Choosing Robotics for our Dairy Farm

I’ve mentioned before that our farm is in the process of transitioning to robotics. For the past year we have been taking the time to plan and really dig into all the numerous decisions that go along with making this change. Building a new facility requires a lot of thought and we are glad we have taken the time to really research and get things just the way we want them for our Ladies. There are still a lot of decisions to go, but we are progressing in a barn design and things really feel like they are slowly starting to take off.

This takes me back to the beginning of why we chose robotics for our dairy farm in the first place. Robotic or AMS (automatic milking system) means pretty much just that, a robot is milking the cows. Coming from a farm where no one else has ever milked our cows, it is a bit to wrap our heads around, but here are a few of the main reasons we are excited for this future:

Lifestyle

As I mentioned above we have never employed a milker. Before I joined the farm full time my parents milked for 20 years, full time, 365 days a year. Let that sink in for minute…….20 years of no days off, vacations, holidays, sick days…….20 years of full time work. The last day my Grandpa milked for them was the day I was born, that was their last day off. That is true dedication to our farm, but also the choice they made. To make sure things were being done exactly the way they wanted they chose not to employ someone. It’s not a choice they regret, but it obviously was limiting in many lifestyle aspects. That choice does also take its toll and they have definitely been enjoying some days off since myself and husband joined as partners. The team work with four of us working full time currently allows for days off with one set of the crew being able to cover special occasions, short trips and illnesses etc. But my parents are only getting older and we needed to look to a future that would allow us the lifestyle we want. My husband and I both agreed that we could not do it the way my parents did. We needed a little more flexibility while still knowing the work was being done right. The flexibility a robot can offer is knowing both of us can attend birthday parties, our boys’ school and athletic events, family parties and Christmas and know the cows are still being milked. In a robot cows can be milked at any time they want, instead of the twice a day schedule that currently hangs over our head.

Consistency

This is kind of a two part piece, but I mentioned above how important milking is, it has to be done correctly every time, every milking. Employing someone who wants to work 365 days a year and truly care for our Ladies the way we do, is hard to come by. Do they exist, most certainly, most dairy farms employ very capable and caring employees. But finding, training and retaining that very important person for the labor is not always as easy. To easily solve the labor issue and make sure that we have that important consistency while maintaining a lifestyle we can live with, is why we are choosing robotics for our dairy farm!

Future

When my husband and I both decided dairy farming is what we wanted to do we looked at our farm and wanted to make a plan for the future. Our facilities are outdated and to make the change for the future we could build a new parlor for added efficiency and update our current free stall barn, a choice that many farms have already done at least once. Or we could branch out and start over; building a whole new facility that would truly fit our needs. Looking to the future for ourselves is also looking at the future of the dairy industry. Robotics have been available for years now and also successful, it is an edition that is here to stay, and we truly believe the future of the whole dairy industry.

Ladies

Our life is lived for the cows that have been entrusted into our care. This is a responsibility that we take very seriously and deeply care about. So in making this choice we are not only doing it for ourselves but also for the Ladies. Being able to offer them the best is something we are always striving for. We are always looking for ways to improve and make their lives while under our care better. They deserve the best and for our farm we feel robotics will provide that for them!

There are still many decisions to make and tons of work before this dream becomes a reality. But we are definitely looking forward to all that robotics can bring to our dairy farm!