Grouping and Ungrouping.

With some lists it is very useful when you do not see the performance of the individual cows for an overview, but for example only the cows of lactation 1 and subsequent lactations or of certain lactation stages depending on each other. So that you can see how that couple of animals is doing on your farm.

It is very interesting to view the performance of both the animals you want as a group, but also the individual cows, or the entire herd.

You can easily do this by clicking on the right mouse button in the gray area where your choice, for example lactation number, lactation stages, …., is located and clicking on “Group by this column”. (View place and symbol in Dutch)
It becomes even more fun when you click on “Average” or “Sum” below interesting colums, again with the right mouse button. Then you can see how the results are per group.
Or how often a diagnosis occurs or how much of a medicine has been used.
And when you want to put it back to animal level, in the same place where “Group by this column”  was, it now says “Ungroup”

This is very useful for feed lists and production lists, but also for Diagnoses and Treatments.
And once you know this option, you will definitely use it more! Have fun!

Do you (ever) have an increased Germ count / Plate count ?

Then of course immediately contact your VMS technician / cooling tank technician.

But what can you do yourself in the meantime:

1. Check whether sufficient cleaning agent is used.
2. Is the (end) temperature of the cleaning high enough?
3. Is the milk filter replaced often enough?
4. Do you clean the rod around which the filter is placed properly?
5. Is the thread of the filter seal clean?
6. What is the water hardness (limescale), is it cleaned often enough with acid?
7. Do you always clean after each cow separation?
So even if it is not penicillin milk and / or a heifer with colostrum!
Does not always have to be a main cleaning.
8. If the robot is not too heavily occupied and no VMS visits for 30-45 minutes? => Cleaning!
Does not always have to be a main cleaning.
Summer day this is even more important!
9.  When the cows are in the pasture and there is no milking for a while? => Main cleaning!
10. Are the teat liners replaced regularly and are the milk hoses still good?
11. Is the pre-treatment cup and valve clean and working fine?
12. Is the robot room and everything that touches cups “workable clean”?

Dear reader,

To make searching easier you can read the Tips per category on these pages.

So for information about, for example, udder health or concentrate supply, you can find which Tips have been written about this per category since 2010.

There are Tips that are old and Tips that fit into multiple categories.

The latest published Tips can still be found below and on the right side.
On the phone you will find the categories on this page under the last 5 Tips.

– Click here for Tips in categories –

Still three-teat?

A cow that became three-teat due to an udder infection during the previous lactation sometimes produces milk from all four teats after calving. Sometimes very well, often less milk and sometimes also of (too) poor quality. But if the milk is good, the cow could be milked as a four-teat again.
This sometimes occurs after a coli and very occasionally after a streptococcus uberis udder infection.

The robot will certainly continue to milk her as a three-teat if you do not adjust it in DelPro.
And then she will certainly remain a three-teat… Or will she get udder infection on that teat again…

It is always worth assessing this after calving.

And of course, we will follow up in the Cow Monitor afterwards to see whether it was a sensible choice!

Good for teat locks and healthy rumens.

It is still important that cows stay “on their legs” for at least 20 minutes to half an hour after they come out of the VMS before they lie down. This is very important for closing the teatlock muscles under the teats. And thus ensures considerably less risk of mastitis.

But it is also important for the rumen that they eat enough roughage and drink water before and after the concentrate feed in the milking robot or concentrate feed box, and therefore do not lie down immediately.

Therefore, make sure that the cow has something to do after the robot visit. Offer her fresh and clean (heated?) water and often provide fresh food at the feed fence where she feels invited before she could go to a lying place.

And, of course, she also stays on her legs longer with healthy claws.