There barn also currently utilizes an automatic feed pusher which will be replaced by the Vector system in the spring (look for more information in future editions of Country Folks). It takes 6.5 minutes to milk one cow, and the robot milks cows as they come through 24/7, without a need for dinner breaks or sleep. The robot scans information from the RFID tag in the cow’s ear and records data for each cow for the operator to analyze from a computer screen. Ninety-five percent of the herd willingly walk into the milking station to get their personalized grain ration and calmly stand for a robotic arm to prep the udder, attach the machine and perform the milking operation. The affected milk is diverted from the marketable milk to a drum. The robot does all the preparation of the udder and milking and can even detect mastitis.
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The highlight of the tour of the Center for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture at ASC was observing the modern DeLaval V300 robotic milking machine. After they are weaned, calves are housed in their own box stalls at a separate barn. If the cows are on pasture, they are brought into the dairy barn three weeks before they are due to calve and have a large box stall in which to have their young. The drying off process starts with limiting their feed (lactating cows require more feed) and an occasional milking if needed. Because this is an organic dairy cow herd, they do not use a conventional treatment to prepare dry cows with antibiotic dry treatment and sealant. There are 70 replacements being raised and 55 milking cows. There is a low incidence of mastitis due to the cleanliness of the facility and the ability of the cows to get out on lush pasture.ĪSC raises their own replacements for the organic dairy herd and has separate housing for the heifers and dry cows. There is a large dairy barn, which is airy and efficient. The college farm also has 196 tillable acres used for crops with an emphasis on organic agriculture. The dairy cows are allowed to graze on 102 acres of divided pasture from May through the end of October or early November (depending on the weather conditions).
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Various dairy breeds are represented in the herd, which consists of Holsteins, Brown Swiss, Jerseys, Guernsey, Shorthorns, Dutch Belt and crossbred cattle. Careful consideration has gone into the development of the organic dairy herd, which consists of a milking herd of 55 cows. The credit for receiving the Dairy of Distinction award goes to ASC’s Virginia Chamberlain, farm manager Herdsman Alan Davis and the staff and students that make the farm and organic dairy herd a successful operation. Jessica Chamberlain, farm manager, and Alan Davis, herdsman, with some of the organic dairy herd at Alfred State College.