parlor; we enlarged it and hung it on my office wall so I could study it and make it out goal to build,” says Vincent Bilow, co-owner of Bilow Farms, along with his wife, Trudy; their son, Andrew; and daughter, Jessica Kelley.
The photo allowed owners and employees of Bilow Farms to envision their future. The goal behind a new parlor would lower their carbon footprint, as well as become more cow-friendly and labor efficient.
With that came the decision to build a green site facility that included a new milking center along with two 2,000-cow freestall barns; in July 2023, their vision became reality with the first turn of the farm’s 100-stall GEA DairyRotor T8900 parlor.
“When looking at parlors we visited several farms that had rotary parlors and did research,” Kelley shares. “We not only visited locally but also farms in Wisconsin to prepare for the size and brand of parlor to purchase.”
Bilow Farms has certainly come a long way from milking in a tie-stall barn. In 1999, it added a double-12 parlor and milked 2,150 cows.
Bilow shares that they chose to build a rotary to eliminate cows walking a long distance to get to the parlor.
“Cows seem to be more content on a rotary,” he says. “They seem to enjoy it and it’s a better experience for them.”
Kelley adds that since transitioning to the rotary, their cows are a lot calmer.
“They are also more relaxed when they come off the wheel. Milk production has gone up 10 to 12 pounds per day and our somatic cell is down significantly,” Kelley says. “We have also found we have feet and leg issues have improved with the cows since we are milking more cows per hour, and they are spending less time in the holding area.”
Forward-Looking Partnership
After touring other rotaries and talking with other producers, the family liked the ease and efficiency of GEA rotary. But ultimately installing a rotary parlor helped conquer their biggest challenge: labor.
“Our old parlor was very labor-inefficient,” Bilow says. “With this new parlor, our goal it to have three people in it. We’ve added the FutureCow Prep System, which we believe will greatly increase efficiency. We have also added the Udder Mister automated teat dip spray arm on the back end of the parlor.”
Bilow shares that their employees have adjusted to the new parlor well and seemed less stressed because they don’t have to push the cows to get into the parlor.
Goals are what drives Bilow Farms — and the family share their set goals:
- 4.5 seconds per cow unit attachment.
- Milk 750 cows per hour.
- 25,000 lbs. to 28,000 lbs. of milk per hour.
Currently, Bilow Farms produces six tanker loads of milk a day. The family shares that they have a strong GEA dealer nearby, and their long-standing relationship with the company is something they value.
“They worked with my dad dating back to the Surge days. He put in the first pipeline in our area in 1966. When we built our previous parlor in 1999, we used a GEA dealer, and I wanted to stick with the brand,” Bilow says.
When it came to making the purchase, longevity played a factor. Bilow wanted the parlor to last for this generation and the next.
“This farm should be efficient for 20-plus years,” he says. “One of our goals is for our employees to have more time with their families. This parlor will allow them to work less.”
Bilow says if he had to describe his new parlor in one word it would be magnificent. The next purchase for this family farm is to build a dairy cow and pre-fresh barn.
“We are currently trucking all of the dry and fresh cows to the original freestall barn,” Kelley shares.
Incorporating innovative technologies, the Bilow family’s journey exemplifies how dairy farming can evolve to meet modern challenges while honoring traditional agricultural values. Through careful planning and execution, they not only boost productivity but also enhance the quality of life on their farm, setting a high standard for efficiency and innovation in the dairy industry.
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