Milking 800 cows once a day in two herds
Episode description
Keith Davis joined Emma-Louise Coffey to discuss the role of once-a-day milking in his large scale herd in Gloucestershire.
Keith was speaking at Teagasc’s recent Once a Day Milking conference and he gave an insight into the evolution of the farm from a mixed farm with 350-cow dairy operating an indoor system and tillage to a solely grass-based dairy system.
When dairy cow numbers began to climb, both facility and labour began to come under pressure. The estate was unwilling to invest in upgrading the milk facilities (i.e. 32 point rotary) and therefore, the decision was taken milk once-a-day.
Keith also explains his approach to overcoming the challenge of the national labour shortage by being flexible with rosters and recruitment.
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