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CONSULT CORNER
Robotic Milking Resources from John Gerbitz
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IT MATTERS MORE IN ROBOTS
What matters more in robots? In some respects, almost everything. Some robot farmers complain that they cannot maintain the consistent...
WHAT'S HOLDING YOU BACK IN ROBOTIC MILKING?
There are 3 primary physical limitations on production in robotic milking systems. The first is milking capacity, or the number of...
EVALUATING HERD PERFORMANCE BY PARITY AND STAGE OF LACTATION
Robot herds are unique in that there are management changes built into the system for different stages of lactation. In most parlor herds, once cows leave the fresh pen, they stay in the same pen, get milked the same number of times, and eat the same ration throughout the lactation. Robotic milking systems can be set to adjust the milking frequency and pellet feeding according to milk production and stage of lactation. It makes sense to group data by lactation number and stag
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THE IMPACT OF DAYS IN MILK ON ROBOTIC MILKING
According to Dairy Records Management System (DRMS), US herds average 177 days in milk (DIM). Average DIM depends on when cows become pregnant. The sooner cows get pregnant, the lower the average days in milk will be. The lowest herd in the DRMS dataset averaged 123 DIM. The majority of herds are between 158 and 196 DIM. Days in milk are even more important in robotic milking.
Apr 24, 20253 min read
HOW SOON TO BREED AFTER CALVING
This week I had one conversation with someone who waits 80 days after calving to start breeding cows and another conversation with someone was considering starting 45 days after calving. That’s quite a range. Who was right? And, does the right answer have anything to do with whether or not cows are milked in robots?
Aug 22, 20243 min read
THE COW CORNER REPRODUCTION AND HEALTH REPORT
The Cow Corner Reproduction and Health Report summarizes several reproductive key performance indicators in one place. It saves the time and trouble of looking in several places for the management information you need. It makes it easy to share information with your veterinarian, nutritionist, or AI specialist who may or may not be familiar with your milking system software. It also provides a side-by side comparison to each of the 2 previous months, the farm goal, and the in
Feb 22, 20242 min read
THE COW CORNER GLOSSARY OF DAIRY REPRODUCTION KPI’S
There is no single metric that fits every farm’s goals, and there is no single metric that covers every aspect of any farm. This guide...
Dec 7, 20234 min read
MORE VALUE FROM ACTIVITY MONITORING
Activity monitoring systems have gained wide acceptance as tools to monitor cows 24/7 and find cows in heat that might not be found by other means. In some cases, this has allowed reduced use of synchronization protocols for cows that cycle normally without intervention. In other cases, first service synchronization protocols are still used, but open cows are reinseminated more quickly because more are found in heat with activity monitors. Stefan Borchardt’s presentation sugg
Nov 30, 20231 min read
USE THE RIGHT PROGRAM FOR THE RIGHT COWS
Julio Giordano’s presentation showed us how to use records to choose the right reproductive protocols for different groups of cows. Many herds have applied his principle in a very basic way by using one synchronization protocol or voluntary waiting period for first lactation animals, and a different one for mature cows. Those groups are based on very basic and easily accessible data about how many calves an animal has had. As we gather more data about each animal, our groups
Nov 30, 20231 min read
STRESS AND STRAIN AFFECT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Matt Lucy’s presentation began by defining the difference between stress and strain. Stresses are the external factors that impact animals. Strains are the animal’s response to those stresses. Stresses that might affect reproductive performance include heat and humidity, disease, and negative energy balance. The strains resulting from that stress might include elevated temperature, metabolic and hormonal imbalances, and reduced immune function. Each of those strains can affec
Nov 30, 20231 min read
GREAT REPRODUCTION LEADS TO MORE GREAT REPRODUCTION
I took in a great presentation by Richard Pursley titled, “Importance of the High Fertility Cycle in Reproductive Management Decisions of Dairy Cows.” When talking fertility, I am usually thinking of an estrus cycle 18 to 24 days long. Richard was thinking of a longer cycle. His point was, cows that get pregnant on time do not have extended lactations or prolonged dry periods. Cows that don’t have extended lactations or long dry periods are less likely to become over-conditio
Nov 30, 20231 min read
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