Michigan Farm to Become Largest DeLaval Robotic Dairy in North America

7 October, 2016 | News

VMS

BANNOCKBURN, IL (October 5, 2016) – TDI Farms LLC of Westphalia, MI has signed an agreement to purchase 24 DeLaval Voluntary Milking System (VMS™) robots citing advantages in animal welfare, employee development and the farm’s longevity as main catalysts for the project. Owners Frank, Paul and Bryant Treirweiler expect to milk 1,500 cows at the new site.

TDI Farms selected DeLaval in part due to their long-standing relationship with the local dealer, DeLaval Dairy Service – Michigan. The family trusts the support they will receive as the project moves forward. They also cite add-on technologies, such as Herd Navigator™, DelPro™ Software, Smart Pulsation and Body Condition Scoring (BCS)™, which they expect to add value once the VMS robots come online.                   

 “We decided to transition to robotic milking first and foremost for the benefit of the cows since we’ve seen improved longevity and lower cull rates when evaluating other robotic milking herds. We also have a great core of employees and prefer to develop their talents as opposed to adding more labor,” Bryant Trierweiler explained, “For the last few years, my family has been discussing the farm’s next steps. Ultimately, the conversations kept coming back to robotics as we felt it was the best fit.”

“This project, in conjunction with Fundo El Risquillo, near Los Ángeles, Chile, strengthens DeLaval’s position as the leader in large-scale robotic dairy solutions and services,” says Fernando Cuccioli, Vice President of Market Area North America for DeLaval, “This marks the beginning of a new standard for large dairy farming in North America and we’re honored to be the preferred solution supplier.” In June, Fundo El Risquillo agreed to purchase 64 VMS milking robots for their 6,500 cow dairy, making it the world’s largest robotic milking farm. More information may be found at http://www.delaval-us.com/About-DeLaval/DeLaval-Newsroom/?nid=148080

In addition to the 24 milking robots, TDI Farms has also agreed to purchase DeLaval activity monitoring tags for the entire herd, 24 swinging cow brushes (SCB), and teat dips and detergents developed by DeLaval specifically for VMS farms. The new facility will also use DelPro farm management software to record, for example quarter milk yields, robot visits and heats, helping TDI Farms make accurate and timely decisions to maintain the health of their herd

About DeLaval

DeLaval is a worldwide leader in milking equipment and solutions for dairy farmers, which make sustainable food production possible, warranting milk quality and animal health. Our solutions are used by millions of dairy farmers around the globe every day.

DeLaval was founded more than 130 years ago in Sweden, when the visionary Gustaf de Laval patented the cream separator. Today, DeLaval has 4,500 employees and operates in more than 100 markets. DeLaval, alongside Tetra Pak and Sidel, is part of the Tetra Laval Group. See more at www.delavalcorporate.com.