The Grunthal area dairy owned by David and Charles Wiens was recognized as Grand Champion of the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba’s Milk Quality awards.
The farm is the first robotic dairy in the province to win such high honours and achieved an average somatic cell count (SCC) of under 57,000.
In the spring of 2022 Skyline Dairy upgraded its operation to four DeLaval VMS V300 units moving from the VMS Classic robots they had been using since 2008.
David Wiens says they have a continual focus on the details and improvements needed for the cows, from their diet, to comfort and environment.
Skyline Dairy’s herdsman Doug Priest says building an excellent farm reputation required a multi-pronged approach.
"We began with reducing mastitis treatment, and as that got better, so did our [milk] quality. We also switched our standard operating procedures to include pre-and post-dip rather than just post-dip and saw sustained improvements. Plus, a new bedding system of finer straw helped improve animal health and environment."
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