Wisconsin Dairy
Modernization Survey
UW-Extension
2008
Mark W. Mayer, Dairy & Livestock
Agent, Green County
David W. Kammel, Biological
Engineering, UW-Madison
30 Counties
Represented
104 Surveys
Received
99 Surveys In Data
Set
General Farm Information
Pre
Post
Modernization Modernization
Herd Size (Milk Cows)
82
203
Average Milk Production
/Cow
20,245 lbs.
21,684 lbs.
Acres of Land Owned
351
421
Acres of Land Rented
187
308
Acres/Cow (owned & rented)
6.56
3.59
Full Time Labor Equivalents
for Dairy
2.34
4.32
Milk Cows per F.T.E.
35
50
Parlor Construction &Type
n = 92
New vs. Used
n = 89
n = 91
Labor for Parlor
Average Time For Parlor
Conversion:
17 weeks
Range of Time to Convert:
4 to 104 Weeks
Labor Provided for Parlor
New Construction vs. Retrofit
Time for Parlor Conversion
Parlor Construction &Type
n = 55
n = 34
Parlor Cost per Milking Stall
2008 Dollars
Parlor
Stall Type
Retrofit
New Construction
Construction (n=55) n= 31
Flat barn
$3,360
NA
(n=6)
Herringbone
Parabone
Parallel
$9,657
$18,769
(n=8)
(n=3)
$3,845
$6,016
(n=30)
(n= 10)
$7,478
$22,361
(n=11)
(n=18)
Cow Housing Facility
n = 78
Manure Handling and Storage
n = 107
n = 112
Manure Storage and Bedding
n = 77
n = 101
Replacement Housing
n = 101
n = 86
Milking System Throughput
Change = 21.4 cows/person/hour
P = 0.000
Pre and Post Labor Requirements
Average Per Cow/Day
**P= <.001
*P= <.01
Pre and Post Labor Requirements
Average Per Cow/Day
**P= <.001
*P= <.01
Reduced Labor Requirements
Minutes Per
Cow / Day
Total Reduction
Per Cow / Year
Milking Setup/Cleanup
.19 x 365
=1.16 hours
Milking Time
1.98 x 365
=12.05
Feeding Time per Cow
.94 x 365
= 5.72 hours
Handling Cows
.26 x 365
= 1.58 hours
Maintaining Stalls
.48 x 365
= 2.92 hours
Handling Manure
.39 x 365
= 2.37 hours
Totals:
4.24 minutes/day
25.80 hours/year
Economic Impacts from Reduced
Labor Per Cow
Reduction/Cow/Year
Dollar Impact
Milking Setup/Cleanup
1.16 hours @ $12/Hour
= $13.92
Milking Time
12.05 hours @$12/Hour
= $144.60
Feeding Time per Cow
5.72 hours @ $12/Hour
= $68.64
Time Handling Cows
1.58 hours @ $12/Hour
= $18.96
Maintaining Stalls
2.92 hours @ $12/Hour
= $35.04
Handling Manure
2.37 hours @ $12/Hour
= $28.44
Totals:
25.80 Hours/Cow/Year
$309.60/Cow/Year
Cow Benefits Observed
Ranking of Cow Benefits
Less Important
More Important
People Benefits Observed
Ranking of People Benefits
Educational Resources Used
Ranking of Educational Resources
Professional Resources Used
Ranking of Professional Resources
UW-Extension Impacted Decisions
with Dairy Modernization
n = 99
Average Planning Time:
23.02 Months
Range: 3-120 Months
How Did UW-Extension Help?
(27) Assisted in Parlor Location and Design
(20) Organized Tours and Farm Visits to Observe Modernization on other Farms
(15) Presented new Ideas and Options for Parlor Design and Construction
(12) Design and Layout of Cow Housing Including Cow Flow and Stall size
(9) UW-Extension Dairy Modernization Presentations (Meetings and Pasture Walks)
(5) UW Publications (Low Cost Parlor CD and Retrofit Parlor Paper)
(5) Received reinforcement of ideas and plans
(4) Assisted in the Permitting Process
(4) Assisted in Preparing Budget for Modernization Project
(3) Assisted in Manure Handling and Storage plans
(3) County Agents and State Specialists answered all our questions
(3) Assistance with Ventilation
117 Responses
How Could Assistance from UWExtension be Improved ?
n = 99
Economic Investment
Since 1993 (2008 Dollars)
• Milking Parlor Facility
– $17,144,281
• Dairy Cow Housing
– $30,529,855
• Dry Cow Housing
• TMR Feeding
– $1,981,566
• Feed Storage
– $4,153,360
• Manure handling
– $1,722,057
– $2,149,120
• Heifer Housing
• Manure Storage
– $1,610,210
• Calf Housing
– $1,480,703
– $4,536,318
• Total Investment for 99
farms in Survey
$65,307,470
Dairy Modernization Impacts
Pre
Post
Modernization Modernization
Change
Milk Cows
7,923
19,689
+11,766
Ave. Herd Size
82
203
+121
Total Annual
Milk Production
160,401,135 (lbs) 426,936,276 (lbs)
+266,535,141
Ave. Production
per Cow (lbs)
20,245
21,684
+1,439
Dry Cows
1,197
2,920
+1,723
Heifers
4,307
10,207
+5,900
Calves
2,320
5,868
+3,548
Modernization Economic Impacts
Change
Average Increased Milk +1,439 lbs x $17/cwt
Income per Cow
Dollar Impact
= $245
Ave. Increased Gross
Milk Income per Farm
203 cows @ 21684 x .17= $748,315
82 cows @ 20245 x .17 =- $282,215
= $466,100
Increased Annual Milk
Income for the State
+2,692,274 lbs. x 99 farms
x $.17
= *$45.3 Million
Increased Economic
Activity from more
Cows per Farm
121 Cows x $17,000
= $2.06 Million
Economic Impact from +11,766 cows x $17,000
more Cows in the State
**UW Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics
= *$200 Million
* Total for 99 Herds
Biggest Challenge in Modernization
(16) Working with the Contractors/Serving as General Contractor
(10) Deciding what system & number of cows would work best for my farm
(10) Budgeting & Financing for Expenses
(8) Milking in Existing Facilities During Construction
(8) Design of Milking Facility & Housing
(6) Cost Over runs
(5) Finding Good & Knowledgeable Contractor
(4) Manure Storage & Handling
(4) Confidence & Motivation to do it
(3) Permitting Process for Building/Expanding
(3) Getting Honest Opinions from Equipment Dealers
(3) Did too much of my own labor
(3) Changing the Management System of Feeding/Breeding/Housing
What Would You Change?
(14) Wish we would have done the expansion sooner.
(11) Wish we would have made the parlor/freestalls bigger
(6) Start expansion at another site to allow for additional future expansions
(5) Spend more time planning and seeking help in design
(4) Start with new building and equipment right away
(4) Would not start building in the fall, start earlier in the year
(4) Design of Parlor
(3) Add a dry cow and calving facility
(3) Change from mattresses to sand for bedding
(3) Hire a more experienced and honest contractor
Would You Still be in the Dairy
Business if you had not
Modernized?
n = 94
Programs and Grants Utilized
Wisconsin Dairy
Modernization Survey
UW-Extension
2008
Full Paper Available on the Dairy
Modernization Web Site at:
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/dairymod/cost/index.cfm
Questions!