Labour savings, improved cow performance and better health management have been some of the benefits of moving to robotic milking on one Cumbrian dairy farm.
Maximising herd efficiencies by optimising cow environment and not carrying any passengers is a must in light of escalating costs and tightening margins.
Escalating feed costs bring into sharp focus the need to improve nutritional efficiencies on-farm.
A Devon farming family has focused on optimising efficiencies across their three dairy units. Here is how they have done it.
Combining corrective mating with a sexed and beef strategy has started to push herd genetic gain to the next level on one Wiltshire farm, while genomic testing should supercharge the process even more.
Swapping from twice daily tractor scraping to an automated slurry robot has resulted in big labour savings and improvements in foot health on one Lancashire dairy.
An automated feeding system is proving its worth on a Shropshire farm where yields, cow health and feeding efficiencies have been given a boost.
Three farmers share their thoughts on the immediate and longer term challenges facing their dairy businesses.