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On August 02, 2016

(Growing America, June 29, 2016):  According to research conducted by USDA, in which dairies with herds of 50 to 2000 head were studied, per-cow yield and productivity is directly related to the number of laborers in an operation.

Dairies with herds of 2000 or more are realizing 10 hundredweight (cwt) of milk per hour of labor compared to the 2-4 cwt of milk per hour realized in operations with 50-500 head herds.

WHY IS THIS THE CASE?

Well, it starts with man power. On most small U.S. dairy farms, the operator and his family provide all or most of the labor. As a result, cows are often milked no more than twice a day and therefore produce a significantly lower amount of milk.

In contrast, their larger counterparts, especially those with 2000 or more head, simply operate differently. Their larger size and subsequent output gives them the opportunity to utilize technologies and apply practices that result in significantly higher milk yields. For example at many large operations, cows are milked three times daily.

To accommodate the sheer size and production methods, these larger dairies, which are usually family owned and operated, rely more heavily on the additional help of hired labor. Not only do these large dairies often hire more labor at a higher wage, they also accrue a larger depreciation of their milking equipment as milking three times daily is far more taxing.

Still, the increased labor to productivity ratio makes the expense to larger dairy operations worthwhile.

WHAT DOES A DAIRY FARMER HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT?

U.S. dairies differ in size, output, and operation style, but in the end, they have a lot in common according to dairy farmer, Rachel Nance.

Nance grew up on her family’s 100-head dairy farm in McConnells, South Carolina, and developed a lifelong passion for the industry. Throughout the years, she has had the opportunity to intern at dairies of all sizes across the U.S. and has learned about the different production methods at each operation.

Nance explains that the work on a dairy, large or small, requires employees to have a wide range of skills. “Their jobs are typically not limited to driving a tractor or simply just milking the cows. They have to jump around the farm and help in many different situations whenever needed.”

During her time working on a family-owned and operated, 3,000-head dairy, Rachel recognized that most of the hired hands were locals. “Employing people from the community allows the producer to show neighbors that they are producing a safe and nutritious product. Plus, every glass of milk contributes jobs, income and vitality to the community.”

In the end, all dairy farmers, large and small, are focused the same thing—providing a healthy product to nourish the world’s growing population.

“It does not matter the number of cows on the dairy or the number of employees; each dairy farm has the same goals and morals behind their work,” shares Rachel, “They want nothing more than for the animals to be in a comfortable and clean environment because that leads to high-quality, wholesome milk.”