Category Archives: DelPro

Hoof Trim in Delpro

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Delpro can be used to automatically sort milking cows into the trim chute
  1. Move the flush schedule for the feed alley back to mid afternoon
  2. Add cows to be trimmed to the “Hoof Trim” selection – once cows are in this selection they will automatically be sorted to the trim chute
    • use CowsToTrimHoofs report to find cows due for routine trimming
    • add lame cows
  3. Begin fetching cows from the Hoof Trim selection.  Don’t fetch all at once, or the chute will get too full.
  4. As cows are trimmed, remove them from the Hoof Trim selection so that they don’t get sorted into the chute again.  The “Cow Traffic” report can be used to see which cows have been sorted into the chute.  The filter and date filter are setup like this

  5. Trim events must be added into the AMIS database so that the report can be used in the future (ask Jeff)

Started using VMS Feed Tables

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First implementation of feed tables in Delpro.
  • Two tables:  Normal, Challenge
  • Challenge table is setup to feed at a rate based on 10lb higher milk production
  • Challenge table has minimum of 8lb – don’t want fresh cows to ever have less than 8lb
  • Normal table has a minimum of 3lb – don’t want any cow to ever have less than 3lb to keep her coming to the robot and having enough to eat to keep her calm
  • Heifers are on challenge table from 21 DIM to 90 DIM and Normal table from 91 DIM on
  • Cows are on challenge table from 21 DIM to 70 DIM and Normal table from 71 DIM on
  • Both groups are started with 4lbs at calving, and increased to 10lb by 10DIM

Feed Table from Nate Keifer:

  • 50 – 2
  • 60 – 3.5
  • 70 – 5
  • 80 – 6.5
  • 90 – 7.5
  • 100 – 8.5
  • 110 – 9.5
  • 120 – 10.5
  • 130 – 11.5
  • 140 – 12.5
  • 150 – 13.5

Feed Table - Challenge Sept 2015 Feed Table - Normal Sept 2015

Fresh Cow Procedure

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Identify the fresh cow and calf:  Determine which cow had the calf, by using the list of cows to calve, and by looking for obvious signs of calving (blood on the hind quarter or tail, afterbirth, lost gut).  Also determine the sex of the calf (or calves).

Once the cow and calf are identified, the events must be entered in Delpro using the following instructions before the cow can be milked.

Determine calf number:  If the calf is a heifer calf, you will need for find the number before entering the events below.  Visit amis.baerfarm.com/Calves.php to see the current heifer calves.  The new one will be the next sequential number.

Open the animal card for the fresh cow:  Everything here is done on the animal card in Delpro.  Start by opening the animal card for the fresh cow.  This can be done by typing the cow number into the box shown below and pressing Enter.

Transponder:  If the cow has not had a responder number entered, go to the General page and enter the transponder.  Set the type to ISO and enter the ISO Transponder ID.

Enter events – do the following on the Events tab:

  1. Enter a new calving event
  2. Enter the calving date (Enter twice gives today’s date), calving ease (normal unless we had to pull it out), and any comment
  3. Add a new calf by clicking the green + in the Calves box at the bottom.  Choose normal for live calves, or stillborn for dead calves.
  4. Choose male or female.
  5. For heifer calves, leave the Add Calf to Herd checked
  6. For bull calves, uncheck the “Add Calf to Herd”, and enter “Sold” for the Exit Type, and “Male Calf” for the exit reason.
  7. Click OK.
  8. For heifer calves an add calf box will appear
  9. Enter the Number and Ear Tag.  Verify the breed – Delpro does not pick up crossbreeds.  Click Save and Close.
  10. Then Save and Close on the Calving window
  11. Enter a group change event for the fresh cow:  Set the New Group to “Milking” and in the New Feed Ration box on the right, set both ration and target to 5.00 for heifers(1st lactation), and 8.00 for mature cows.  Set the available amount to 3 and 5 respectively.

AMS Settings:  On the AMS Settings tab, do the following:

  1. General:
    Check Active AMS Cow.
    Set action to “Milk”
    Set Manual divert milk type to “Waste Milk”
    Change the the “divert for – days” setting to 18 hours, by putting the cursor in the first box, and typing 0 TAB 18 TAB 0 TAB
  2. Milk Permission:
    Check “Allow action on automatic milk permission settings”.
    Uncheck “Temporary milking permission when incompletely milked”.
  3. Commands:  Check “Perform auto teach at next milking”.  Note that for cows going into Group 2, this in not necessary.
  4. Automatic Diversion:  Check “Notify if milk is diverted automatically.  Check “Blood auto divert active”, “Drain”, and set thresholds to 1500 and 2500.  All other auto diverts should be off.
  5. Notifications:  Check “Teat blood notification active”, set to 1000.
  6. Configuration:  Make sure the teat settings are correct (Existing, milking, direct attach, change tilt, abnormal teat shape (usually should be off), and wide search (usually should be off)
    Also set the manger position appropriately.  All heifers and jerseys should be set to the smallest setting.  Most mature holsteins should be set to one of the middle settings.  Only the largest of holsteins use the longest setting.
  7. Click Save.  A box will pop up asking if it is okay to divert for 0.75 days.  Click ok.

Setup Selections:  In the Status/Milking Queue page (in Delpro) find the fresh cow.  Right click ->  Add to Selection -> Early Lactation 0-100 DIM.  And for heifers and new cows, Right click -> Add to Selection -> Always Milk

Milk the cow:  Cow can now be brought into the milking station.  When she comes in allow the auto-teach to work or abort the robot and teach the teats manually.  If teaching manually, on the Prepare tab, click “Clean Teats”, and put the robot in AUTO while it is cleaning.

Catching the colostrum:
For VMS1:  On the Milk page on the robot, touch “Milk Destination”.  Set it to User and Divert3.  Put the stainless bucket under the divert tube to catch the colostrum.
For VMS2:  Move the spout at the divert rack by hand away from the drain, and put the bucket under it
For VMS3 and VMS4:  twist the stainless divert spout out of the drain and put the bucket underneath.

Calcium supplement:  For 2nd lactation or greater cows, and all Jerseys, set the headlocks after they milk and give them a Bovikalk bolus.

Once the cow is finished, the calf should be cared for using these instructions.