Trail: Streamlining the milking routine for greater efficiency

Tyddyn Cae is a 190 hectare dairy conversion with 390 autumn calving Friesian and crossbred cows  plus replacements with emphasis on grass and forage production and utilisation. The herd is currently averaging 6,800 litres per cow with 3,000 litres produced from forage. Solids are the main production goal on the farm and the combined butterfat and protein levels stand at 580 kg per cow per year.

Since going into dairying 5 years ago, the business has almost doubled in terms of cow numbers.This has meant that the team has also grown to 6, including part time workers, as new members have joined at Tyddyn Cae. Different team members milk at Tyddyn Cae on a daily basis which opens up the risk of inconsistencies in milking routine efficiencies.

The business has now reached a consolidation phase where cow numbers are optimised on the grazing platform along with the infrastructure on farm. The herd reaches peak lactation during the winter months, and clinical mastitis cases can be an issue with above average veterinary and medicine variable costs and high antibiotic use linked to this and  for dry cow therapy. 

This project will focus on team development and training at Tyddyn Cae as a method to improve the business efficiencies via greater consistency across the team and the animal health and welfare status of the herd which will reduce the antibiotic usage on-farm through applying a lean management concept to the milking routine. 

Through driving further improvement in efficiency in these key business areas, the project will also contribute to the Sustainable Land Management outcomes including:

• High animal health and welfare
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions