“There’s been a crazy amount of technology
added to farming,” said Dana Allen-Tully, a
manager and operator of the multigenerational
Gar-Lin Dairy Farms Inc. “We can access our cow
files on our phone, I can look up a specific cow
on my phone, or I can see what the feeders are
doing on my phone.”
The automatic feeders allow calves to have
multiple, smaller meals throughout the day to
mirror the feeding schedule they would have if
they were out in the pasture with their moms.
Each calf is fitted with an ear tag shortly after it’s
born that has an identification code, similar to
a Social Security number, that can be scanned
by the automatic feeder when the baby
approaches the milk distribution stall, according
to the La Crosse Tribune.
Information associated with that code, such as
how much a calf should eat and when it should
eat, is transmitted to the feeder and governs the
flow of milk through the dispenser.
Data from robotic feeders is fed back to a
handheld device, where supervisors can monitor
how much the calves drink and how fast.
“Calf feeding is by far one of the hardest jobs on
the farm because it’s so physical. You’re dealing
with a calf that weighs 100 pounds and you’ve
got to lift it and work with it, so this was built
to improve the environment for the employees
too,” Allen-Tully said.
Gar-Lin is an efficient operation. It pasteurizes
waste milk to feed to calves, instead of dumping
the milk and purchasing milk replacement, and
roughly half a mile away Gar-Lin employees
harvest hay to feed their herd.