Cows milked 4X/2X produced 3.5 lbs of milk more per day than 2X controls, which is about 50% of the response expected from a whole-herd change from 2X to 3X with only a 7% increase in labor requirements compared to a 30% increase in labor requirements for whole-herd 3X. This work has enabled New York dairy producers to make informed decisions regarding their milking strategies and to innovate within their herds.
impact statement issue
Many dairy farms in New York for whom 3X milking is infeasible would benefit from increased milk yield from milking schemes that are less labor intensive. Furthermore, dairies that currently milk cows 3X could use information from these alternative milking schemes to determine the optimum milking strategies for their herds.
impact statement response
Commercial dairy farms (n=4) were enrolled in a controlled field study to determine production responses to increased milking frequency (4X milking) during the first 21 days of lactation followed by a return to 2X milking for the rest of lactation. These cows were compared with concurrently studied 2X controls. Results were communicated with the Northeast dairy industry through Northeast Dairy Business magazine, feed dealer seminars, and various Cornell Cooperative Extension newsletters and discussion groups.
impact statement summary
Commercial dairy farms were enrolled in a controlled field study to determine the impact of increased milking frequency during early lactation only on overall performance. Increased milking frequency resulted in 3.5 lbs per day more milk during the first 7 months of lactation, which is about 50% of the response expected from a whole herd change from twice daily milking (2X) to three times per day (3X) milking with only about 20% as much added labor as the whole-herd change.
