January 2018:
2-Minute-Check
As a reflection for the new year, attention is again paid to the “2-Minute-Check”.
The amount of data a milking robot delivers is crucial in order to find cows earlier with varying milk production, (udder)health status and behavior e.g. than in a traditional milking parlor.
This delivers, simultaneously with the possibility to intervene quicker, advantages for cows and farmer.
During a company visit, often the 2-Minute-Check document is left behind.
It consists of 2x 3 important columns.
In the Status screen: 1) Who is too late; 2) Who’s given too little; 3) Who wasn’t milked properly or incomplete.
In the Cowmonitor: 1) Which cows have high or new increase conductivity; 2) Which cows have a high or new MDI notification; 3) Which cows have a different visit history behavior?
You can check these measurements and if you as dairyman know your cows you can tell which cows are correlated to previously statistics and more interesting: which are surprising you!
Do this 2-Minute-Check before you make a round to the barn, go clean boxes, etc.
Combining the data from the computer with “the eyes of the farmer” and you have the GOLDEN FORMULA.
If you like to get the document with 2-Minute-Check, please send an email.
February 2018:
2 Minutes-Check Follow-Up.
With the 2 minute follow up check you quickly see which cows are late but also which cows have an unexpected deviation. It is useful to make two columns on a notepad.
One for cows that need to be brought to the VMS and another for cows with the unexpected deviation.
Also, add which deviation they have. (For example 75% of expected milking yield or 1x increased conductivity).
Does the cow have a different, less, milk yield on all 4 teats? She is pretty sure sick!
Check these notes again half a day later. What does the cow have now?
If the latest data is correct again: throw the note away. When in doubt, you immediately are certain whether the deviation is an incident or if something is really going on!
March 2018:
The 2 minute check follow up
The first three columns of the 2-minute-check in the status screen show which cow:
- is too late; 2. has not given enough milk; 3. has done an incomplete milking.
Most are obvious and are used by ample amount of farmers.
The cow monitor shows other information such as which cow:
- has higher or new conductivity; 2. have a high or new(!) MDi alert
Also these statistics give are generally welcomed by farmers and used to follow a cows health.
The third column in the cow monitor that is used for the 2-Minute-Check shows:
- which cow has varying visiting behavior.
That can be seen in the Average Milking Interval
If you sort the cows by using this column then the cows that visit most often can be found at the top or bottom. If the indicator beside it is green it means that the cow has visited the VMS the last 10 times with no more than 12 hours in between.
What should be noted is cows that have an good average milking interval (e.g. 8 – 9 hours) yet have a red indicator. This means that she now was later than 12 hours since the last milking. Why?
- Have these cows been milking for less than 50 days => Rumen Acidosis?
- Have these cows been milking between 50-100 days => Heat?
- Have these cows been milking more than 100 days => Claw / hoof / leg problems?
It could be anything, but it is definitely strange behavior!
Also in this column is often as the first indicator a cow found with a new deviation.