All About Dairy

Technology on farm

 

Did you know technology plays a big part in dairy farming?

Farmers use technology to farm smarter than ever. Check out these interesting facts to wow your friends and family with! Dont' forget to watch the movie I made with Nate too.

Testing cows gives farmers great information

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Farmers are a bit like parents: they want their family (or herd) to be healthy! Some farmers do herd tests and the cows don’t even know they are being checked. To test the cows, farmers add small pots into the cow shed milk line to keep a small sample of milk from each cow. The sample gets sent away to a science lab where they use computers and robots to check that the cows are healthy and producing lots of good milk.

Checking milk with speedy, smart sensors

Some farmers have machines in their sheds called sensors that can test milk on the spot. That way, farmers can be sure each cow’s milk is the best possible quality without having to wait!

Gentle robots take care of milking

On some farms, robots do the milking! A cow comes into the shed when her udder is full. A special robot works out where her teats are and puts the suction cups in place. The robot even remembers her udder measurements for next time!

Health begins at grass roots

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The happiest, healthiest cows are the ones that munch on heaps of yummy, healthy grass. Farmers use smart technology like plate meters to study their pasture and make sure there is enough of the good grass to be shared between all the cows in the herd.

Caring for cows with special collars

New technology is always being invented to help make farming even better. One of the latest inventions is a special tracking collar that cows can wear. These send information to tell farmers where the cow is, what she’s eating, whether she’s hurt – or whether she’s about to have a calf. The collar can even help move cows in and out of the milking shed uses noises and vibrations that the clever cows soon learn to recognise, so the farmer can do other work!