Barns & Equipment

In our previous article in the Feb. 7, 2019 issue of Progressive Dairyman, we discussed the history of milk filters and their importance in the milking process (Milk filters: The unsung hero of successful milking outcomes).

Parlor expectations have changed. The goal of milking cows the best we can remains: to milk them safely, gently, quickly and completely. But the need for efficiency has changed how we milk cows, the number of cows we strive to milk per hour and how we approach milking labor.

Scalability gives a certain level of flexibility to the way a farm can grow with robots, giving the producer a clear picture of what to expect throughout the path they choose, as well as how they can cash-flow the changes. We’ll demonstrate this using the context of a large herd robotic milking facility design planned for multiple phases of future expansion.

From a young age, Dean Swager has been an innovative farmer, thinking of ways to make improvements both large and small for the benefit of his cattle, his time and the milk and meat he produces.

With all the things going on around your dairy, have you ever thought about whether cows actually like being milked? How would you know if they were happy or unhappy with the milking process?

In the sandy soils of Wisconsin’s Northwoods sits the old sawmill city of Antigo.