Benchmarking of farms with automated milking systems in Canada and associations with milk production and quality

摘要

The objective of this study was to benchmark theherd-level housing and management strategies of automatedmilking system (AMS) farms across Canada andassess the associations of these herd-level housing factorsand management practices with milk productionand quality. Canadian AMS farms (n = 197; WesternCanada: n = 50, Ontario: n = 77, Quebec: n = 59,Atlantic Canada: n = 11) were each visited once fromApril to September 2019, and details were collectedrelated to barn design and herd management practices.Milk-recording data for the 6 mo before farm visitswere collected. Farms averaged (± standard deviation)110 ± 102 lactating cows, 2.4 ± 1.9 AMS units/farm,47.5 ± 14.9 cows/AMS, 36.7 ± 5.0 kg/d of milk, 4.13± 0.34% fat, 3.40 ± 0.16% protein, and a herd-averagesomatic cell count of 186,400 ± 80,800 cells/mL. Farmsmainly used freestall housing systems (92.5%), organicbedding substrates (73.6%), and free flow cow trafficsystems (87.8%); farms predominantly milked Holsteins(90.4%). Multivariable regression models were used toassociate herd-level housing factors and managementpractices with milk production and quality. At the herdlevel, feed push-up frequency (mean = 12.8 ± 8.3 timesper day) and feed bunk space (mean = 64 ± 21.5 cm/cow) were positively associated with milk yield. Greatermilk yield was associated with herds using inorganic(sand) versus organic bedding, milking Holsteins versusnon-Holsteins, and using a form of mechanical ventilationversus natural ventilation alone. Milk fat and milkprotein content were only associated with breed. Herdswith lower somatic cell counts had more frequent alleycleaning (mean = 12.1 ± 7.5 times per day), widerlying alleys (mean = 304.5 ± 40.0 cm), and sand bedding.The results highlight the importance of usingsand bedding, using mechanical ventilation, keepingfeed pushed up, ensuring alleys are clean, and ensuringadequate space at the feed bunk for maintaining herdlevelproductivity and milk quality in farms with AMS.