Management

Robotic milking systems are not for every operation. As we’ve written about previously, some of the original assumptions the industry had about the types of labor savings dairy robots would bring haven’t panned out. And for many operators, the investment is simply too steep.

The more time we spend following the right fresh cow protocols, the better the young cows will perform throughout the lactation. This is well known on both conventional and robotic farms, but in robotic milking settings, the management practices that contribute to success within this group are both measured and performed differently.

Progressive Dairyman recently introduced readers to our new group of editorial advisers (See “Meet Progressive Dairyman’s 2019 reader advisers,” March 12, 2019, issue).

Do you ever feel like when you cross one thing off your to-do list, two more things get added? There’s no doubt responsibilities on the farm and at home can pile up quickly. And when faced with challenging times, it’s easy to lose perspective. Making decisions can be a struggle.

Editor’s note: The author, an Indiana dairy producer and freelance writer, continues her exploration of resources and methods to help dairy farmers deal with farm stress. Find a comprehensive list of programs, help lines, websites, videos and factsheets and other materials online (Farm stress: Sources and resources).

Growing your dairy farm requires a strategic plan, one that positions it for success in the long term. That plan forms the basis for incremental growth, focused on putting numerous small steps together to achieve the desired end result. The key to this step-by-step approach is knowing beforehand what that final goal looks like and developing a strategy to achieve it.