Dairy farms generate a lot of milk, of course, as well a great deal of manure and crops. Another thing dairy farms produce a lot of is data.

No matter how technological a farm is or not, there is likely not a day that goes by that a dairy farmer does not look at one or more lists, spreadsheets, or reports. When more automation is present, the amount of information to wade through only gets deeper. Allocating sufficient time to evaluating and utilizing this data while not drowning in the details requires thoughtful consideration by dairy farmers as to what they want to invest in.

“A lot of what we do is data-driven,” affirmed Skylar Gericke of Triple G Dairy in Buckeye, Ariz., during the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) Industry Meeting. He noted that with 5,000 cows to care for, they are not as hands-on with each one as they would like to be. Employing systems that collect data on their animals allows them to keep a closer eye on things.

In the case of Triple G, data is generated from their activity and rumination system, feed software, and camera system that detects lameness. They also input and track cow information with their herd management software.

To make the most of all of that information, Gericke pointed to a few key practices. “The main thing is you have consistent data entry,” he emphasized. Standardizing how information is classified makes finding trends possible.

He also noted the importance of being able to integrate any new information into their existing system. For example, if a technology isn’t compatible with their herd management software, Gericke said they are not interested.

Another consideration before investing in a certain program is evaluating what return there will be. Will you be getting new information, or can you get the same data points by becoming more efficient with the systems you already have?

Jordan Matthews of Rosy-Lane Holsteins in Watertown, Wis., echoed that statement. Before they jump into a new way to gather more information, they ask what they can find on their own. Is there a way they can apply an unbiased eye toward this information, or will a new system make a difference?

Rosy-Lane uses the Afimilk system at one of their locations and feed software programs on both; they are also experimenting with rumination collars, Matthews said. His biggest question when generating more data is what purpose it will bring.

“We have enough to do. We need to know why we’re inputting this information,” he said.

Just as important as knowing why you are inputting information is to know where to input in so it can be found again and used effectively. Matt Hendel of Hendel Farms in Caledonia, Minn., described how he received regular reports from his hoof trimmer of which cows had problems and on which claw after each visit. Only recently did Hendel determine that he could put this information into his herd management system so that he could refer back to it and it could flow into the national cooperator database. Without knowing where information should be input, data will not be shared, he recognized. And if data is not collected, there is no way to make improvement on either the herd level or national scale.