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In days past, before we learned the principles of good hoof care, we would see older, mature dairy cows with overgrown corkscrewed outer claws on their rear feet.

On most modern dairy operations across the U.S., you will find an office with a computer. The computer is most likely running 24 hours a day and may be covered with some dust or fly scat. In that computer, you can find records and information about the performance of the dairy herd.

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.

Think of a recent time when someone – employee, colleague, partner, family member, friend – was not listening when you had something important to say. Now think about how you felt, and describe your feelings in one word.