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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 20, No. 11
InvesƟng for the future
Alfalawn Farm maximizes cow comfort, lowers cost of production
July 28, 2018
Keeping up with the industry
By Cassie Olson Contributing Writer
MENOMONIE, Wis. – Improved efciency and lower cost of production were the topics of conversation for Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) members as they gathered July 17 at Alfalawn Farm near Menomonie, Wis. Owned by brothers Dale, David and Randy Styer, Alfalawn Farm is a fourth-generation dairy farm, milking 2,000 cows in a 60-stall rotary parlor built in 2014. As a part of PDPW’s Wisconsin Dairy Tour event, David Styer met with PDPW members to showcase his family’s farm, share their keys to success and vision for the future. When the Styers made the decision to expand to 2,000 cows in 2014, they also made the decision to build a 60-stall rotary parlor. While the cost of building was still a factor, David said it has lowered production costs. “We have seen a $2 per hundredweight drop in labor costs with the rotary,” David said. Three employees are present in each of the three, six-hour milking shifts. Offering a positive experience for their employees have led the Styers to have a waiting list to join the Alfalawn team. “We have a waiting list for employees,” David said. “We always stay personable with them and others learn about our farm through word of mouth. We recognize that family is important to our employees, and we treat them as though they are a part of our own.” The Styers added a Teatwand, a robotic arm to automatically post-dip the cows before exiting the rotary. The arm extends between the rear legs of each cow, dispersing an even coat of post dip. David said the uniformity of the spray has improved udder Turn to ALFALAWN | Page 6
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Mike and Fred Broker milk 140 cows near Rice Lake, Wis. They recently upgraded to a swing-12 parlor to help maximize their Ɵme spent milking cows.
Brokers improve efciency with parlor, housing facilities By Jennifer Coyne & Mark Klaphake Staff Writers
CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Cows at Alfalawn Farm are milked three Ɵmes per day on a 60-stall rotary parlor that was built in 2014. Alfalawn is owned by brothers Dale, David and Randy Styer of Menomonie, Wis.
RICE LAKE, Wis. – Broker Dairy is essentially a two-man operation, with Fred Broker and his son, Mike, managing the 140-cow dairy. So, when the dairy was faced with the need for changes, the Brokers found their solution in efciency. “We’ve always made animal care a priority, but are mindful of costs. We were at a point where we needed to nd a better way of doing things with what we have rather than hiring someone else,” said Mike, who is the second generation of Brokers to be a part of the family’s dairy in Barron County near Rice Lake, Wis. Last November, the Brokers began using a swing-12
parlor in place of their double-6 parlor. Two months later, they built on to an open-front heifer shed to create a transition barn for their bred heifers and dry cows. The father-son duo also added three pens to the freestall barn to serve as maternity and hospital areas, as well as housing for fresh and special needs animals, adding an additional 48 feet to the 93- by 144-foot barn. “Big decisions, like this, kind of fall into place,” Mike said. “We knew we needed to do this.” Fred agreed. “Adding cows didn’t make sense, unless we were going to take a large step,” he said. “With the barn and parlor, we’re maxed and most efcient with what we have here, both for facilities and people.”
The Brokers tackle chores and milking together and have one full-time equivalent between a handful of high school students and a Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College intern throughout the year. In January 2017, the Brokers began planning the construction of their heifer and dry cow housing facility. By April 2017, construction began. The open-front heifer barn was transformed into a naturally-ventilated barn containing four pens of heifers and a three-row, 64-stall freestall pen for dry cows and bred heifers. With the addition of the freestall pen, the barn now includes drive-by feeding. “It was taking us about an hour to feed those animals,” Fred said. “Now, it’s less than Turn to BROKERS | Page 7