Technology in Dairy Farming: How New Gadgets Are Changing the Game

Embracing a Digital Age With Technology in Dairy Farming

Keeping cows happy is a major factor for local dairy farmers. That’s why technology in dairy farming can play a huge role in making sure that cows are happy and healthy.

Technology can help to make our lives easier, whether that means being able to download movie tickets on our smartphone or booking a hotel room online.

And for dairy farmers, this means making cows’ lives easier, too. Tons of farms are turning to revolutionary new gadgets and devices to help boost milk production and monitor their herds.

Check out the cool gadgets that are available and see what some dairy farmers are doing to integrate technology in dairy farming!

 

Drone Technology in Agriculture

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), also known as drones, are becoming increasingly popular in many industries in today’s world. While they’ve been in use since the 1980s in military and commercial operations, drone technology in agriculture is on the rise.

Drones are most effective for monitoring the dairy herd as well as the land. Farmers can fly the drone over their property, checking in on their cows and making sure that everything is where it should be.

Another way that drones can be used is through measuring and optimizing soil and other resources. When farmers use drones, they can tell which areas of the land are dry and need watering, or which areas need maintenance.

By being able to access this monitoring of their cows and land, farmers can respond quickly to any emergencies, and possibly save crops that would potentially go to waste.

Some drones even have the technology to water crops! Amazing!

 

Computerized Farming Technology

One farm in California is currently testing a new computer farming technology system that uses facial recognition software to monitor cows. Similar to the facial recognition on your phone, these computers can recognize an individual cow by its physical details- even the ones that we can’t see with our own eyes!

Depending on what breed of cow it’s monitoring, the system can recognize cows by their spot patterns, width between the eyes, placement of the ear tag, or the length of their head.

A cow’s spot pattern and nose print are unique to every single cow, and these computers can pick up on those very fine details.

Each camera monitors a group of about 16 cows, and can recognize individual cows within that group. When something goes wrong, like a cow is exhibiting symptoms of an illness, farmers know exactly which cow to respond to right away.

Cows can be monitored for feeding habits as well. If farmers can easily track a cow’s feeding patterns, this can determine a lot about their milking patterns, and eventually this can improve production.

 

There’s an App For That, Too

These days, everyone has a smartphone, and everyone has an app they can’t live without. There are apps for shopping, dining, work scheduling, and more. So it just makes sense that there are also apps out there for dairy farmers!

Dairy farming apps are available in the App store and the Google Play store. There are plenty to choose from, and each provides a serve that will make farmers’ lives just that much easier.

It’s time to embrace the digital age and start using smartphones as many ways we can!

 

Robotic Cow Milking Equipment

Many dairy farms are beginning to use robotic cow milking equipment.

According to some of the dairy experts, robotic technology is perfect for dairy farms because the milking process is so repetitive and precise. Since it needs to be done the exact same way every time, technology works to ensure that standards are met.

For some systems, cows wear a collar or sensor technology around their neck. This provides information to the farmer through a transponder. It helps farmers keep track of the cow’s health, milk production levels, and which cows have already been milked.

This milking system makes life more comfortable and easy for cows, as they can approach the machine when they’re ready to be milked. The more comfortable the cows are, the more milk production can increase.

Robotic cow milking equipment also makes life easier for farmers, as they now have more time to be away from the farm and enjoy a little break every now and then.

 

Dairy Equipment That Makes Cows Happy

The DeLaval swinging cow brush has been around for almost a decade, but cows love this technology. Some farmers actually say that their cows line up for their chance to use it!

Cows are kept comfortable by the brush’s rotations and movements, which cover all angles of their body. The brush actually resembles one of the brushes used in a car wash, but it’s developed specifically for cows.

They can use it themselves by brushing up against it. The rotation will start at a cow friendly speed on contact. It will stop if there’s any resistance, so the cows are always safe.

It works to stimulate blood circulation, which keeps the cows healthy and happy. This helps to improve milk production, as cows produce more milk when they are comfortable and happy.

 

Sustainable Farming Technology

Some farms have taken steps toward a more sustainable type of technology. These technologies can help their farms combat environmental damage, energy usage, and pollution.

A major way that some farms are doing this, especially in California, is through solar energy.

Many farmers are implementing solar panels on their farms, which helps to reduce energy consumption and costs. It even helps to provide solar energy to the towns or cities nearby.

One farm, Joseph Gallo Farms, has actually created a methane digester to turn cow waste into energy! This helps to reuse the methane that would have otherwise damaged the environment.