Robotics

Fighting Mastitis with the Help of Robots and Smart Technology

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:20:26 GMT

Mastitis remains one of the most costly and persistent health challenges facing dairy farms today, whether cows are milked in a parlor or by robots. In 2024, mastitis was estimated to cost the U.S. dairy industry more than $13 billion annually through lost milk, treatment costs and discarded milk.

As robotic milking systems become more common, new sensors and monitoring tools are helping detect milk quality problems earlier than ever. Even with these technological advances, the core principles of mastitis control remain the same. According to Douglas Reinemann and Carolina Pinzón-Sánchez of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, good hygiene, careful monitoring and timely intervention still form the foundation of effective mastitis management.

Clean Cows Still Matter Most

No matter where cows are milked, prevention still begins with cleanliness. In automated milking systems, that means ensuring the robot can properly clean and attach to the udder each time a cow enters the box.

“The cleanliness of the udder when the cow enters the robot has a big influence on how well that preparation process works,” Reinemann says.

Milking preparation is a critical step. Proper stimulation helps trigger milk letdown and allows teat cups to attach quickly and correctly. While premilking sanitation steps vary by robot brand, the goal is the same across systems: The robot must attach the milking unit to clean, dry and well-stimulated teats.

Postmilking teat disinfection is equally important. After milking, the teat canal remains temporarily open, leaving the udder more vulnerable to infection. Applying teat disinfectant helps remove bacteria from the teat skin and reduces the risk of new intramammary infections.

Routine equipment maintenance also plays a major role in mastitis prevention. Checking the accuracy of cleaning and sanitation cycles helps ensure the robot is properly preparing teats before milking.

“Equipment maintenance is nonnegotiable,” Pinzón-Sánchez says. “Milking systems must be serviced and tested regularly per manufacturer guidelines. Monitoring the accuracy of pre- and postmilking sanitation cycles ensures effective cleaning and prevents bacterial spread.”

How Robots Detect Mastitis Earlier

While mastitis prevention principles remain largely the same, detection looks different in robotic systems.

In conventional parlors, trained employees serve as the first line of defense. Those hands-on observations allow workers to quickly spot abnormal milk or signs of udder inflammation. But in automated milking systems, technology takes on that monitoring role.

Robots rely on sensors and algorithms to track milk quality and cow behavior. When the system detects patterns that deviate from normal, it generates an alert that a cow may be experiencing mastitis.

Automated milking system sensors commonly monitor:

Electrical conductivity of milk.
Milk color and composition changes.
Somatic cell count (SCC).
Quarter-level milk yield.
Cow visit frequency to the robot.

“These systems are very good at detecting abnormalities,” Reinemann says. “Sensor data can often identify subtle changes before clinical signs become obvious.”

Additional monitoring tools also help catch potential problems earlier. Activity monitors worn on collars, legs or ear tags track how cows move throughout the day. When a cow becomes less active or her behavior starts to change, it can be an early sign that something isn’t right. Often, these shifts show up before obvious symptoms appear, giving producers more time to take a closer look and respond if needed.

How to Interpret Alerts

Even with all the high-tech monitoring tools in an automated milking system, interpreting data the robots provide isn’t always straightforward. To make sense of what the sensors are telling you, Reinemann and Pinzón-Sánchez explain that it helps to understand two key concepts: sensitivity and specificity.

According to the pair, sensitivity refers to the system’s ability to correctly identify cows that truly have mastitis. A highly sensitive system detects most sick animals but may flag more healthy cows as potential cases.

Specificity, on the other hand, reflects how well the system identifies healthy cows. High specificity reduces false alarms but may miss some infected animals.

“No system is perfect,” Pinzón-Sánchez explains. “Increasing sensitivity can increase false positives, while increasing specificity can lead to missed cases.”

Fortunately, many automated systems allow producers to adjust these settings depending on herd conditions. When mastitis risk is elevated, increasing sensitivity may help catch more true cases. During periods of stable milk quality, higher specificity can reduce unnecessary alerts.

What to Do When the Robot Flags a Cow

Despite how capable automated systems have become, Reinemann and Pinzón-Sánchez emphasize that technology should support, not replace, human decision‑making. When the robot flags a cow, producers should:

Review the system alert and cow history.
Visually evaluate milk for abnormalities.
Palpate the udder for swelling or heat.
Take the cow’s temperature if illness is suspected.
Divert abnormal milk from the bulk tank.
Collect aseptic milk samples for culture or PCR testing.
Use cow-side tests such as the California Mastitis Test (CMT).
Consult a veterinarian before initiating treatment.

Blending Management with Technology

Despite the technology, successful mastitis control still comes down to good management. Robots can flag changes and catch potential problems earlier, but producers must still evaluate cows and make treatment decisions.

“These systems are excellent at detecting abnormalities, but they can’t diagnose diseases or recommend treatments,” Reinemann says.

He and Pinzón-Sánchez stress that successful mastitis management still relies on the basics: watching cows closely, keeping consistent routines and working with a veterinarian on prevention and treatment plans. When technology and good herd management work together, mastitis problems can often be addressed before they become serious.

For more on mastitis, check out:

Why Dairy Producers Say Robotic Milking is the Key to Quality of Life

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:09:20 GMT

In the pursuit of efficiency and sustainability, technological adoption in dairy farming is on the rise. At the forefront of this shift is robotic milking, a technology with more than 30 years of history, but whose exponential growth has particularly surged over the past decade.

Speaking at the 2025 IDF World Dairy Summit in Santiago, Chile, Trevor DeVries, professor and Canada Research Chair in dairy cattle behavior and welfare at the University of Guelph, presented a compelling case for automation. His message was clear: technology is no longer just a tool for productivity; it is a vital intervention for both cow and human welfare.

The Mental Health Mandate

The agricultural sector has long been plagued by high levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Dairy farmers, in particular, face a triple threat of stressors: grueling physical labor, volatile financial pressures and a chronic shortage of skilled workers. Research cited by DeVries reveals dairy producers often experience significantly higher levels of mental health challenges compared to the general population.

“When we ask why automated technology is needed, it’s not just about the accuracy of management tasks,” DeVries explains. “A lot of it comes back to the opportunities for us to actually reduce the human labor that is involved.”

By integrating robotic milking systems, the daily grind of the 4 a.m. milking shift is replaced by a more flexible, data-driven management style. This shift doesn’t just save time; it provides the psychological breathing room necessary for better mental health. The ability to attend a child’s school event or simply get a full night’s rest can be the difference between burnout and a sustainable career.

The 4.5/5 Metric

The most striking evidence presented by DeVries came from surveys of Canadian dairy producers who had made the leap to robotics. While the technology is often sold on the promise of increased profitability and precision, the producers themselves highlighted a different primary benefit.

In the survey, farmers were asked to rate if robotic milking had improved their profitability, met their expectations and enhanced their quality of life. While scores were high across the board, the quality-of-life metric stood out as a clear winner.

“Probably the most interesting is one of the highest scores that came through was the fact that they scored improvement of their quality of life at a 4.5 out of 5,” DeVries says. “The farmers agree, or even strongly agree, that these systems have fundamentally changed their daily experience for the better.”

This data suggests the value of robotics extends far beyond the milk check. For the modern producer, the ROI of a robot is measured in hours of sleep and reduced physical strain as much as it is in milk volume.

The Cow and the Caretaker

DeVries’ research also revealed the reciprocal relationship between the welfare of the cow and the welfare of the farmer. In a robotic system, cows are granted a level of autonomy that traditional parlors cannot provide. They choose when to be milked, when to eat and when to rest. This voluntary lifestyle leads to measurable improvements in animal health. International studies have shown cows in robotic systems often exhibit enhanced reproductive performance and reduced rates of lameness.

“There’s opportunity for improvements in quality of life, and it’s not only for the cows that are being managed in those systems, but also for the people that are taking care of cows in those systems,” DeVries notes.

When cows are healthier and less stressed, the farmer’s job becomes one of oversight rather than constant crisis management. This creates a virtuous cycle — a healthy cow requires less emergency labor, which reduces farmer stress, which in turn leads to a more attentive and effective caretaker.

The Management Caveat
However, DeVries reminds producers that technology is not a “set it and forget it” solution. The benefits of robotics are not guaranteed; they are unlocked through robust management and a shift in labor skills.

The transition to robotics requires the farmer to move from being a laborer to a data analyst. Without paying close attention to the health data, the environment and the fine-tuning of farm practices, the potential for profitability and welfare can be lost. Successful implementation requires a skilled workforce that understands how to interpret the digital heartbeat of the herd.

The Future of the Dairy Ecosystem

As the dairy industry looks to the future, the adoption of robotics represents a bridge between agricultural efficiency and human sustainability. DeVries’ presentation in Santiago serves as a reminder that the future of dairy depends on an intricate web of welfare.

While robotic milking offers a clear path toward reducing physical labor and improving farmer quality of life, it is not a universal remedy for the industry’s challenges. The high satisfaction scores reported by DeVries are contingent upon a fundamental shift in management style, moving from manual tasks to intensive data analysis. Ultimately, the success of automation depends on the producer’s ability to refine their oversight and maintain a high-quality environment. Technology in this context is not a replacement for animal husbandry but rather a tool that requires a specific skill set to unlock its potential for both cow and human welfare.

Your Next Read:
The 2026 Dairy Outlook: Navigating Volatility, Genetics and the Beef-on-Dairy Revolution

The High-Tech Transformation of a Dairy Visionary

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 20:51:50 GMT

“Growing up as a kid, I always told everyone I was going to be a farmer,” says Paul Windemuller of Coopersville, Mich. “I just didn’t know how it was going to happen, because we didn’t have a farm.”

That was more than 30 years ago in 1990. Today, Windemuller has achieved that dream as a first-generation dairy farmer who wholeheartedly understands how rapidly the dairy industry is changing. We met up with the tech-savvy, charismatic young farmer in Santiago, Chile during the 2025 International Dairy Forum World Dairy Summit to talk about how innovation and data ownership are reshaping traditional agriculture both here in the U.S. and around the world.

From Humble Beginnings to Innovation Leader
Windemuller’s journey into dairy farming began in western Michigan, where his family ran a farm equipment dealership. Despite not growing up on a farm, experiences working on various agricultural operations instilled in him a passion for livestock, particularly dairy. Windemuller’s academic pursuit in agribusiness management at Michigan State University, coupled with a pivotal stint at Lincoln University in New Zealand, laid the foundation for his future endeavors. It was there that he found a mentor who owned multiple dairy farms and also consulted with other dairies. This relationship fueled Windemuller’s ambition and gave him the business acumen necessary for success in the dairy industry.

When Windemuller returned to American soil, he was married with a baby, $2,000 in his bank account and no home. This fueled determination out of the gate, which quickly led to a job with Dairy Farmers of America, where he honed his skills in supply consulting, helping member farms optimize their purchasing practices. This was also the period when Windemuller’s vision for Dream Winds Dairy began to take shape.

Building Dream Winds Dairy
Dream Winds Dairy started on a modest 13-acre farm acquired by Windemuller and his family. With an initial investment of just $20,000, they transformed an old tie-stall barn into a thriving enterprise, starting with 30 cows in 2014 and expanding to 250 by 2018.

“This is where I cut my teeth on technology back when I put the robots in,” he says, noting that SCR collars drastically improved their operational efficiency and cow health. Windemuller says, through adopting technology, he virtually stopped giving breeding shots and began treating cows earlier with more homeopathic methods.

“That made a huge impact there, which also made a huge impact on my cull rate, because if you can breed cows and you can keep them healthy, you don’t need to cull them as much,” he says, noting that this helped him not need to purchase as many replacements.

The Power of Technology and Data
Today, Windemuller’s approach to dairy farming is heavily influenced by technology. He believes AI and automation play crucial roles in enhancing farm productivity and profitability. The introduction of milking robots and other technological advancements allows him to manage farm operations more effectively while maintaining an off-farm job.

Windemuller shares that soon out of the gate, he relied heavily on data, meticulously tracking numbers and tirelessly working to manage his growing farm.

“Every six weeks, I tested my herd,” he says. “I stared at those numbers trying to find patterns to manage them. I struggled, but I slowly learned.”

When he installed robots and sensor collars in 2017, along with it came real-time data on every aspect of his farm operations.

“Suddenly, I had more data than I knew what to do with,” he says, sharing initially it overwhelmed him, but eventually empowered him and turned him into a data-driven farmer obsessed with AI.

Global Insights: A Nuffield Scholar’s Journey
Windemuller says one year later, with the help of real-time data, both his breeding numbers and cull rates went from well below the industry average to well above it.

“That’s when I realized that data really empowered me. It trained me, and it made me a better dairy farmer,” he says.

The power of data led to a Nuffield Scholarship, allowing Windemuller to travel to more than 15 countries. Traveling the globe, he observed the transformative impact of AI and automation in agriculture. Windemuller says he drew inspiration from industry pioneers and recognized parallels between the evolution of electricity and the potential of AI in revolutionizing farming practices.

During this time, Windemuller listened to a Jeff Bezos podcast that he calls a lightening transformation.

“AI is like a horizontal enabling layer, much like electricity in the early 20^th century,” he recalls. “Now, after all my travels and research, I believe AI, as a technology, will be more transformative than even electricity. AI is not a single tool. It’s the foundation for almost every new technology that will power the next generation of agriculture. Whether we like it or not, over time, AI will become the invisible layer that runs through nearly every system we use in this industry.”

While AI presents seemingly endless opportunities, it also comes with its own set of challenges. Windemuller highlights roadblocks like data quality, infrastructural issues, fear of technology by farm workers and governance barriers. His research underscores the importance of accurate data and interoperability in successfully leveraging AI, as well as the need to foster a culture of innovation among farm teams.

A Vision for the Future
Windemuller introduces several frameworks to guide the integration of AI in agriculture. From the AI yield gap, which identifies untapped potential, to the livestock AI readiness index, which helps farms assess their preparedness, he emphasizes the importance of strategic adoption. Moreover, he envisions a future where farmers control their data through cooperatives, ensuring their freedom and leveraging cleaner data for industry-wide benefits.

For those skeptical of AI’s relevance to their farms, Windemuller’s message is clear: farmers should embrace data stewardship and technological experimentation. Simple steps, like using software to manage team schedules or feed prices, can provide a gateway to understanding AI’s potential. Most importantly, fostering a culture where technology is seen as an enabler, rather than a threat, is crucial.

Looking to the future, Windemuller envisions an era where humanoid robots and integrated visual technologies will further revolutionize farm operations. He predicts these advancements will enable farmers to achieve a holistic insight threshold, where comprehensive data points provide an unparalleled understanding of farm dynamics. This shift toward data-driven decision-making promises to distinguish successful farms from those that resist technological change.

“Everyone will have access to the same commercially available AI tools, but AI has a multiplying effect, if a farmer is 10% better than the industry average, and the multiplying effect is 10x, then that farm will be 100% better than the industry average (profit wise). This will have a hockey stick effect on industry consolidation and efficiency,” he says.

Join the Movement
As Windemuller concludes, his vision for the future is an agricultural industry that empowers farmers to lead the digital transformation. By harnessing the power of AI, they can make informed decisions and build resilient businesses prepared for the future.

“We don’t want one company owning all the systems or controlling your data, but we do want our systems to talk to each other,” he says. “Imagine a system where farmers are not just data producers, but are in complete control of their data. A system where we pull our information together through a farmer-led cooperative that governs how the data is shared, monetized and used for farmers. This means access to cleaner, scaled, verifiable data sets. For researchers and innovators, it opens doors to accelerate solutions that serve our entire ecosystem as an industry.

In the end, Windemuller believes AI won’t replace farmers, but it will elevate them, creating sharper managers and better stocked people.

“By leading this transformation, we ensure a robust future for the next generation of farmers,” he says.

Windemuller’s story is a compelling example of how innovation and strategic thinking are redefining modern dairy farming. His insights and initiatives not only promise to drive profitability but also ensure the sustainability of an industry poised for transformative growth. Through collaborations and commitment to leveraging data, the future of dairy is bright.

Paul Windemuller will share his story and present in more detail at the 2025 Milk Business Conference, Dec. 2-3 in Las Vegas. To see the full agenda and register today, go to: MILK Business Conference 2025

Your Next Read:
Why More Dairy Farms Are Using Drones to Manage Feed Inventories

A Robotic Revolution in Dairy Farming: Ned-Tex Dairy's Journey

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:23:59 GMT

Producers are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to enhance productivity and efficiency. Implementing new technologies in dairy farming requires a careful and thoughtful approach. The decision to upgrade a parlor is not made lightly. Here’s a peek into one operation’s journey toward increased dairy productivity and what was learned along the way.

A Robotic Leap Forward
Head south to Stephenville, Texas, and Roeland Stoker of Ned-Tex Dairy says they got to a point where they felt they had maxed out efficiency with their previous double 15-parallel barn.

“Our initial goals were to expand our herd without having to increase labor and to utilize the space we currently had,” he says.

(Ned-Tex Dairy)

They retrofitted their operation in June 2021 to incorporate 12 Lely Astronaut A5 robotic milking systems. Two years later they added three more to complete their barn.

“We were very interested in utilizing milking robots for large herds in Texas. We would have to hire more staff dedicated to milking if we were to expand our herd, which is getting harder and harder to find good people to effectively milk cows,” Stoker says. “The robot never calls in sick or oversleeps for their shift. Each cow goes through the same SOP for milk prep, harvesting and post treatment 24/7 365.”

Being immigrants from the Netherlands, Stoker’s parents, Roel and Deanne, were very familiar with the Lely brand.

“One of our local dairy service providers Thomson Services became a dealer for Lely and installed robots in two different dairies before installing ours,” he says.

(Ned-Tex Dairy)

Benefits of Robotic Milking Systems
In return, Stoker says they have increased milk production since installing robots.

“We have always been a high producing herd, but the robots help our cows achieve higher and more sustained peaks with the customized feed tables for each individual cow based on her milk production. With the NEDAP collars, we are able to more quickly identify heat cycles and health concerns, so shortening that response time is so valuable. Our conception and preg rates have steadily increased over the last four years,” he shares.

Stoker notes he handles most of the maintenance himself, sharing that his Lely dealer offers help for their monthly, quarterly and yearly maintenance.

“I try to do most of the work I can, so that I can better understand the equipment,” he says.

Tradition and Innovation
Ned-Tex Dairy currently still milks 100 cows in a conventional parlor.

“It has been beneficial to have both systems on site to help us be efficient and effective for our entire herd,” he says. “Some cows’ milk speed or udder profile are not ideal for robot milking, but they still are great cows for your herd. Also, some cows’ udder profile changes the later they are in their lactation.”

When it comes to the future, Ned-Tex Dairy plans to expand their herd from within.

“With the reduced stress on our herd, we anticipate our replacement ratio to be offset an extra year over time,” Stoker shares. “Pairing that with our increased efficiency in reproduction, we can grow the ideal herd in size and genetics for our facility.”

Ned-Tex Dairy’s journey exemplifies the transformative power of technology in agriculture, paving the way for others to follow. Embracing innovation not only serves immediate productivity goals but sets a foundation for sustainable growth in the future.

Your Next Read:
Why Dairy Is Dominating: America’s New Billion-Dollar Ag Success Story

A Real Conversation About Enhancing Dairy Farm Efficiency with Precision Management

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 20:50:06 GMT

In today’s rapidly evolving world, technology has woven itself into the fabric of various industries. The dairy sector is no exception, with innovation at the forefront of improving efficiency and farm management. Precision management technology provides dairy farmers with unparalleled tools for optimizing operations and enhancing productivity.

Expert Insights at the Forefront
Technology is not only a conversation starter, but an area that dairy producers are extremely interested in at World Dairy Expo. Earlier today, Dan Meihak, a seasoned commercial product specialist at Lely North America, along with myself, brought depth to this conversation on technology during a Lely webinar taped live at World Dairy Expo.

With more than 11 years of experience, Meihak shares how Lely’s advanced technology supports smarter decision-making by providing precise, actionable data that assists farmers in optimizing care and productivity of their herds. On the other hand, as a co-owner of Bohnert Jerseys in East Moline, Ill., I took my expertise on the farm level and my role as a dairy editorial director to bridge practical knowledge with agricultural journalism.

Practical Strategies for Smarter Farm Management
So, how does precision management translate into everyday practice on a dairy farm? By integrating precision management technology, farmers can analyze data-driven insights to improve the care and management of their cows. Here’s how:

Data-Driven Decision Making: Precise data allows farmers to make informed decisions about feed, health monitoring and milking processes. This fine-tuning ensures each cow is given optimal care while maintaining overall farm productivity.
Optimized Resources: With technology, farmers can maximize the efficiency of their resources — be it water, feed or manpower — to bring to cost savings and improved sustainability.
Enhancing Cow Welfare: Precision management ensures each cow’s needs are met in terms of health, nutrition and care, which directly translates into better milk yield and quality.

By bringing these elements together, precision management not only enhances the productivity and sustainability of dairy operations but also ensures the well-being of the herds.

Precision management technology represents a pivotal advancement in modern dairy farming. By leveraging expert insights and implementing practical strategies, farmers are empowered to make smarter, data-backed decisions that benefit both their business and their livestock. As the dairy industry continues to evolve, harnessing technology remains crucial to driving efficiency, performance and care in dairy farming.

To watch the full webinar conversation between Meihak and Bohnert, click here: Webinar Episode Summary - 2025 Lely LIVE Webinar Series

Robotic Milking Success: It’s More About the Management Than the Technology

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 12:38:37 GMT

If you ask five different farmers what success with robotic milking looks like, you’ll likely get at least four different answers. Achieving that success looks different for everyone too: a different permission setting here, a routine change there, or re-grouping pens by age or stage of lactation. Yet, many of these steps trace back to one thing: overall management of the farm.

Al Dornacker milks around 350 cows in six Lely Astronaut A5s in south-central Wisconsin. Throughout the hot summer months, his herd has maintained production of 99 lb. per cow. Dornacker says many factors contribute to this, including cow comfort in the new barn.

“They seem to handle the heat better, and we lose very little reproduction over the summer,” he says.

(John Gerbitz)

Dornacker attributes reproductive success, and subsequent high production, to genetic indexing with the robots.

“We wanted to know, how can we keep the best udders under the cow? Which ones do you keep, cull, which ones are good cows?” he says. “So we got an index that was made to take her robot traits: how much she kicks, how fast she milks, her components and production. And that tells us whether to use sexed semen, regular semen or breed her to angus.”

It was John Gerbitz of Cow Corner robotic dairy consulting, who created the index. As part of his work with Cow Corner, Gerbitz also completed a cash flow budget to help Dornacker decide whether to continue milking in both the parlor and five robots or to add a sixth robot.

One idea he presented was to shut down the parlor and slightly overstock the robot barn but maintain milking with five robots. The analysis proved this would cash flow better in the short term, but based on long-term goals, the decision was ultimately made to both shut down the parlor and add the sixth robot.

“Labor efficiency has improved tremendously, and overall production has gone up,” Dornacker says. “Was it a good stepping stone, and would I do it that way again? Yes, but probably over a year and a half and not four-and-a-half years.”

Dornacker shares another piece of his strategy that has both added profitability and truly enabled him to be more flexible with his time.

“Keep a well-organized inventory of spare parts so that you can fix it yourself and don’t need to hire the guy to come out every time,” he says. “The downtime is what kills your production average.”

Tune In To Your Herd

Kristin Quist, Herd Manager of Minglewood Inc. in northwestern Wisconsin, has also enlisted Cow Corner to enhance the management efforts of her family’s 1,200-cow dairy.

“I think the robots have allowed some of our better cows to meet thresholds that we couldn’t meet in our old facility, but also in the robot facility, there’s a lot more cow comfort built in,” Quist says. “We’re six, seven years in, and still finding protocols that work better for us every day.”

Minglewood milks with eight DeLaval VMS Classic robots complemented by a parlor. An open mind for changes and improvements has empowered a lot of progress — even on the older model of robots.

(DeLaval)

“You need to be in tune with your herd but also not scared to go out there and try for that little bit more,” she says. “Our goal at the end of the day is that we’re always evolving and always striving to do better.”

Recently, Quist says they’ve been adjusting milking permissions more often.

“You might think you have your milking permissions set where they need to be, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to be looking at them constantly and adjusting and making sure you’re meeting your cows where they’re at.”

Quist has also been dialing in on incompletes.

“Because we have classic robots, at certain days in milk we need to retrain our cows with the robot,” she says. “Since we started doing that, incompletes have been better and so have mastitis cases, just because we’re taking the time to reteach as the cow changes.”

Kristin Quist says adjusting the robot settings and protocols is still necessary but brings better results.

(DeLaval)

“As long as they can get in and get milked the way they need to be, they’re going to do their thing,” Quist adds. “And I honestly don’t want to know who they are. If I do, that typically means they are a problem cow.”

And that’s one way Gerbitz supports robotic dairies behind the scenes.

“I’m able to check on settings for individual cows so they don’t have to,” he says. “If I see something that will prevent the cow from being milked in the best way possible, I can take care of that for them right away.”

What Gerbitz sees on one farm often helps him tune into opportunities on another.

“I get to see things on so many different farms and see them more closely just by checking data and having weekly conversations with the farmer,” he says.

“Everything impacts how robots perform: forage quality, reproduction, transition cow health and cow comfort,” Gerbitz adds. “All brands of robots are capable of milking cows efficiently. Managers who pay attention to detail and take care of the fundamentals of milk production will be successful with either robots or parlor milking.”

Your Next Read:
New Dairy Training Platform Boosts Consistency and Compliance

Do Trained Heifers Really Perform Better With Robots?

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 17:17:48 GMT

A new study has found that giving heifers a little practice time with an automated milking system (AMS) before calving can significantly improve how quickly they adapt during the first few weeks of lactation.

The transition to a robot can be a stressful experience for heifers who must not only learn to become a cow but also figure out how to navigate and use an unfamiliar milking system. Researchers from the University of Guelph recently set out to test whether structured precalving training could smooth the transition for first-lactation cows into robotic milking.

The study involved 30 pregnant Holstein heifers, enrolled about three weeks before their expected calving date. To keep results consistent, the animals were paired according to due date and randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. The control group received no exposure to the AMS before calving, while the training group participated in a four-day familiarization program.

For the training, heifers were brought into the AMS pen approximately two weeks before their actual calving date. Over the four days, they experienced three short training sessions per day. These sessions introduced them to the robot, the feed concentrate available during milking and the mechanical arm and operational noises of the AMS. The goal was to remove as many “first-time” stressors as possible before actual milking began.

Once the heifers calved in individual maternity pens, both groups were moved between three and seven days in milk, to a free-traffic AMS pen. Here, cows could voluntarily visit the milking unit or be fetched if they did not enter within a certain time. A fetch pen, located near the AMS entrance, held cows that needed to be brought in.

For the next 21 days, researchers monitored milking activity, cow behavior and milk production. They recorded the number of visits to the AMS, voluntary milkings, fetch events and time spent in the fetch pen. They also assessed “ease of entry” into the machine, milk letdown and kicking behavior during the first six milkings across the first two days in the AMS.

At the conclusion of the study, it was clear that the heifers who got some practice time in were better prepared for robotic milking. These animals had a significantly better ease-of-entry score and better milk-letdown scores compared with untrained heifers. Trained heifers were also more willing to enter the machine and let their milk flow without hesitation.

Milking frequency saw an increase compared to the untrained animals as well. Over the 21-day period, trained heifers averaged 6.1 total visits to the AMS per day, compared with 5.0 for the control group. When looking at voluntary visits, the trained group averaged 5.6 per day, compared with just 4.2 for untrained heifers. They also had slightly more voluntary milkings, averaging 2.6 per day versus 2.2 for controls.

This higher level of voluntary engagement translated into less time and labor spent fetching cows. Untrained heifers averaged one fetch per day and spent 18.7 minutes per day in the fetch pen. Trained heifers averaged only 0.8 fetches per day and 14.6 minutes in the fetch pen.

Trained heifers also stood out for producing more milk. On average, first-lactation animals in the rehearsed group yielded 72.3 lb. per day during the study, about 4.9 lb. more than the untrained group’s 67.3 lb. Researchers noted that this early advantage can carry through the entire lactation, leading to greater overall productivity and profitability compared to their non-trained counterparts.

Even though heifers without training can still adjust to the AMS, the researchers believe the improved adaptation and performance in the trained group stem from reduced novelty and stress. Getting familiar with the sights, sounds and movements of the machine before calving helped them feel more comfortable when it was time to start milking.

For farms using robotic milking, spending a little time familiarizing heifers with the system before their first milking could make the transition to the AMS smoother and give first-lactation cows a jump-start to their early milk production.

Embracing Innovation: How Robotics Are Transforming Large Dairy Farms

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 12:41:18 GMT

In an era where technology continues to redefine industries, dairy farming is no exception.

The integration of robotic milking systems has ushered in a new age of farming, allowing for unprecedented efficiency and animal welfare. Over the last decade, there has been an increase in larger operations milking their cows robotically.

On a recent Lely webinar, three prominent farms recently shared insights and illuminated their transformative journeys from conventional to robotic milking.

David Trimner with Miltrim Farms in Athens, Wis.

(Lely)

The Bold Transition

David and Jessica Trimner with Miltrim Farms in Athens, Wis., Paul Detwiler with STgenetics Ohio Heifer Center in Plain City, Ohio, and Roeland Stoker of Ned-Tex Dairy in Stephenville, Texas, each shared their experiences and insights on implementing robotic technologies at their facilities.

These early adopters embraced robotics to enhance labor efficiency and animal welfare. Miltrim Farms explored all the options available before deciding to incorporate 30 Lely Astronaut A5 robotic milking systems to their farm.

“What are we good at? What do we want to be better at? Where is industry going, and how can we get more efficient? And that sparked the direction of adding robotics into our herd,” Jessica Trimner says, noting that robots allow them to push efficiency while creating a sustainable environment for people and cows.

Detwiler echoes those sentiments, highlighting that the adoption of robotic systems wasn’t just about the immediate gains in efficiency or production, but a strategic step aligned with their core values of data-driven management and welfare-centric practices.

Paul Detwiler with STgenetics Ohio Heifer Center in Plain City, Ohio.

(Lely)

“Our journey into robotics really started back in 2017; we, as a company [were] making this decision to go ahead and move into milking more cows,” he says, noting they were intrigued by robotics. Animal welfare at the helm made them choose a free flow barn, where cows have freedom to move, freedom to lay, freedom to eat and freedom to milk. “Every cow sets her own routine, and every cow gets to be a cow.”

STgenetics Ohio Heifer Center includes 4,000 animals with 1,200 cows milking — 850 being milked in their robotic facility and the rest milked conventionally.

Ned-Tex Dairy currently milks 900 head with 15 Lely Astronaut A5 robotic milking systems. Stoker’s parents are first-generation immigrants from the Netherlands, and he says that they got to a point where they maxed out efficiency with their previous double 15 parallel barn.

“So, we were going to have to make some hard decisions, because we just updated that, but we’d have to either increase labor or build a whole new parlor with one that we just updated 10 years before,” he says, noting they retrofitted their operation to incorporate robots.

Data-Driven Decisions

The transformation wasn’t merely about adopting technology but also about leveraging the data it provided.

Detwiler emphasizes the increased ability to monitor feed intake and cow behavior, allowing for more precise management practices and improved cow health. This data-centric approach has enabled farms to enhance productivity and ensure each cow is managed according to its individual needs rather than herd averages.

“Our journey into robotics really was in support of the other mission of our farm, which is data collection related to feed efficiency and measuring feed intake,” he says. “Data collection and data review is really the driving force. That’s really what drives our whole journey into robotics is the collection of data, and we’re combining everything that the horizon program collects for us with other information, starting when they’re baby calves on a home unit, through a heifer program and then into a lactation barn, all of that information collected from the Lely’s programs from our own internal Farm Fit programs and Eco Feed programs.”

Labor, Efficiency and Cow Welfare

A recurring theme of the session was the significant changes in labor dynamics. The farms report a reduction in labor costs and an increase in employee efficiency, with robots handling much of the routine work. This shift has allowed workers to focus more on animal care and strategic tasks, fostering a deeper engagement with farm operations.

David Trimner says labor efficiency was a critical decision-making point in choosing robots.

“[Labor] is a big part of helping to pay for the robots and that capital investment,” he says, adding that animal welfare and the overall positive environment to work in and for the cows to live in was a perk. “It would bring us the ability to get really great employees to work in this barn and then also to have a really healthy cow that produces a lot of milk and then hopefully has a long, productive life.”

The Trimners say they have a ratio of 300 cows per person in the robot barn, definitely increasing labor savings.

“It has really allowed us to elevate people,” Jessica Trimner adds. “We had some core people on our team that we weren’t even tapping into their talents. We’ve been able to do a lot of incredible things because we had such great partnerships with those people.”

Challenges and Maintenance

Transitioning from conventional milking to robotics requires dedication, not just in understanding new technologies but also in maintaining them.

The panelists acknowledged the importance of regular maintenance to ensure seamless operations and minimize downtime. Their experiences highlight that while robotic systems significantly reduce manual labor, they demand committed oversight and regular upkeep.

Roeland Stoker of Ned-Tex Dairy in Stephenville, Texas.

(Lely)

Stoker says they were a “glutton for punishment” when they started with robots in June during the heat in Texas.

“At 8 a.m. we pushed all our cows through our 12 robots,” he says. “It was a chore, the initial startupwise, but then the benefits of that are that you rip the Band-Aid off. So then over the course of time, things got progressively easier. It was a learning process for us and then for the cows as well.”

Stoker notes that it’s been a joy to see the cows’ progress, despite the challenging first few days and weeks getting the cows to transition from conventional parlor to robot.

The integration of robotic milking systems is more than a technological upgrade; it’s a catalyst for advancing the dairy industry toward a more sustainable future. By prioritizing data accuracy and cow welfare, these farms serve as exemplary models for others looking to innovate in agricultural practices.

Your Next Read: Maximizing ROI in Dairy Farming with Technology Investments

Machinery News: John Deere Debuts Forage Harvesters, Ecorobotix Lettuce Algorithm, Kubota-Agtonomy Deal

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 15:10:19 GMT

John Deere has announced the launch of new F8 and F9 Series self-propelled forage harvesters, which the manufacturer says are built from the ground up with customer input to elevate forage performance and farm productivity.

Deere says the new F9 Series comes in two engine options — John Deere 18X and Liebherr V12 24L — with five horsepower options ranging from 700PS to 1020PS; the F8 Series comes with the JD14X engine bringing six horsepower options, ranging from 425PS to 645PS.

It also says the new machines offer improved automation with a higher level of comprehensive technology offerings compared with previous models.

The technology options include:

Ground speed automation — Deere also offers this feature on new S7 combines. The manufacturer says it helps maintain ideal load and prevent operator stress by adjusting ground speed in real time based on crop conditions.
ProTouch Harvest — A feature allowing operators to initiate multiple harvest-ready settings with the push of a button, while Active Fill Control ensures consistent truck fills even under the toughest harvesting conditions.

(John Deere)

“A higher-quality forage output with more power, more precision and more uptime, that’s the focus of the new forage harvesters for our customers,” said Bergen Nelson, John Deere go-to-market manager for harvesting equipment. “We’ve combined our strongest hardware with our newest and smartest precision ag technology to create higher-quality forage.”

More information on the new F8 and F9 Series SPFHs is available from a local John Deere dealer or deere.com.

Check out this test drive video from Farmworld_TV!

Specialty crop AI tech startup Ecorobtix unveils lettuce-thinning algorithm

Ecorobotix has announced the launch of its new lettuce-thinning algorithm, expanding the capabilities of its ARA Ultra High Precision (UHP) Sprayer to offer what it claims is one of the most advanced automated thinning solutions on the market.

The new functionality is available to ARA users via a software license.

“We’ve combined the power of AI with the reliability of ARA’s ultra-high precision spraying platform to eliminate one of the most time-consuming and labor-intensive tasks in the field: thinning,” said Katerina Lee, regional crop care manager for Ecorobotix.

Ecorobotix says its algorithm enables users to replace manual labor, grow crops with superior uniformity and cover fields faster than hand-labor crews.

Learn more here.

Kubota-Agtonomy join forces to develop autonomous specialty crop machinery

Kubota North America has announced a collaboration agreement with Agtonomy, an agricultural autonomy software provider, to commercialize autonomous operations on Kubota diesel tractors for spraying and mowing.

Kubota says the partnership reflects its commitment to pioneering solutions and equipping growers with smart technology.

“Our working relationship with Agtonomy represents a significant milestone toward commercializing our vision for autonomy by merging our expertise and technology with Agtonomy’s autonomous platform,” said Brett McMickell, chief technology officer for Kubota North America.

The initial phase of the partnership will focus on integrating Agtonomy’s capabilities with Kubota’s M5N specialty crop diesel tractor.

Learn more about Kubota’s vision for autonomous technology in farming here.

Your Next Read - First of Its Kind: Farmers Reap Yield From Early Tech Investment

Unlock the Secrets to Superior Milk Quality in 2025

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 13:20:58 GMT

At the recent 2025 National Mastitis Council Annual Meeting in Charlotte, N.C., three progressive dairy producers showcased their innovative approaches to enhancing milk quality. Patrick Christian of Christian Hill Dairy LLC in Wisconsin, Peter Gelber of Highbrighton Dairy in Georgia, and Adam Beard of Heglar Creek Dairy in Idaho shared insights into their operations.

Christian Hill Dairy: A Team Approach to Success
Patrick Christian spoke about the operational efficiency at Christian Hill Dairy LLC, where his team of five employees milk in their double-50 parlor.

“The teamwork allows us to maximize our productivity,” Christian says, emphasizing the role of each team member in transitioning between sides of the parlor efficiently.

Multiple expansions, growing from a double-24 to a double-50 as their herd increased, has allowed the farm to produce high-quality milk from their 2,600 cows. They plan to expand their herd to 4,000 head and are commencing the construction of a renewable natural gas (RNG) facility.

“It takes a very dedicated team on the bottom to help with success on the top,” Christian says.

This commitment to teamwork is essential to their operations and future growth. Wisconsin Farmer Combines His Two Loves Together—Education and Dairy

Highbrighton Dairy: Efficient Cow Flow and Focused Labor Utilization
Peter Gelber shares his experience managing Highbrighton Dairy, which houses 13,400 Holsteins milked in multiple parlors, including a 120-stall rotary parlor.

“Our rotary parlor efficiently milks 6,300 cows, yielding 900 cows an hour with an average of 94 lb. per cow,” Gelber explains.

Highbrighton Dairy also has an impressive somatic cell count averaging 75,000.

A strategic approach to managing livestock includes relocating problem cows. Gelber emphasizes the importance of labor, especially when fresh heifers are integrated.

“Labor is crucial, but it’s important not to waste resources on unnecessary personnel,” he says. His message to dairy producers was to ensure top-performing cows remain productive.

Gelber recommends not to getting fixated on one number, like the number of cows you are milking or what your profit per hundredweight is. He challenges everyone, and asks: “Are you firing your top cows because you let them out the door and they got 2 lb. of milk left in them.”

He also says having an extra person without guidance is a waste of money. The Path Forward

Heglar Creek Dairy: Embracing Robotics for Increased Efficiency
Adam Beard describes how Heglar Creek Dairy in Idaho has advanced by adopting robotic milking technology. Since building a second facility with 18 robots, the dairy milks around 1,050 head, up from 1,600 to 1,800 through automation advancements.

“The whole idea of robots is they milk [the cows] themselves,” he remarks, reflecting on the automation’s positive impact on cow management.

While robots present a self-sufficient model, Beard notes the importance of manual operations such as stall cleaning and bedside scraping, scheduling such activities thoughtfully to minimize cow disturbance.

“Our routine is every morning at 6 a.m. on Thursday is to get the cows up and push them to the one side,” he says, “to put compost down, push them through the foot bath and then do the same with the other side. So that’s about two hours in the morning that we have to get the cows up. It’s correlated with the same kind of feed truck that comes through. So, our thought is, well, they’re going to get up to eat then anyways.”

He says Mondays are vet day, and they have to disturb cows for that, but otherwise they try to be mindful about when they do their cow handling.

By introducing systems that streamline processes, such as automated teat dipping, Beard’s operation minimized manual intervention and bolstered cow flow, contributing to maintaining their somatic cell count under 100,000.

These producers illustrate that with dedicated teams, efficient operations and innovative technology, the dairy industry can achieve remarkable quality and productivity.

Your Next Read:
California Dreams: Transformation Through Innovation

From Classroom to Cows: A Kansas Dairy Farmer's Heartfelt Return to Her Roots

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 14:18:15 GMT

Stacy Rethman, the eldest of four children, always found solace on her family’s farm, nestled in the heart of Seneca, Kansas. Even as a child assisting her father with Sunday afternoon milkings, Rethman found a sense of purpose and connection to her heritage. Even if she did not know it at the time.

“I was too short to really help, so my father would duct tape a post dipper to a walking cane and after the cows were milked, I would go up and down the aisle, post dipping cows,” she recalls.

Although Rethman admits saying that growing up she felt like her life calling was to be a teacher instead of a farmer. She loved the classroom, craved learning and the connection of community that teaching brought. She also felt like the life-balance that profession could bring would marry well with her future self.

Stacy Rethman

(Dairy Farmers of America)

A Teacher at Heart
As Rottinghaus Holstein Farm grew from 280 cows to 500 cows, so did Rethman’s life. College took her away from Seneca, an hour-plus south to Washburn University, but her summers still revolved around the rhythms of farm life—feeding calves and taking care of chores.

Returning to Seneca, Kansas, after college, Rethman taught middle school math and science, finding creative ways to make lessons relatable for students with and without farm backgrounds. Her dual experiences enriched her teaching, providing a bridge to the community’s agricultural roots.

“I tried to make my lessons relatable to these kids because a lot of them had a farm background and for those that didn’t, they lived in a community where they knew someone that did,” she said.

Reconnecting with the Land
Despite her passion for teaching, the call of the farm remained strong. Regular visits to her family’s dairy rekindled her love for the cattle and land. She helped her mother feed calves on the weekend and when the world pandemic stirred reflections about life priorities, her father’s suggestion to join the farm full-time resonated deeply.

“I loved being outside when I would help on the farm and felt like I was contributing and helping out when I was there part-ime,” she shares, noting that before the world pandemic hit, she started thinking maybe this was the life for her after all. “Then one day, my dad said, ‘You know you can quit teaching and come work for me full-time.’”

Stacy Rethman

(Dairy Farmers of America)

Embracing Technological Advancement
The second half of the year 2020 marked a pivotal turning point for Rethman. The allure of being a part of the advancing technology and the chance to play a vital role in her family’s tradition of dairy farming spurred her decision to return to the farm full-time. This wasn’t just a return to old roots; it was an embrace of a new approach to dairy farming. The farm once milked all their cows conventionally and in 2019 added four robots and milked cows both in a parlor and via robot. Then in 2023, the farm added four additional robots and now all cows are milked robotically. This is an area that Rethman helps oversee. The transition to robots was smooth and it also brought unforeseen benefits—flexibility around her schedule and more time with her children.

“If I needed to run to an appointment, I easily could,” she says.

Cultivating a Heritage
But really Rethman ‘s return to farming offered her two small children a glimpse into a life rarely experienced by their many other schoolkids—understanding where food comes from and the legacy their family has cultivated. While Rethman didn’t initially envision herself back on the family farm, she now sees it as her life’s setting, planting valuable lessons in her children about hard work, patience, and the rewards of farming.

“They get to witness the life that we’ve built and generations before us have built,” she shares. “It’s a place where they belong and they’ll have the option to come back someday, if they wish.”

Stacy and Cody Rethman

(Dairy Farmers of America)

Rethman wholeheartedly believes that whether her children return to the farm or not, values are being planted.

“Farm life teaches patience and truly understanding that the reward comes after the work is done,” she says. “Life isn’t all instant gratification. For example, we have to patiently wait two years before a calf hits the ground.”

Education, Refashioned
Rethman’s passion for education hasn’t waned; instead, it’s found a new form. Through initiatives with Midwest Dairy and Dairy Farmers of America, she continues to educate others about farming, using data from the farm’s robots to demonstrate the intersection of technology, agriculture and health.

“The idea of making a connection about dairy with people who have never stepped foot on the farm is pretty impactful,” she says.

Rethman shares that the data robots collect is incredibly valuable.

“We can do so much, like see signs of illness in the data before we physically see signs of sickness in a cow through how many minutes a cow is ruminating, how many pounds of milk they are giving per milking, see if a case of mastitis might be happening, again, before the cow is showing signs of being sick,” she shares. “All that data helps us prevent illness just as much as it does to catch it.”

Rethman says all that data wows her as a former math and science teacher, saying: “If I was teaching right now, I’d create some cool lessons plans.”

(Stacy Rethman)

A Journey Back to Her Heart
Reflecting on the roads traveled, Rethman points out that growing up on her family dairy farm, she was taught that gender was no barrier to success.

“I was never made to feel like farming was a man’s job or a women’s job. It was something that we had to do as a family to care for our cows and create a wholesome product,” she shares.

Indeed, this young Kansas dairy farmer’s life has come to embody a balance between the passion for teaching and the fulfillment found in working with the cattle. As she nurtures both her family and the community, Rethman finds herself precisely where she belongs—rooted in the farm that raised her and now raising the next generation.

Your Next Read:
California Dreams: Transformation Through Innovation

4 Tips to Reduce Fetch Cows in Robotic Milking Systems

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 17:37:00 GMT

Robotic milking can be a game-changer for labor efficiency, but it doesn’t totally eliminate hands-on work—especially when it comes to fetching cows. Some cows adapt quickly, while others need more encouragement to visit the robot on their own, adding extra time and effort to your daily routine.

Trevor DeVries, professor and Canada research chair in the Department of Animal Biosciences at the University of Guelph, recently spoke at the Professional Dairy Producers Business Conference in Madison, Wis., where he shared tips to keep cows motivated and reduce the number of fetch cows in robotic systems.

Here are four key takeaways to improve voluntary robot visits:

Keep an Eye out for Sick and Lame cows.
In an automated milking system, keeping cows voluntarily moving to the robots is part of the job. However, sick and lame cows often require extra attention, as they are less motivated to visit the robot on their own.

Lame cows, in particular, pose a significant challenge. Research shows that lame cows have more involuntary milkings and are 2.2 times more likely to need to be fetched compared to healthy cows. Additionally, cows with lameness issues tend to produce less milk. By identifying and addressing lameness early—whether through improved hoof care, comfortable housing, or effective treatment strategies—producers can help ensure cows stay mobile and make regular trips to the robot.

Similarly, sick cows tend to visit the robot less frequently, requiring more frequent fetching.

“A sick or lame cow isn’t going to eat or rest normally—she might rest too much or not enough. And in a robotic system, you see that play out,” DeVries says. “A cow with health issues is less likely to visit the robot voluntarily and more likely to need fetching.”

Catching problems early helps farmers step in before it affects milkings too much. Knowing that sick or lame cows might need extra attention makes it easier to stay ahead of issues and keep the robots running smoothly.

Understand Cow Behavior
Not every cow behaves the same, and that behavior plays a big role in how well they adapt to robotic milking. According to DeVries, a cow’s willingness to visit the robot voluntarily is influenced by a combination of factors—management, housing, genetics, and past experiences. Just like people, some cows are naturally more confident and explorative, while others are more cautious and hesitant.

“We’ve done several studies looking at what we call ‘cow personality,’” DeVries says. “Some cows are more active and curious, while others are shy or fearful. What we’ve found is that more active cows tend to visit the robot more frequently and have higher voluntary milkings, while more fearful cows may struggle.”

Fearful cows, for example, are more likely to kick off units, hesitate to enter the robot, or even miss out on feed if they’re too wary to put their heads down. These cows might need extra encouragement or strategic management to improve their robot performance. There’s also evidence suggesting that early life experiences, such as socialization and exposure to automated systems, can shape a cow’s adaptability later on.

“There’s some speculation that exposing calves to automation early—like automated feeders—could make them more comfortable with robots as adults,” DeVries adds. “It’s not fully proven yet, but it makes sense. The more they’re used to new technology early on, the easier they may adapt later.”

Genetics also plays a role. Studies have shown that traits like milking temperament can be passed down from mother to daughter. If a cow is difficult to manage in the robot, there’s a good chance her offspring might be the same way. Farmers who track cow behavior over generations might notice patterns that help them select for cows that perform better in robotic systems.

Consider Training
If you’re running robots, you’ve probably noticed that some cows take to the system like pros, while others hesitate, resist, or need constant fetching. That’s where training before their first milking can make a big difference. While it might seem like extra work, studies show that getting cows comfortable with the robot ahead of time leads to more voluntary visits, better behavior, and even higher milk production.

“Some farmers think, ‘Why train cows? The whole point of robots is to reduce labor. But what we’ve found is that a little training upfront makes life easier in the long run. If cows are less stressed and more willing to visit the robot, you spend less time fetching them and more time focusing on other tasks,” he notes.

While conducting training might sound like a tedious task, DeVries is a firm believer that getting cows comfortable with the system before their first milking leads to better results.

Don’t Overlook the Feedbunk
When it comes to robotic milking, feed management plays a bigger role than you might think. DeVries notes that cows who eat consistently are more likely to visit the robot on their own, reducing the need for fetching.

“The more often you get feed in front of cows, the more voluntary milkings we see,” he adds.

Frequent feed push-ups and keeping fresh feed available encourage cows to eat smaller, more frequent meals instead of large, irregular ones. This steady intake supports rumen health, keeps cows active, and promotes more even milking patterns. Farms that prioritize feed quality and consistency—whether through automated feeding systems or frequent push-ups—tend to see better results.

“Cows should go to the bunk because they’re motivated, not just because feed was pushed up,” DeVries says. “Prioritizing forage quality and feeding consistency helps drive voluntary robot visits and reduces the need for fetching.”

Smart Farming Requires Smart Management
For DeVries, reducing fetch cows in robotic milking systems comes down to a combination of good management, understanding cow behavior, and keeping cows motivated. By paying close attention to sick or lame cows, recognizing how personality and past experiences shape robot visits, and ensuring fresh feed is always available, producers can encourage more voluntary milkings and cut down on the time it takes to fetch cows.

Your Next Read: How Technology and Activity Monitors Are Improving Dairy Reproduction

Monarch's MK-V Dairy Tractor Rolls Out Autonomous Feed Pushing

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 15:28:35 GMT

Monarch Tractor announces its first-in-class, fully-autonomous Autodrive feature is now commercially available on its MK-V driver-optional dairy tractor (EV or diesel) , according to a press release from the startup.

“Autonomous feed pushing offers value to dairy farmers by improving efficiency and increasing milk production,” says Praveen Penmetsa, CEO and co-founder of Monarch Tractor. “It allows the dairy farmers to focus on what matters most – the health and well-being of their animals.”

Autonomous feed pushing helps dairy farmers manage through labor shortages, and the ability to monitor feed pushing remotely while tending to other critical tasks ensures cows can be consistently fed every hour.

Additionally, the “smart tractor” is armed with Monarch’s Wingspan Ag Intelligence and WingspanAI technology stack , which tracks performance data while 360-degree cameras record video footage for real-time and historical insights. The MK-V Dairy is also a mobile power bank with 12v, 110v, and 220v plugs.

Monarch is hosting an in-person Autodrive demonstration at a working dairy on February 12, at 3 p.m. in Tulare, California, during World Ag Expo. Monarch reps and engineers will be on hand to talk to attendees and give them the opportunity to engage with the tractor. Reservations for the demonstration can be made here.

If you can’t make it to California next week, Monarch says dairy farmers can reach out and set up a demonstration at their farm.

A Farmer Can Dream, Right? Tesla Robots As the Farm Labor Force of the Future?

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 18:24:44 GMT

With a visual form ripped straight from a skin-crawl inducing robot thriller, Tesla’s new AI-bot, Optimus, is eliciting strong reactions from tech advocates and flip-phone touting technophobes.

Let’s indulge our imaginations for just a second and imagine how a farmer could put one of Musk’s $20,000 helper robots to work around the family farm in, say, the year 2040. I use 2040 because, even though the prototypes in the video below look awesome, it turns out the AI behind it needs more work before any farmer would feel safe setting a squad of them loose on the farm.

Our own Clinton Griffiths was also inspired by Optimus’ unveiling. In his upcoming column in the November issue of Farm Journal, Clinton gets right to the heart of the issue, and that’s whether the bots will pan out on the farm?

The real test, he writes, “will be whether it can keep its glossy finish motoring along regardless of whether or not the field is mud-free.”

I couldn’t agree more, Clinton. Serving up fancy drinks during an unveiling party on a glitzy Hollywood film studio lot is one thing. Standing up to all the dust and heat and tough conditions of your average farm or ranch is a different beast altogether.

In that vein, we offer up the following farm chore list Optimus can take over from here on out.

No, seriously Opti, you don’t need our permission. Just go ahead and take care of these few little things every single day for the rest of time, and we’ll be off, I don’t know, fishing at the lake with the kids, rocking on the front porch, or something.

Farm equipment maintenance tech
Director of crop protection jug disposal
Backpack spraying around-the-clock weed warrior
Chief grain bin inspector
Head ladder climber
Irrigation pivot inspector general
Head high in July crop scout
Pig loader and unloader extraordinaire
Master bottle mixer and calf feeder

Now that you’ve read my list, I’m curious how you would use a robot that walks, talks and moves like a real human (and never gets tired, bored or spends 20 minutes staring at its phone) on your farm? or click

Share your robot wish list by clicking the green “Respond Here” button or click here .

Your Next Read: As the Wizard of Yield, Ken Ferrie Reveals His Secrets on Unscripted

On the Lookout for Opportunity

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 17:57:55 GMT

Travel to the southwest tip of Utah Lake, where Bateman’s Mosida Farms LLC is located, and you will not only see the largest dairy in the state, but you will see a bond of brothers and their families who worked extremely hard and who have honed in on innovation and sustainability to better care for their cattle and land. The Bateman family has taken major steps in the last decade to implement innovative growth strategies that provide more sustainability reassurance for the family’s 12,000-cow dairy farm housed on four different sites, 2,000-head of beef with two separate feed yards and 3,500 acres of cropland. All of this has earned Mosida Farms the honor of being named the 2024 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).

Keeping Eyes Open to Opportunity

The Bateman family has not let grass grow under their feet in any shape or form, as they have taken on numerous projects over the last several years.

Operating on the principles of sustainability and animal care that were passed down by previous generations, today Bateman’s Mosida Farms in Mosida, Utah, is owned and operated by the four families of Steve, Brad, Jason and the late Lance Bateman. The farm continues the family mantra of progression; always keeps its eyes open to opportunity.

The Bateman family says that sustainability and efficiency go hand-in-hand when it comes to keeping the family business afloat in the global market.

“Sustainability is important because it is looking with hope to the future,” Brad Bateman says. “What we do matters. It matters for the cows and for the land that we are stewards over. Another piece to being sustainable is profitability. We must be profitable in order to continue this family business for future generations.”

Solar Power

Environmental stewardship has a big role on the farm and the Batemans wholeheartedly believe everything must be sustainable. Since 2013 the Bateman family has also been operating a 600-kW solar array on their dairy operation allowing them to produce clean energy for the dairy, as well as the local community.

“We felt like as a hedge to the future that we would produce a percentage of our electricity here and pull that off the grid and control a portion of our electricity through the solar system,” Jason Bateman said.

The Bateman brothers are reminded of words of advice from their father, who always taught them to look towards the future and try to be progressive.

“Our dad always said you can’t stand still,” Brad recalls. “You always have to be learning, growing, and getting better. He often told us to get out there and learn. Go see how we can improve. This approach has certainly played into our drive for sustainability.”

Growing More with Less

In 2019, Bateman’s began a partnership to start a commercial-scale vertical controlled environment agriculture feed center. The Olympus Tower Farm test facility was only 857 square feet but produced 5,000-6,000 lbs. of sprouted wheat/barley grass per day which is the equivalent of 35-50 acres of conventional farming. This helped provide nutritious fed and improved production, especially in early lactation animals.

However, the Batemans share that unfortunately their partner decided to focus their efforts on other areas and the test facility was shattered.

“We are exploring the possibility of implementing another one in the future because we see great potential,” Brad shares.

Meat Processing Facility

The Batemans decided to diversify and added beef to their offering in 2020. Mosida Farms produces 100 beef calves weekly and those calves are fed and eventually sold in one of the Mosida Market locations.

In 2021, the dairy acquired a meat processing facility, allowing them to vertically integrate their meat production and deliver fresh local meat directly to local consumers. The integration has allowed the operation to grow economically and open a second market location in Provo, Utah.

The family has utilized various genetics to come up with the best beef on dairy cross for their market and Mallary Bateman, Brad’s daughter, shared that so far, the Wagyu cross is the flagship meat in the market.

“Mosida Market was just our family selling beef to our neighbors before it evolved to where it is today,” Mallary shares.

Robot Barn

A labor shortage nudged the Bateman family to put a new, climate-controlled robotic dairy barn that milks 820 cows in 2022. This has allowed the family to reduce labor costs and improve overall efficiency.

“At some point, we plan to implement phase two and add another 16 robots and 1,200 cows to the facility,” Brad shares, noting that several cows consistently produce more than 200 lbs. of milk a day at this facility.

Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan

The dairy also enrolled in Utah’s Agricultural Voluntary Inventive Program in 2022, allowing them to implement a comprehensive nutrient management plan on all 3,500 acres of crop ground that they own and operate. This plan ensures that they are following all State and Federal water quality regulations and helps them protect nearby Utah Lake from excess nutrient loading. Utah Lake is a high-profile lake that is currently impaired for several beneficial uses and is undergoing a water quality study.

Additionally, Batemans are currently in the process of implementing a multi-million-dollar project to expand their waste storage facilities, install a centrifuge to treat their waste stream more effectively and construct earthen structures to further prevent any nutrients or stormwater from entering nearby Utah Lake.

The Batemans believe manure management and storage is important on any dairy farm because of the resources and assets that manure has as a nutrient.

“We feed the cows and process the manure and water that then returns to the ground. This creates an amazing sustainable cycle of nutrients that first goes to the cows, then to the soil, and finally back to the cows,” Brad explains.

Community and Industry Leaders

Looking to the future, the Batemans are committed to educating their community about the importance of agriculture and showcasing the industry in a positive light.

Katie Slebodnik, the Agricultural Voluntary Incentive Program Manager with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food shared in her nomination that Bateman’s stand apart from their peers in countless ways.

“As the largest dairy in the state, many smaller local Utah dairies look to them to pilot new technologies so they can understand their value,” she says. “The Batemans also travel extensively to various states and countries around the world multiple times a year, looking for new practices and technologies to try.”

Mallary Bateman recalls that her family would always get in a car and drive—to Idaho or other states to learn from other dairy producers.

“How can we improve? What can we learn? We always have taken that approach and then turned it around to help others,” she shares. “Vacations always turn into an opportunity to see other dairies that helped enhance our operation.”

Tips to Other Farm

The Bateman family is not only proud of their heritage but also proud of the dairy business they have built for themselves. When looking to the future, they feel blessed that a second generation is working on the farm to help continue the family legacy.

Steve Bateman encourages other producers to provide opportunities for the younger generation to come back to the farm.

“You have to work to make it possible for your kids to continue the business, and get them involved early to keep them there,” he says.

The investment Batemans have put forward to drive their dairies forward in terms of sustainability and profitability is indeed admirable. The Batemans share that there are many ways to do the same thing—not only across the U.S., but across the world.

“Hopefully we can learn from one another to find the best way in each area to do some of the things we do daily,” Brad shares. “An industry goal should be to create enduring family farms that can stand the test of time and truly become sustainable farms.”

How This One Technology Helped a Michigan Farmer Cut His Herbicide Use by 60%

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 22:24:15 GMT

Settled just south of Holland, Mich., it’s always busy on Scenic View Dairy. This time of year, with 2,000 head of cows being milked and a couple thousand acres of crops in the field, it’s bustling more than ever.

“The crops look pretty good this year,” says Brian Geerlings, a partner in Scenic View Dairy. “We got off to a little bit of a slow start with a cooler spring, but we’ve got some heat right now that’s really making crops turn around, and they’re looking good.”

Geerlings says while weather is a challenge year-to-year on the farm, his other biggest challenges as a dairy producer are milk prices and finding enough labor.

“Labor has been a challenge, obviously. It seemed like after the Covid pandemic, we couldn’t get people to work quite as well,” says Geerlings. “The pricing [of milk] has been a challenge. There’s been ups and downs. It’s not a lot of fun when we can’t pay our bills. And that weighs heavy on us when we can’t. So, pricing matters a lot in those situations.”

(Farm Journal)

The reality for dairy producers is milk prices had been below the cost of production for consecutive years. Geerlings says lately prices have turned around, so the dairy side of the business is a little more optimistic.

That’s good news for Scenic View Dairy, because the partners are serious about milking cows and pumping close to 40 million pounds a day. But Geerlings says the operation is much more than a dairy farm. The producers are progressive, proactive and always on the hunt for the best technologies.

“We’ve done several things in the last 20 years,” he says. We’ve put in anaerobic digesters, drones for spraying fields and now this new See & Spray technology with John Deere, that I think have been very valuable. There are other technologies we’ve looked at and passed on either because they didn’t seem to be a good fit for our farm, or they didn’t provide good ROI or a payback.”

Geerlings says they definitely don’t shy away from technology. From turning methane gas into natural gas and putting it in a pipeline, to finding new ways to spray crops, the partners are always looking for ways to become more efficient and are often early adopters of technology.

(Farm Journal)

One of the recent additions to the farm was a sprayer. Instead of buying a new sprayer, the dairy opted for a used sprayer, but added a precision upgrade kit with See & Spray .

“We’re working with some weeds that are herbicide resistant. It’s really no secret that those are out there, and we have a couple that are a problem for us,” he says. “But we really wanted to be able to control costs. The weed isn’t widespread, it’s in certain areas or spots in the field. So to broadcast-spray the entire field would have been very costly.”

He says weed-control programs can cost anywhere from $20 to $30 per acre, but by being able to see and spray only the weeds actually present in a field, the technology is producing a savings even bigger than he imagined would be possible.

“I have a couple of fields that I was spraying last week, and I think we saw 26% of an area applied in one field. And then in another field we sprayed around 43% of it. So, there are fields with the higher weed pressure and some with lower. But in either case, the benefits add up quick.”

He says he’s cut his herbicide use by 60% in some fields, and even more in others.

“We were going to be happy if it was a 50% reduction,” Geerlings says. “We’re pretty much exceeding what we were hoping for, which obviously makes the technology pay even more. It’s really working well for us.”

(Farm Journal)

That herbicide cost savings even caught their local retailer by surprise.

“He showed us some maps and he was at 34% in this one field of applying product. So, he’s saving a significant amount,” says Josh Rabbers, ag sales manager at GreenMark Equipment in Michigan. “I think this is a big game changer for what we’re going to see in the future just to have chemical savings and benefits in just spraying those certain problem spots in the field.”

(Farm Journal)

Geerlings says watching the sprayer work in the field has been impressive.

“It’s amazing that the cameras that are on the booms are seeing weeds that I can’t see as an operator,” he says. “These machines are so wide; nowadays, they are 120-feet wide. From the seat, you have to be able to see 60 feet each direction. And to be able to see weeds that are an inch tall or less at times, you can’t possibly do a good job of spot spraying.”

What he’s been really impressed with is watching the nozzles fire on and off as the camera sees and sprays a weed. And that’s exactly how the technology works. Each camera serves as a set of eyes, finding weeds so small that not even Geerlings or the farm’s sprayer operator can see them.

“It has cameras along the boom, and it’s looking ahead of it and seeing the weed that’s there. It’s spraying product on just the weed there,” Rabbers says.

(Farm Journal)

For a dairy that sits close to Lake Michigan, the savings isn’t just about dollars. Less herbicide use means applications are more environmentally friendly than ever.

“My dad always said farmers were the first environmentalists. So, it really fits with our philosophy of trying to not use more product than we absolutely have to,” Geerlings adds.

Geerlings is seeing solid savings result in dollars and environmental costs, and in the process uncovering even more opportunities on the farm, making Scenic View Dairy truly leading-edge.

Entering the Golden Age of Dairy Robotic Technology

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 15:42:53 GMT

There’s no good way to quantify just how much has changed for dairies since a robot milked its first cow over 25 years ago. And part of the reason for that is the great strides the technology has made in the last two decades.

What began as a method of reducing labor and creating flexibility and consistency has quickly become a revolution in cow comfort, animal welfare and sustainability. “For some, that labor aspect is still getting people to go with robotics,” says Jason French, DeLaval VMS Solution Manager, North America.

“But I think more and more we’re looking at overall animal welfare now. Cows on robots seem to be more relaxed. We’re hearing from farms that are getting longer lifespans from their cows because of that more relaxed, stress-free atmosphere in a robot barn,” French says.

It’s a more thorough understanding of all that’s possible with robotics that has gotten the industry to this point. Dan Meihak, Dairy XL Proposition Specialist for Lely North America describes the evolution: “That first robot was fairly unwieldy. It simply took an ID and milked the cow – not really a lot of information gathered. As we started to create more and more points of measurement on each cow, we’re able to grab more information, which has led us to today with over 160 data points that are read from each cow and each milking unit.”

Industry partners can easily weigh in on management decisions using the data from robotic milking.

(Lely)

“Of course, that’s an unfathomable amount of information for a producer to use. So, we’re trying to create algorithms and support information that points out those cows and what might be unique to them – what might be a point of attention,” Meihak says.

Amy Steinke, Director of Product Management and Marketing for BouMatic, says artificial intelligence (AI) is driving every industry forward – not just dairy. “AI provides our robots with enhanced vision through better algorithms, developed using neural networks and more udder images. This has created a faster-performing machine with fewer failed attaches, lower attach times, just because the machines are able to learn.”

Continued Advancements

“I think the other enhancement as we progress technologically, is going to be additional sensors in the robots. This gives insights into both milk and health monitoring. We’re already detecting proteins, lactose and cell counts, but there’s going to be more milk component data analyzation in the future, whether it be hormone levels or other health indicators. As all of this data is collected, smarter management decisions are then being made, for health, fertility and other parts of the operation. Since this information is localized, farmers have more insights about their cows and their dairy than they did in the past.”

Robotic milking technology gives dairy farmers real-time insight into individual cow health and production.

(DeLaval)

French adds that farmers are the driving force behind manufacturers, like DeLaval, finding new ways to apply and continue improving the technology. “It’s dairy farmers challenging the system a little bit on how they can make it as efficient and cost-effective as possible, and I think that’s what will impact what happens in the future.”

Meihak alludes to a not-so-distant future where management decisions are not only more efficient and informed, but possibly even automated to some degree through the application of AI.

“The information we collect is going to start automating decision-making. That means the software will learn how the user interprets the data, and the user is going to have to engage and record some of the actions they take on those attention cows. The industry is just at the beginning of incorporating these kind of sophisticated AI solutions.

“I think right now, people are understanding that information and that the data is very sensitive. In the future, I can envision a time when the data is telling you what’s wrong with that cow and what you absolutely need to do with her based on past actions you’ve recorded,” Meihak says.

The Gemini Up system from Boumatic Demonstrates the industry standard in robotic milking capability, focusing on the comfort and health of the cow.

(BouMatic)

Steinke describes a research and development process for BouMatic that includes learning about different applications of technology from other industries. She says she sees opportunities for robotic technology to be applied in conventional settings, as well.

“In today’s digital age, dairy producers want insights to better manage their daily operation. Information that we’re starting to gain from a robot, I think is going to replicate over into conventional milking, too,” she says. “So, for example, sensors that can detect certain protein levels in a robot may eventually be added to future conventional milk harvest systems and automation packages.”

Continued Evolution

Looking at the big-picture benefits of robotic milking, French hopes for premiums for milk harvested using robots. “Will processors get to a point where they want their cows and the labor that looks after those cows coming from robotic milking facilities, and could that be a premium in the future? I don’t know if that’s a pipe dream, but I think it’s something that farms would love to have, and I’d like to figure out if it’s possible.”

Pipe dream or not, robotic technology will continue to evolve as long as dairy producers continue to ask “what’s possible?”

24/7 Herd Management Through Automation

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 21:26:29 GMT

Do you ever wish you had a 24-hour herds person who never showed up late, never complained, and picked up on a problem with a cow better than you could?

Well, that’s what automation has done for Jessica Pralle Trimner.

At Miltrim Farms, home to 3,400 cows, technology is the backbone of their operations, featuring 30 milking robots under one roof, along side a 1,400-cow conventional herringbone parlor.

Jessica Pralle Trimner, the dairy manager at Miltrim Farms in Athens, Wisconsin, shares how integrating advanced tech and data-driven practices has revolutionize their dairy operations in Episode 118 on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

“I’m here working with cows and people every day, and I’m grateful for the facilities and the team. We’ve come a long way from the days when teammates didn’t even know how to use Microsoft Word, let alone Dairy Comp software,” Trimner says. “Today, we’re leveraging real-time data to transform transition cow management and empowering employees with data-driven insights.”

Data-Driven Decisions and Technology Integration

Jessica shares how the unique setup at Miltrim Farms, with both a conventional parlor and a robot barn, allows her to gather and utilize a wide range of data. This dual system helps in making accurate decisions, from managing vaccine protocols to optimizing repro programs.

“Technology for us skyrocketed when we built the robot facility in 2019. The collars and sorting gates essentially act as a 24-hour herdsman, alerting us to cows that need attention. We’ve seen benefits in days open reduction and improved cow health, thanks to activity and rumination data,” she adds.

Enhancing Employee Training through Data

Training employees to use tech tools effectively has been a focus at Miltrim Farms. Jessica explains how they’ve managed to get employees up to speed with the available tools, turning data into actionable insights.

She explains, “We all come from different walks of life. And I am forever grateful for my herdsman, Mary. She comes from a 40 cow dairy, you don’t find people who see cows like my parents see cows or my grandpa saw cows, and that’s not something you can train. And so she’s been able to take that and empower her employees down in the robot barn. I throw a lot of my interns with her and right now, it’s very easy for us to get that generation to understand the data before they understand the cow themselves.”

“And that data provides that support back to us, so then they can have that ‘a-ha’ moment when they’re like, I see it, I see this cow, and I understand why you keep talking about what she looks like and not what the report says. To me, that’s one of the biggest things,” Trimner says.

Listen to the entire Uplevel Dairy Podcast, here:

Facility Focus: The Five Musts of Managing Data

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:08:46 GMT

One of the best, not-so-well-kept secrets of today’s successful dairy farms is this: Dive into the data. With technology influencing nearly every aspect of modern operations, managing data on a dairy is crucial for optimizing production efficiency, ensuring animal health and boosting overall farm profitability. But, just like the old saying goes, you can’t manage what you don’t measure.

According to Adam Griffin, Proposition Manager for Digital Farming at Lely North America, mastering the intricacies of data management has become a vital role in today’s operations. By effectively managing data, farmers can make better-informed decisions, track performance metrics and identify areas for improvement. He provides the following tips when it comes to managing metrics on the farm:

1. Do Your Homework – “One of the first things a farmer should do before investing in technology is taking the time to do their homework,” Griffin says. “This involves understanding the pros and cons of different systems, consulting with other producers who have already integrated similar technologies, and working with consultants to determine which systems will be the best fit for their specific needs.”

2. Have Good Wi-Fi – While not every piece of technology used on the farm requires Wi-Fi, having a strong internet connection is crucial for effective data management.

“Many of today’s systems either store or operate in the cloud. This means you and your key stakeholders need reliable internet access to retrieve that information. Additionally, there are a number of farm solutions that utilize mobile apps to work around the farm operation that benefit from strong Wi-Fi/Cellular coverage” Griffin says. “Although internet access has improved in rural communities, it remains limited. Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure your internet provider can deliver the connection you need.”

3. Keep Up with the Updates – Technology is great when it works, but incredibly frustrating when it doesn’t. One way to ensure systems are working efficiently and effectively is to stay current on system updates.

“It’s incredibly important to stay on top of these updates,” Griffin emphasizes. “Think of it like a tractor or skid loader – it has to be maintained regularly in order for it to work optimally. Same with these systems. If you miss an update or two, it doesn’t take long for it to create a weak link. And when these weak links break, they can cause a lot of downtime and headaches not only for the farmer, but for the consultants as well. Treat these systems as any other piece of farm equipment and make sure they are maintained regularly.”

4. Backup Your Storage - “One of the biggest musts when it comes to managing data is making sure your information is backed up,” Griffin says. “You never know when a piece of technology is going to shut down on you, so it’s important to have that information backed up so you can access it later on.”

Griffin recommends storing information in a cloud-based system whenever possible and collaborating with your system provider to ensure proper data storage.

“With the volume of today’s farm data and the value of that information- storage is not something to take lightly anymore,” he adds.

5. Keep Data Secure – “Just like backups, data security is becoming increasingly important,” Griffin says. “We’re living in a connected world where everything is available online.. And while that can make things more convenient, it also opens the door to new risks.”

With the value of farm information increasing and more operations capitalizing on automation, Griffin says the need for high-level data security is growing.

“Make sure your information is in the right hands,” he adds. “Keep passwords private, only allow authorized people access to on-farm computers, collaborate closely with your system providers and consider investing in additional software for enhanced security measures.”

For more Facility Focus stories, read:

Female Empowerment is Strong at Miltrim Farms

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 17:00:00 GMT

Growing up with a long line of strong women, Jessica Pralle-Trimner does not back down from hard work and wholeheartedly believes women play an integral role on dairy farms across the U.S. The Wisconsin dairy farmer notes that many young dairy females grew up working alongside their fathers on the farm, but right beside them, have always been the mothers, who generally were the family caretakers, but also helped with calves, breeding charts, financials, and other important areas of the dairy. Pralle-Trimner’s childhood dairy farm was no exception.

“We expanded my family’s dairy operation when I was young and I got to see both my parents persevere through a lot of different challenges and learn from each other,” she says. “My parents both came from strong farm families and were always out in the barn and just constantly working together.”

As a sixth-generation family dairy farm, Pralle-Trimner shares that her great-grandmother managed the cows at the dairy and did all the breeding, feeding and milking.

“My great grandpa oversaw the crops,” she says, sharing that she is very proud of her roots and says that she went to school with a lot of women who are now back running a dairy or working as manager on their home dairy or another dairy. “Strong females are all around us.”

Today, Pralle-Trimner, and her husband, David Trimner, along with Andy and Jenny Miller, own and operate Miltrim Farms in central Wisconsin, home to 3,200 cows and 5,500 acres.

Female Force

Miltrim Farms has 50 full-time employees to help care for all the crops and livestock, with 30 of them working on the dairy side and more than half of their employees being female.

“Many of them are in managerial roles,” Pralle-Trimner says. “For example, the manager of our robot barn is a woman.”

With more females stepping up in roles all over agriculture, Pralle-Trimner says that the women she works with are humble, hard-working and play a lot of roles on her farm.

“They’re nurturing and thorough, they see the little things that make a big difference,” she says.

Miltrim Farms

The Miltrim Farms cows are milked one of two ways - 1,400 cows are milked in a double-24 herringbone parlor and 1,800 are milked by one of 30 robots. The decision to go robotic was led by Pralle-Trimner’s husband, David, who conducted a lot of research and truly is a numbers guy.

“He loves to see, collect and analyze data,” Pralle-Trimner shares, noting that when they began adding robots in 2020, there was big uncertainty circling around labor.

Keeping an eye on sustainability, especially with water conservation, also made a robotic facility attractive for those in charge at Miltrim Farms.

“Our family is very conscious of conservation of our land and water resources,” Pralle-Trimner says. “To do so we monitor all the moving parts in-and-out of the dairy. This helps us make calculated decisions when looking at new improvements and reviewing previous ones all across the dairy.”

The Milk Haus

Despite being in a rural area, Miltrim is noticing a growing disconnect in the consumer’s perception of ag. With their farm only located a mile and a half outside of town, they are conscious that trucks – whether that is milk trucks or manure tankers – are passing through.

“We want to provide a positive image of dairy to our community,” Pralle-Trimner says, noting the need to share their dairy story with others, despite living in North Central Wisconsin, the No. 1 dairy cow area in Wisconsin.

With a sincere passion for sharing their dairy story with others, Miltrim created a space that allows for business and education, called the Milk Haus.

“Milk Haus was brought into the equation after we completed the robot facility to extend the conversations around cows and technology. This space allows our neighbors as well as others to enjoy watching cows just be cows,” she says, noting that they have an event center that the public can rent out. The future potential of what this space looks like is endless.

Natural Role Model

When consumers visit Miltrim Farms, they’re not only able to see that the cows are well cared for, but also see a lot of females working together and a farm that has leaned into adopting technology to help care for their cattle.

Pralle-Trimner shares that she grew up going to board meetings with her mom, and she said that most times she was the only woman at the table.

“Farming has always been a partnership whether husband and wife, or father and daughter. All-important conversations were had as a family team, most may have been had around the dinner table. However, women have always had a voice and an impact and as our industry has evolved, we see more females leading fearlessly in their local communities, and on board of directors,” she says.

Pralle-Trimner oversees everything that has either two or four legs, meaning all the cows and employees. She says many of her roles growing up on her family’s dairy farm and being involved with sports, along with Junior Holstein Association, 4-H and FFA, not only played important roles for her, but also gave her the opportunity to learn how to speak up and get involved.

“Most of my day is really just engaging with employees and figuring out how I can help them with their job,” she shares, stating that she feels fortunate to have grown up with so many mentors and she wants to provide mentorship to her employees, too.

“Our employees are kind of like calves, they are the future of our farm, so it’s important for us to cultivate a positive work environment,” she says. “I like to tell our employees they are superheroes providing food for the 98% who don’t farm.”

What Should You Financially Consider Before Investing in Technology?

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:03:03 GMT

From rumination collars and parlor monitoring systems, to cameras and robotic milking, technology advancements can be seen all across dairies in the U.S.

With financial challenges facing dairy farms, Curtis Gerrits, senior animal ag lending specialist for dairy with Compeer Financial, says it is essential for producers to evaluate how these technology investments impact their farm’s overall financial position when reviewing business updates and opportunities.

“In today’s world, evaluating financial metrics is crucial due to rising costs, global supply and demand dynamics, narrow profit margins and ongoing market volatility,” he says.

Gerrits offers the following tips for producers to consider before making significant capital purchases for their farm.

Return on Assets: To investigate any major capital purchase, start by determining the return on the assets (ROA) for your operation. Calculate ROA by adding the operation’s net income plus interest and then divide it by the average of total farm assets. As capital investment costs rise, understanding the financial impact and return on investment is vital. Establish a business threshold for ROA, such as greater than 8%, for consistent measurement across all capital purchases. If the calculated return is less than 5%, proceed with caution, as the capital could be better used elsewhere in your business.
Balance Sheet – Post Purchase: After a significant purchase, complete a “post-purchase” balance sheet to evaluate your expected net worth and owner’s equity. Larger capital purchases often lower overall owner equity, so understanding this impact is important. Aim for a “post-purchase” owner’s equity of 50% or greater, providing flexibility to mitigate marketplace volatility by leveraging assets as needed.
Liquidity: Evaluate your liquidity position, particularly cash or line of credit availability, when making a capital purchase. Considering the importance of liquidity in the global agriculture environment, use caution when deploying cash for such purchases. Assess where your ending cash/liquidity will be after the purchase to ensure financial stability for production agriculture operations.
Other Areas of the Business: When considering the capital purchase, review its potential impact on other aspects of your business. Will the asset improve labor efficiency and reduce costs? Is it replacing an existing asset, reducing repairs, updates or supply usage? Alternatively, could the new asset increase expenses due to being unfamiliar to your operation? Consider the expected life span of the investment and understand its complete impact on profitability.
Insurance Consideration: Before making a large capital purchase, assess the insurance coverage on the asset. Given recent volatility in the insurance market, especially for technologically advanced agricultural equipment, review replacement costs, premiums and your insurance carrier’s position on the asset. Ensure proper insurance coverage to mitigate additional capital outlays in the event of damage or loss.

8 Additional Tips

Independent dairy financial consultant, Gary Sipiorski, says technology will continue to advance and come to us. He recommends producers think of these considerations before making a purchase.

Research the information with sales reps and on the internet.
Talk with your trusted service people such as veterinarian, lender, equipment people, milk field person etc.
Remember the old cliché - it is okay to be on the leading edge but be careful not to be on the bleeding edge.
Go and see is a must. Talk with producers who are using the technology. Technology in general is expensive and mistakes are costly.
Do a business plan with family and key employees to get their input.
Do a projected cash flow with realistic figures.
Match the useful life of the technology with the loan amortization.
More than likely the money will have to be borrowed. Lender buy is important.

Finally, Sipiorski says to keep emotions out of the decision, as technology investments must be a business decision and “not just a want.”

To Read More on Dairy Technology:

"Boring" Technology Will Reshape Dairy Over the Next 10 Years

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 17:18:21 GMT

Do you remember the last time a technology excited you? Excited you so much you gaped your mouth in astonishment? For me, this happened when I first drove a car with adaptive cruise control, typed a question into Chat GPT, and streamed a movie on my TV. However, as time wore on, these all became common day experiences. This is the curse of technology. It becomes boring very quickly. Is this bad? In my eyes, boring technology is good technology. Once a technology becomes a boring experience it means it has become proven, well-adopted, and easy to utilize. As I see it, there are three boring technologies silently shaping the industry – sort gates, forage harvesters, and mechanical ventilation.

Sort Gates

Sort gates are not new, not sexy, and not exciting. However, there are very few new dairies built without sort gates as part of the cattle management system. Sort gates have the amazing capability to bring cows to you. Sort gates bring cows to the herd manager versus the herd manager finding the cows. With this, a single herd manager can exponentially increase his productivity with less time walking finding cows, and more time treating, breeding, or checking cows. Sort gates have become far more efficient and dependable and have allowed for the scalability of cow management.

Forage Harvesters

Self-propelled forage harvesters are not new, not sexy, and not exciting. Well, maybe a little sexy. As a nutritionist, it is my job to annoyingly remind my clients of the importance and impact of forage quality. In the pursuit of high-quality forage, nothing has been as impactful as large, self-propelled choppers. With forage, timing is everything. Big choppers have increased the capacity and speed at which we can execute forage harvesting. This allows us to sneak between rain windows, catch drying corn silage, and build and seal forage piles quickly. Dairies would not be nearly as productive, healthy, or large without these machines.

Ventilation

Mechanical ventilation is not new, not sexy, and not exciting. By mechanical ventilation, I am referring to cross-ventilated or tunnel-ventilated dairy barns. Anywhere you go around the world, these structures are popping up. Once just thought to be a tool for cow cooling or air quality, mechanical ventilation has changed the way we build and manage dairies. Mechanical ventilation has assisted in cow cooling and comfort in many climates. These ventilation systems allow for barns to become larger and concentrate cows closer to parlors. This, in turn, has allowed for easier cow movements, lower construction costs, and improved cow performance.

As we look forward to the next 10 years in the dairy industry, it is not the new, sexy, and exciting technology that will reshape how we do things. It will be the old, ugly, boring technology that allows us to work more efficiently, increase our cow performance, and scale our businesses.

For more on Smart Farming, read:

What to Consider Before Adopting New Technology

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:25:00 GMT

The availability to implement technologies on dairy farms has skyrocketed in the past 10 to 15 years. The volume of products and the data they provide can be tough to sort through. Considering the following points can help you decide to adopt a technology more easily.

How Technology Fits on the Farm

Determining where the farm may need help is a good place to explore technology use. However, technology adoption should not be considered a band-aid to fix a problem. Proper management protocols should be in place before technology adoption. If a farm is adopting a technology to help with heat detection but lacks overall reproductive management, they should not expect to see increases in reproductive performance.

How the Technology Works

No two technologies or companies are the same. Technologies can differ in everything from how data is collected (Wi-Fi, RFID) to interfaces used to interpret the data. Before choosing a technology, farmers should know their strengths and limitations when working with technologies. Some technologies can provide straightforward reports or alerts explaining what needs to be done, while others may require a specific interpretation of the results.

Companies also differ in many ways. Installation and updates with the technology can be a very involved process. Farmers should be sure the lines of communication with a company are open both ways. Ease of customer service, training, and technical support need to be considered when choosing a company/technology to work with.

How Benefits Outweigh Costs

Technologies may also differ in cost structure. Some may only require the purchase of the equipment and tags. Others may be a subscription-based plan. Before adopting, try to fully understand all the costs of purchasing and maintaining the technology. The learning curve for adoption should also be considered in the cost.

Benefits are more challenging to estimate and must be specific to each operation’s goals. Performance indicators are only a piece to evaluate. Farmers should also consider how adopting the technology may impact their time management and opportunity costs.

Technology adoption is a great way to collect data to make more informed decisions. A few of the considerations that should be made before choosing the right technology is how the technology fits, works, and costs. Technologies are not one size fits all. Adoption should meet the goals of the farm.

For more on Smart Farming, read:

Robotic Technology Helps These Dairies Become Better

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 21:41:25 GMT

Farm Journal’s Smart Farming Week is an annual week-long emphasis on innovation in agriculture. The goal is to encourage you to explore and prioritize the technology, tools and practices that will help you farm smarter. Innovation today ensures an efficient, productive and sustainable tomorrow.

Dairying is a lot of work and it’s a 365 day a year job, so dairy producers are always looking for ways to streamline tasks on the farm. As Michelle Rook found, smart farming is also helping take dairy operations to new heights of productivity.

The United States dairy industry has long been a leader in technology and smart farming, and the newest chapter is robotics.

Drumgoon Dairy added robots in 2021 as part of their third farm addition in South Dakota. Drumgoon East is home to 20 robots milking about 1,470 cows. Several factors pushed the Elliott’s to make the investment.

“Labor is becoming harder to come by, more expensive and the willingness for people to stand and do some of the jobs that are traditional on dairy farms is probably less and less,” Rodney Elliott, owner, Drumgoon Dairy, located in Lake Norden, South Dakota, says.

Plus, when you remove the human element, cows can be milked more uniformly any time of day.

“So, for me the robot is about consistency, the robot does its job very well, very thorough very consistent. It does the same job at the end of a 12-hour shift as it does at the start of a 12-hour shift.”

For the cows a big advantage of a robotic system is milking is voluntary.

“So, it’s the cows choice when she wants to go and get milked. We’re not telling her it’s her choice when she wants to go.”

And the cows get milked in a quiet, stress-free environment three to four times a day at peak lactation, while eating a individually designed ration, production also increases.

“Here every cow is identified as an individual and to the degree they want to they can feed them a certain amount of pellets, they can determine the number of times she can be milked in a day.,” says Don Mayer, District Manager at DeLaval.

“The cows get milked very efficiently. Our cows are less than six minutes in the box and so they don’t spend more than 20 minutes of their day. The rest of their day they can eat, use the brushes, lay in the sand beds. And so, we will have more milk and I think our cows will last longer,” Elliott adds.

At every milking the robots also collect health and production data.

“They’re gathering a ton of information on that cow. I mean when the cow comes in and is identified and each one of the quarters the milk that is harvested is weighed and recorded, the conductivity of the milk so the quality of the milk is measured,” Mayer says.

At Drumgoon, they’ve also added automation in areas outside the milking parlor.

“Robots pushing up the feed, automatic scrappers, scraping the manure. We try to use as much automation in this barn as we can,” Elliott says.

In Wisconsin, Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy and Hilltop Farm are also using smart farming technology including for heat detection. A system built by ParlorBoss and SenseHub work together in the rotary to identify cows coming into heat while they’re milking.

“If you look at the TV screen above, for example, this might show us if a cow is due for vaccination today, or if a cow is due to be inseminated today, because she’s a heat, that information will be there,” says Dr. Don Niles DVM at Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy and Hilltop Farm.

That’s taken headlock time from 5 to 6 hours a day down to just 4 to 5 hours per week.

“Years ago we used to put every single cow in the headlock, we would have to scan every cow, take a look at their temperatures. And then give a cow an exam. Now we’re utilizing the SCR system to identify the cows that need attention so we can reduce the headlock times only treat the cows that we need. And then let everybody else go. So, it’s less stress on our fresh callers by having the system,” says Chris Szydel, Manager at Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy and Hilltop Farm.

Out in the barn, temperature control systems also help optimize temperature, keep cows cool and fly free.

Smart farming technology that’s all in the name of cow comfort, efficiency and productivity.

For more on Smart Farming, read:

Robotic Technology is a Long-Term Investment, But Potentially a Great One

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Farm Journal’s Smart Farming Week is an annual week-long emphasis on innovation in agriculture. The goal is to encourage you to explore and prioritize the technology, tools and practices that will help you farm smarter. Innovation today ensures an efficient, productive and sustainable tomorrow.

Dairy producers have carved out time in the first 60 days of the New Year to catch up on bookwork and have had conversations with their lenders and other team members to help determine the next steps for their operations. According to Chad Huyser, president of Lely North America, 2024 is unlikely to be a banner year for dairy, as producers are still wading through some of the uncertainties like interest rates and what is to come from the Farm Bill to determine their operation’s next steps.

“We just need to get some stability and clarity around those things so that producers and bankers and everybody else who’s around the kitchen table with our producers have a little bit more confidence to be able to make more mid to long term type decision,” Huyser says, noting that is where bigger capital investment, likes robots, are made.

Huyser says he and his Lely team try to determine what the long-term goal is of the farm because often the move to integrate new technology investments happen over a series of meetings. He shares their clients are visionary in terms of looking to the future to figure out how they are going to milk cows, as well as feed cows, in the years to come.

“Often the question that we get isn’t so much about if they want to do this [invest in big technology], the question is more of when,” he says, sharing that lenders are conversing with producers on different financial situations.

According to Curtis Gerrits, senior animal ag lending specialist for dairy with Compeer Financial, it is essential for producers to evaluate how these changes impact their farm’s overall financial position when reviewing business updates and opportunities.

“In today’s world, evaluating financial metrics is crucial due to rising costs, global supply and demand dynamics, narrow profit margins and ongoing market volatility,” he says.

Rate of Technology Adoption

The conversation of introducing automation to an operation helps alleviate what Huyser says are psychological challenges that dairy farmers face.

“Do I have enough people to continue to milk cows or even feed cows,” he says. “There is that kind of undertone that’s been there for a while.”

2023 was a record-setting year for Lely, showcasing significant growth that Huyser says reflects producers, in general, growing to accept technology.

“More producers are understanding and making that next step into investing in some form of technology because they do see the financial benefits,” he says, noting the trend was hard to predict how fast it would transpire. “I think it’s safe to say that across all of agriculture, if you look at the amount of investment from all manufacturers introducing different and various forms of technology, whether that’s in the cab of a tractor or chopper, or even inside the barn when you look at how we’re feeding cows, milking cows or handling the nutrients streams that are coming out of these barns… it’s honestly a pretty significant curve. The rate of technology adoption is moving in a very positive direction.”

According to Huyser, this is where long-term optimism lies, as Lely can look beyond the short-term bumps the dairy economy is currently showing.

“Fundamentally, if you forecast in longer periods, you can see a reason to be excited and see an opportunity out ahead of us,” he says. “That doesn’t mean it doesn’t take hard work.”

Help from Legislation

In the past, often when dairies would take on additional debt, lenders would recommend adding cows to produce more milk to help offset that cost. Today, this isn’t an option for many producers, as many processors don’t currently need additional milk.

For Lely, they go back to their vision ‘sustainable, profitable and enjoyable future in dairy farming.’ With any investment in new technology, a dairy needs to see a return on this investment. If dairy producers cannot produce more milk to offset the cost, these returns need to be supported in other areas. This is where recent legislation in some states can help. Huyser says the need for more conversations with legislators can help educate and ultimately support producers to reap the benefits of adopting technology that in normal financial modeling may be out of their reach. “We want producers to see a path forward in dairy,” he says.

The Iowa Legislature authorized the grant program during the 2023 legislative session with the intent of helping smaller dairies and farmers increase on-farm dairy processing, reduce labor costs, and expand the selection of Iowa dairy products. The highly competitive grant will match up to $100,000 per project.

“I was happy to see the state of Iowa lead the wayward with this bill,” Huyser says. “I’m a firm believer in fact, partnerships supporting investment in technology at the state level and/or even federal level can help dairy farmers connect with those types of resources both in terms of financial incentive as well as supporting dairy’s sustainability efforts. It is a win-win for all.”

For more on Smart Farming, read:

He Started Out as a Milker Nearly 30 Years Ago. Now, He's the Manager and a Leader in Technology at Wisconsin's Largest Family-Owned Dairy

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 20:48:46 GMT

2023 Milk Business Leader in Technology Award Winner – Chris Szydel

It’s another busy day at Pagels Ponderosa Dairy in Kewaunee, Wis.

“We try to make everything as comfortable for our people and for our animals as possible,” says JJ Pagel, CEO of Pagel Family Businesses.

This is a mantra the family has been following since the early days of the operation.

“In 1946, our grandfather returned from World War II and him and our grandma borrowed some money from a neighbor and started (the farm) with eight cows, some pigs and some chickens,” JJ says.

Today, the family milks thousands of cows across multiple locations. And technology is a big part of their day-to-day.

“Our dad and our grandfather were both very aggressive when using technology,” JJ adds.

Veterinarian Don Niles, head of dairy operations at Pagel Family Businesses, has worked with the Pagels since 1983.

“I love standing up here on the platform watching the rotary go around and seeing the cows getting milked and chewing their cud. Anytime a cow is just standing there relaxed and chewing her cud you know she is feeling good. And that makes you feel good,” says Dr. Don Niles, head of dairy operations at Pagel Family Businesses.

“John and I would start traveling around the country to go look at dairies, equipment and other things we might utilize to modernize our dairies here in Kewaunee county,” Don adds.

From the beginning, the goal and the dream of John Pagel was to be the best.

“We wanted to grow and we wanted to make our farm one of the top in the country. So, what we did is we learned from the best people in the industry to do the best job we could do to take the best care of our cows,” said John Pagel in 2017 when he was a finalist for the Top Producer of the Year.

One year later, John and his son-in-law, Steve Witcpalek, along with an airplane pilot, were lost in a plane crash in Indiana. While John is no longer here, his vision for the farm and his family lives on.

“The one thing John helped to teach us and that we are able to carry on is putting the cows first and taking the best care of the cows that we can,” says Chris Szydel, herd manager and this year’s Milk Business Leader in Technology award winner.

Szydel joined Pagels Ponderosa as a nighttime milking technician in 1995. A decade later, he was promoted to herd manager and now manages both the Pagel Ponderosa and Hilltop Farm dairies, overseeing three different parlors and 65 employees.

“Anything that will reduce stress and make [the cows] more comfortable is the key for us,” Szydel says.

That means reducing headlock times, giving cows more time to walk and lay down, utilizing comfortable flooring, rubber mats and clean bedding.

“In the past, we would have people outside to separate the cows that [needed attention.] Now [we have] sort gates and can type into Dairy Comp system, that talks to SCR which talks to the sort gates, and we’re able to automatically separate the cows that we need,” Szydel says.

A system built by Parlor Boss and SenseHub work together in the rotary to allow the team to perform many herd management tasks while the cows are being milked.

“When we started with the SCR collar technology, within three weeks Chris said, ‘Alright JJ, we’re getting rid of spray paint.’ I was like, let’s not get the cart before the horse. And he said, ‘It’s the only way we’ll know if it works,’” Pagel recalls.

“The technology is doing a great job of letting us know which cows need attention,” Szydel says. “If a cow is coming into heat, the technology lets us know that. If a cow is not feeling well, the technology is going to let us know that. And it gives us the information in real time.”

Out in the barn, temperature control systems help optimize temperatures to help keep cows cool and fly free.

“We have people from all over the country and all over the world that come here, and we like to help educate the people that stop by the dairy and let them know what’s working for us and what isn’t. We try to be honest with them and share the technology,” Szydel says.

Constantly looking at technology in other industries is also helping the team to innovate. They recently implemented a pulse, needle-free injector from the swine industry. They looked at wastewater treatment plants in city municipalities. They also tried a bedding dryer from the sawmill and wood industry.

“It’s very, very cool to see as hard as the guys and gals on Chris’ team work to see them get recognition for all the things they do. Because for the hundred things they do right, there’s always some things that happen and go wrong. But they’re always willing to put themselves out there and try, and they go all in,” Pagel says.

“When we do the work day-in and day-out, you tend to think that it becomes pretty routine. But when we have opportunities like this and receive an award, it tells you that it’s special here,” Niles adds.

Pagels Ponderosa is indeed a special place with a special bond. And they’re willing to attempt the unknown.

“I see a little bit of John in everything that goes on here still,” Niles remarks.

Congratulations to Chris Szydel and the team at Pagels Ponderosa Dairy, winners of the 2023 Leader in Technology Award.

For more on the MILK Business Conference Award winners, read:

Cows Have Personalities, Too

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 00:31:55 GMT

Remember the class bully whom everybody feared and disliked, and didn’t do well in school? Or the sweet cheerleader who got along with everyone, and sailed through one achievement after the next?

Research is proving that, just like your high-school classmates, cows have distinct personalities. Anyone who works with cows regularly is bound to have “favorite” and “least favorite” animals based on their dispositions. Those personality traits appear to influence behaviors that can affect their health, well-being, and productivity.

On a recent episode of the “Dairy at Guelph” podcast, Professor of Animal Biosciences Dr. Trevor DeVries described the work he and his team at the University of Guelph have been doing to tease out the intricacies between cattle personality, behavior, and adaptation to automated milking systems (AMS).

With approximately 20% of all Canadian dairy farms now milking with robots, DeVries said cows’ ability to adapt to and embrace those systems is becoming increasingly important.

When it comes to human personalities, DeVries said, “you and I might think, ‘we’re just like our parents.’ There are things that are impressed upon you when you are young that are going to carry through.” He noted there might also be genetics that are driving behavior differences.

Through their research, DeVries and his team sought to classify cows according to their behavior by measuring their individual responses to novel objects and people. They then observed how cows with different personality classifications behaved using the AMS.

One interesting finding was that timid and fearful cows tended to not use their entire feed allowance in the robot – either because they didn’t visit as frequently, did not put their heads down to trigger feed allocation, or both.

That finding alone is a critical element, because DeVries said a unique benefit of robotic milking systems is the ability to precisely deliver customized rations to individual cows, based on factors such as parity, production level, and stage of lactation.

Feeding more accurately can lead to environmental impacts due to less waste, nutrient excretion, and gas expulsion. Delivering more energy to early lactation cows could potentially prevent metabolic problems and boost lactation performance. And strategically dialing rations down at dry-off could protect udder health and improve cow welfare.

Those nutritional benefits could be optimized by cows who readily embrace the robot.

DeVries acknowledged that assessing individual personalities is not practical on-farm, but his team is using the personality information to drive both “nurture and nature” decision-making, with the goal of creating a larger population of cows whose personalities correspond positively to robot use.

“We may be able to set up management systems early in life that might shape cows’ personality or behavior,” said DeVries. He noted other researchers are exploring whether early life exposure to technologies like automated milk feeders influence calves to use AMS systems more readily when they become adults.

In terms of heritability of behavior traits, DeVries cited recently published data from his team that examined the behavior profiles of cows and their female offspring. “It’s very preliminary work, but we did detect some positive associations between the behavior profiles of those two groups of cows,” shared DeVries.

He noted that, just as temperament in the milking parlor has been used as a selection tool for years, other behaviors may be prioritized to create the cows with personalities that are best suited to robotic milking.

Robotics

Fighting Mastitis with the Help of Robots and Smart Technology

Clean Cows Still Matter Most

How Robots Detect Mastitis Earlier

How to Interpret Alerts

What to Do When the Robot Flags a Cow

Blending Management with Technology

Why Dairy Producers Say Robotic Milking is the Key to Quality of Life

The High-Tech Transformation of a Dairy Visionary

A Robotic Revolution in Dairy Farming: Ned-Tex Dairy's Journey

A Real Conversation About Enhancing Dairy Farm Efficiency with Precision Management

Robotic Milking Success: It’s More About the Management Than the Technology

Tune In To Your Herd

Do Trained Heifers Really Perform Better With Robots?

Embracing Innovation: How Robotics Are Transforming Large Dairy Farms

The Bold Transition

Data-Driven Decisions

Labor, Efficiency and Cow Welfare

Challenges and Maintenance

Machinery News: John Deere Debuts Forage Harvesters, Ecorobotix Lettuce Algorithm, Kubota-Agtonomy Deal

Unlock the Secrets to Superior Milk Quality in 2025

From Classroom to Cows: A Kansas Dairy Farmer's Heartfelt Return to Her Roots

4 Tips to Reduce Fetch Cows in Robotic Milking Systems

Monarch's MK-V Dairy Tractor Rolls Out Autonomous Feed Pushing

A Farmer Can Dream, Right? Tesla Robots As the Farm Labor Force of the Future?

On the Lookout for Opportunity

Keeping Eyes Open to Opportunity

Solar Power

Growing More with Less

Meat Processing Facility

Robot Barn

Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan

Community and Industry Leaders

Tips to Other Farm

How This One Technology Helped a Michigan Farmer Cut His Herbicide Use by 60%

Entering the Golden Age of Dairy Robotic Technology

24/7 Herd Management Through Automation

Facility Focus: The Five Musts of Managing Data

Female Empowerment is Strong at Miltrim Farms

Female Force

Miltrim Farms

The Milk Haus

Natural Role Model

What Should You Financially Consider Before Investing in Technology?

8 Additional Tips

"Boring" Technology Will Reshape Dairy Over the Next 10 Years

Sort Gates

Forage Harvesters

Ventilation

For more on Smart Farming, read:

What to Consider Before Adopting New Technology

How Technology Fits on the Farm

How the Technology Works

How Benefits Outweigh Costs

For more on Smart Farming, read:

Robotic Technology Helps These Dairies Become Better

For more on Smart Farming, read:

Robotic Technology is a Long-Term Investment, But Potentially a Great One

Rate of Technology Adoption

Help from Legislation

For more on Smart Farming, read:

He Started Out as a Milker Nearly 30 Years Ago. Now, He's the Manager and a Leader in Technology at Wisconsin's Largest Family-Owned Dairy

2023 Milk Business Leader in Technology Award Winner – Chris Szydel

For more on the MILK Business Conference Award winners, read:

Cows Have Personalities, Too

For more on herd health, read:

He Started Out as a Milker Nearly 30 Years Ago. Now, He’s the Manager and a Leader in Technology at Wisconsin’s Largest Family-Owned Dairy

BVDV-Resistant Calf Created Through Gene Editing

The Microbiome: The Next Big Frontier in Cattle Improvement

Liver Biopsies Can Reveal Nutrition-Health Links

6 On-Farm Priorities to Help Drive Success This Year

Are You What’s Standing in the Way of Pain Mitigation?