Home | News, Events & Opportunities | Kellogg Biological Station | New pasture-based dairy operation

Kellogg Biological Station

Cows assume new responsibilities as KBS shifts to pasture-based dairy

If you’re one of the 90 or so Holstein cows at Kellogg Biological Station’s dairy operation, you’re in for some real changes in 2009.

The existing dairy at KBS, in operation since the mid 1980s, is shifting from a typical confinement dairy operation to a pasture-based model, with attendant freedoms and responsibilities for the cows.

Previously, a typical day for the KBS cows was spent in the dairy building, where cows roam around large pens. Cows had three daily milkings, and were fed a corn silage-based diet harvested at KBS. Their manure was spread on fields to cycle nutrients.

Starting this summer, cows will travel widely, fertilize pastures themselves, and harvest some of their own food. They will also choose when they want to be milked, by robotic milkers.

“They’ll take care of all that on their own,” said Mat Haan, coordinator for the new Pasture Based Dairy Project.

The changes are needed to modernize the dairy operation and connect it to other sustainable agriculture initiatives at KBS, Haan said. The operation intends to provide an example for small and mid-sized dairy farms in Michigan.

The cows will have a new barn and 200 acres of pasture. They’ll transition from a corn silage diet to a pasture-based diet.

The lower-energy pasture diet will likely result in a drop in milk production, Haan said, but benefits will outweigh drawbacks.

Cows will leave their manure across the pasture, meaning less human labor to spread the manure. A pasture diet also means less need to harvest corn. A drop in milk production will likely be offset by a drop in input costs, Haan said.

Cow control extends to the milking experience. Holsteins will come to be milked in the barn at their convenience. They’ll enter the robotic milking stall, which will identify each cow by its electronic tag. A mechanical arm will reach beneath the cow and brush the udders clean before milking. The machine identifies when a milking is complete, detaches itself, and sends the cow on her way. During milking the robot also dispenses a food reward, as incentive for the cows to return to the milker.

“They learn pretty well,” Haan said. “It’s impressive to watch.”

KBS is the second dairy operation in Michigan to employ robotic milkers, a technology originating in Europe during the early 1990s. The machines free up time for farmers, decrease crowding, and provide useful feedback on milk quality and cow productivity.

The Kellogg Biological Station will host a Grand Opening for the new dairy facility on August 19. From 1 to 4:30 PM the public will witness the dairy first hand and visit those involved with the project.

This story was written by ESPP assistant web editor Andy Balaskovitz.