April is almost here and that means thousands of dairy farmers will soon be heading to Stratford, Ont., for the Canadian Dairy XPO. This year, the show is celebrating its 10 year anniversary. The annual dairy industry showcase takes place at the Stratford Rotary Complex on April 3 and 4. In 2023, almost 17,000 people… Read More
Category: Dairy Robots
The average Canadian dairy cow milks for about 2.8 lactations. That’s better than the global average of 2.5, but this country’s cows could last longer and produce more if dairy farmers did a better job of listening to their cows, says CowSignals founder Joep Driessen. A veterinarian who co-founded the CowSignals business in The Netherlands… Read More
The popularity of robot milkers continues to grow dramatically across Canada. Today, between 15 and 20 per cent of Canadian farms milk cows using robot technology. Ten years ago, that number hovered near five per cent. Western Canadian dairy farmers are the biggest adopters with between 25 and 50 per cent of farms in different… Read More
The Successors is a RealAgriculture podcast series hosted by Kara Oosterhuis focusing on agriculture from the perspective of the up-and-coming generation. How do you make the call on what technology to keep up with? When is the “right time” to get involved with politics? And who do you involve in your succession planning conversations? Gerrit… Read More
The Canadian Dairy XPO is expecting record crowds on April 5 and 6 as the dairy showcase returns to a live tradeshow format for the first time since 2019. “It’s really hard to put into words the excitement and momentum. Right from myself and my team to the industry and at the producer level, I… Read More
Dairy farming is labour intensive 365-days of the year. It’s also an industry that can be both physically and technologically demanding all at once. Because of the round-the-clock care dairy farms require, it takes a certain kind of temporary work force to fill in when farmers need time off. Martin VandenHoven, of Relief Herdsmen Services,… Read More
The Canadian Dairy XPO runs today and tomorrow of this week. It’s not too late to register for day two! For this Wednesday edition of RealAg LIVE! Jordon Underhill of the Canadian Dairy XPO joins host Shaun Haney to talk about XPO and all things dairy. Don’t miss an episode of RealAg LIVE! A new… Read More
If you were going to build a new dairy barn, would you choose a parlour or robots? What about Jerseys vs. Holsteins? Ethan Wallace, of Seaforth, Ont., switched to robots for milking his Jersey herd seven years ago, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. On this edition of RealAg LIVE!, Wallace joins occasional… Read More
If I want it done right, I’ll do it myself. Is that a phrase that you often say or think as a farmer? Delegation is a learned skill and one that doesn’t always come easily, especially if you’re used to working independently. On a recent Farmer Rapid Fire segment over on RealAg Radio, host Shaun… Read More
Robotics are changing the dynamics of dairy businesses, and co-evolving along with them. “Today, conventional dairies spend 50-60 per cent of the total labour on the physical act of milking cows, (and) only 10 to 20 per cent on feeding cows, five to 10 per cent on health, and the other 10 per cent on… Read More