Using a combination of automated milking and a herd management system is one of the best ways of meeting a farmer's individual needs, and giving him optimum control over his holding.
"The biggest challenge for the farmer, both now and in the future, is that we can keep delivering the best possible product, without compromising on animal welfare," says Anette Lind who, together with her husband Ole, runs a herd of 260 cows at Lysterbjerggaard in Denmark. The farm features four VMS milking systems and Herd Navigator as key tools in their business strategy, improving workflow and animal welfare.
They bought the farm in 1993, and after ten years or so they doubled the herd size to 100 animals. To further expand the output and profitability of the farm, they invested in VMS automation in 2007.
"We always thought that it would be the best solution to have VMS milking because it would provide the best cow-comfort and it would create optimum conditions for the people who looked after the cows," says Anette. A year later, they were able to extend the barn to accommodate three more VMS systems, and space for 260 milking cows and 40 breeding cows.
Herd Navigator has become an indespensible cow management asset for the small team at Lysterbjerggaard by providing accurate information about each individual animal's health. Ole deals with the practical issues relating to the herd, while Annette mainly focuses on administrative work with the computer. But she's also a nurse, and puts her medical training to good use, growing milk cultures and taking samples at the first suspicion of an infection in an animal.
"We can observe the animals more closely and intervene at a much earlier stage with Herd Navigator, and that means we don't have to compromise cow health or milk yield," says Ole. "In fact, caring for cows without Herd Navigator is like trying to work blindfolded."
