7 dairy farm mistakes that DPA will fix

Quite often, situations arise on a dairy farm that lead to a decrease in milk yield, which means a decrease in profits and profitability of the farm. We have already considered some of them earlier, and today we will tell you how the DPA service allows you to fix such errors.

1. Low temperature in the barn in winter. In the cold season, if the ventilation curtains or gates are not closed or not closed tightly, a draft is created, the animals freeze and milk yield falls. DPA uses sensors to monitor the temperature readings inside the barn and sends a notification if the temperature drops below acceptable values.

2. Violation of milking intervals. Maintaining milking intervals is critical to maximize milk yield. If the milking time deviates from the schedule by 30 minutes, the service sends notifications that allow you to quickly take action to correct the situation.

3. Mistakes when trimming hooves. Hoof trimming is essential for the prevention of lameness and removal of regrown hooves in animals. However, if the employee does the trimming incorrectly, within 14 days the animal begins to limp and give less milk. Dairy Production Analytics provides a graph that links the appearance of lameness and the trimming of the hooves, allowing you to track the correctness of the procedure, and therefore prevent mistakes in the future.

4. Keeping unprofitable animals. To cover the costs, you need to produce a certain amount of milk every day. If milk yield is below the level of profitability, the farm is operating at a loss. The service calculates the required level of production, which covers the cost of feed and maintenance and monitors compliance. If milk yield is below the required level and there is no reference to herd volume, animals should be culled.

5. High temperature and humidity in summer. In summer, in the heat, cows get heat stress, which is why milk yield drops, so additional ventilation and plenty of drinking is necessary. The service monitors the temperature and temperature-humidity index THI and signals when the readings are too high.

6. Dirty water in drinking bowls. The cow needs to drink enough water to produce milk. If the water in the drinkers is dirty, the cows do not drink it and suffer from dehydration, which negatively affects the milk yield. DPA uses sensors to monitor the water level in the drinkers, preventing dehydration. In the cold season, it is also important to heat the water, sensors allow you to monitor the water temperature.

7. Spoiled silage. To feed the cows, the farms prepare silage. If the storage conditions of the silo are violated, it deteriorates. Spoiled silage cannot be used for feeding animals - they can get diseases related to digestion, which will entail a decrease in milk production. DPA monitors the condition inside the silo trench and allows the silage to be used on time without losses and animal diseases.

Thus, the Dairy Production Analytics service allows you to solve most of the problems that are ubiquitous on dairy farms, are difficult to track and together bring tangible losses to the owner of an agricultural enterprise.