GEA has announced it is moving manufacturing of its rotary parlour platforms to Galesville, Wisconsin. Prior to this announcement, the components came from New Zealand; however increasing costs and disruptions in overseas shipping pushed the company to make the switch. This move makes their rotary milking structures the only ones in the industry that are… Read More
Category: Milking Parlours
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
Dairy milking parlour maker DeLaval has taken a new approach to moving cows efficiently through the milking process. DeLaval’s P500 parallel parlour showcases the company’s efforts to reduce the size of parlour footprints, making it a strong choice for both new builds and retrofits, says DeLaval market solutions manager Pat Wiltzuis. Last week at the… Read More
Every year the Canadian Dairy XPO (CDX) attracts companies from all over the globe. Many of them have deep roots in Canada, but others, like Turkey’s Çapar milking systems, are new to the country, seeking to set up shop in one of the world’s most attractive dairy industries. Çapar started producing milking machines in Turkey… Read More
Seasonal milking sure isn’t common in Canada, and it’s limited in the United States, but in some European countries, it’s not just common, it’s a key part of their culture. Marion Studhalter, who normally calls Ontario home, spent the summer making cheese in the Alps. The production system she was a part of is rather… Read More
Can robots effectively milk cows on large U.S. dairy farms? That’s a question Plymouth, Indiana farmer Brian Houin is determined to answer at his family-owned Homestead Dairy operation. Canadian farmers have had tremendous success using robot milkers in smaller dairy operations, but Houin is putting the milking machines to the test on a whole new level. In… Read More
Look for more Canadian milk to be passing though Kiwi-made milking parlours in the years ahead. That’s according to New Zealand-based Waikato Milking Systems’ CEO Dean Bell, who brought his company to Stratford, ON, this month to exhibit for the first time at the Canadian Dairy XPO. The New Zealand dairy industry currently supplies one-third of… Read More
The Canadian Dairy XPO (CDX) returns for its fifth year at the Stratford Rotary Complex April 5 & 6. This year the show coincides with the Spring Discovery Show in Ancaster (April 3 to 6) and the National Holstein Convention in Markham (April 5 to 8). With three national dairy events happening in southwestern Ontario during… Read More
Dairy milking robots have found their niche in Canada, but where do they fit on U.S. dairy farms? The popularity of robots in Canada can be linked to the fact that the technology fits well into this country’s smaller farms and because our supply management system provides a financial footing for farmers to invest. But… Read More
When Monkton, Ontario-based dairy producers Rick and Theresa Portena planned their recent expansion they decided that a 40-stall herringbone rotary milking parlour would anchor their operation. The Portenas considered milking robots but they’re big fans of parlours. They like to get the milking done as fast and efficiently as possible and they don’t like to… Read More
Dairy farm expansion typically focuses on adding more cows to increase production. That’s certainly the case for Monkton, Ontario-based producers Rick and Theresa Portena, but the Portenas also want a better opportunity to milk cows themselves. In this inaugural episode of Real Agriculture’s Dairy School, the Portenas’ share the strategy on why they invested in… Read More