Individual cow milk production?

Question

what are some methods for determining individual cow milk production? computer software or otherwise.

if you have a link, that would be great.

Answer 1

Some parlors are set up so that there is a meter on each unit. Records are kept either manually or by computer, Information can be entered with a transponder on each cow.

More common is testing, where a tester comes once a month and gathers information on each animal as she is milked; weight and components, and it is compiled at a processing center. We use DHIA Provo.

http://www.dhia.org/

There are a number of programs used.

Answer 2

Periodic sampling techniques were invented to reduce the effort needed to give an approximation for the production of cows. Statistically they are almost as good as measuring each time the cow is milked.

There was some scepticism, knowing that a herd might be given special treatment to raise output when testing is expected. But by observing the graph of shipments from the herd it would be obvious that this was being done.

The check for parlour measuring systems is that the total amount in the tank must agree with the sum of individual cows production.

But individual milking measurement can be a wonderful feedback mechanism... telling the herdsman immediately if this cow is far below her norm... she may be ovulating, she may be sick, one of her quarters may have mastitis. Telling the herdsman this before the cow moves on can provide an opportunity to provide excellent management, whereas merely recording it in a log file to be looked at sometime misses the mark.

So look for software that  refuses to release the cow until overridden, and displays normal and current production.

This does not work well if the cows choose the period between milkings.

Answer 3

If you use the old bail type milkers, weighing in a bucket is about the only way.  With new pipeline systems, computers can weight and record each cow's production and apply the data to the appropriate cow from her number transmitted from an electronic neckchain.

Not too long ago there was an article in the Stockman's Grass Farmer magazine that had an article on a completely automated milking system.  The cows came in when they wanted to and were fed and milked automatically.  Look up Hoards Dairyman magazine and you could probably find something.