Coverage runs from Monday afternoon (5pm) through Monday morning (6am)

Main Responsibilities

• Nightly Monday thru Sunday – push feed and fetch cows (any time between 9pm and 12am)
• Handle all after hours (5pm – 6am) robot alarms
• Handle after hours emergencies – cows, equipment, and facilities
• Cover all weekend chores – Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening

Weekend chores includes:

• Saturday afternoon:
  1. push feed
  2. fetch cows
  3. fresh cows and new calves
  4. feed calves
  5. CHANGE FILTER
• Sunday morning:
  1. fetch cows
  2. mix feed for all groups
  3. fresh cows and new calves
  4. CHANGE FILTER
• Sunday afternoon:
  1. push feed,
  2. fetch cows,
  3. feed calves,
  4. CHANGE FILTER

On either Saturday or Sunday (but not both in the same weekend), it is okay to delay the afternoon work until around 7pm, and then do it all together with the night work.  In that case, do it in this order:

1. Push feed (heifers, dry cows, and cows)
2. Milk any of the Always Milk cows that have been in the holding pen for a long time (more than 2 or 3 hours)
3. Fetch some of the top overdue cows,
4. Feed calves
5. Change filter
6. Finish fetching cows
7. Push feed again

 

1. Feed Bristol
   • 2.5 bags of pellets for the calves
   • Push up silage for both groups
   • Check hay
   • Check waterers
2. Check Feed in old barn
   • Push up and check dry cow feed
   • Push up and check heifer feed
   • Give a little bit of hay to the steers in the grain feeder
   • Check for fresh cows
3. Mark feed amounts for all recipes
   • Dry Cows should have a little bit left over every day.  Adjust for fresh cows and dry off cows.
   • If milking cows are cleaned up before 10am, feed three batches of 4500, otherwise feed two batches of 5100

1. Feed calves – start mixing milk no earlier than 4:30pm
   • Feed bank barn calves and get milk replacer
   • Mix milk, fill bottles and fill water buckets
     • On very cold days, fill a bucket with hot water for thawing calf buckets
     • Rinse all equipment used for milk replacer (milk replacer bucket, mixing barrel, drill mixer)
   • Feed milk bottles
     • Distribute to hutches first
       • White clothespins get milk in the evening only
       • Yellow or Orange clothespins get 4 pint bottles, others get 5 pint bottles
       • Blue and Green clothespins do not get milk
     • Feed bull pen calves
     • Return to hutches and help any calves that didn’t drink completely
   • Top off hutch water buckets – older calves need a full bucket, younger calves half bucket is usually enough
   • Feed grain in calf barn – one scoop per calf
   • Refill grain buckets for weaned calves – light blue clothespins get sweet unique and dark blue clothespin calves get legendairy pellets
   • Give clavamox pills to calves that are being treated – purple or red clothespins, also noted in Slack and on the feeding board
   • Wash bottles and all equipment
     • Rinse with warm water to remove all foreign material.  Note especially that nipples need to be rinsed and scrubbed to remove saliva, milk, and any other substances
     • Wash bottles, nipples and pill guns in hot water using some dish detergent and a 1/3 scoop of chlorine
     • Use wash water to clean buckets and milk mixer
     • Set bottles and nipples to dry.  Shake excess water off of nipples.
2. Clean freestalls in milking barn using the rake
3. Push feed – milking cows, dry cows, heifers

• Spray the camera area thoroughly, blasting water into the grippers and other spaces to flush sand out
• Wash the arm and teat cups
• Wash the rubber deck
• Spray water into the sponge and squeeze it out a few times

Take the hose out through the robot to do the following:

• Wash the butt pan thoroughly, making sure that there is no manure restricting motion
• Wash out the gutter under and behind the robot
• Wash the deck, sidewalls and gates on the robot

Using a toothbrush and vinegar, clean the film off of the camera lens

The filter needs changed after each wash cycle.  Check the filter every time you come to the barn or leave the barn.    To change it do the following:

1. If milk was picked up recently, the wash lines may need unhooked.  Follow this procedure first before changing the filter.
2. Wash hands – hands must be clean when handling the milk filter
3. The filter with a blinking green light needs changed.  Only change the filter when the red light is off.  Turn the blinking green knob to the right, 1/4 turn.
4. Pull the filter holder out part way.
5. Remove the spring from the handle.  If it is difficult to remove, twisting the spring away the tank can help.
6. Pull the inner holder completely out, leaving the spring and filter inside the filter body.
7. Set the holder in the vat.
8. Remove the old filter from the spring (spring can stay in the filter body).  Discard the old filter.
9. Using the hose, wash the floor in front of the tank where milk splashes out of the tank valves.
10. Rinse the tank valve inlet through the screen.
11. Rinse the holder with water, especially near the handle, where there is milk residue.
12. Return the hose to the rack and turn the water off!
13. Pull the new filter up over the barrel of the filter holder, and then fold the other end of the filter over the end of the holder.
14. Insert the filter into the spring, and pull the spring up on the barrel.  It helps to twist the spring away from the tank again.
15. Insert the filter and holder into the filter body, and screw the ring back on.
16. Turn the green knob back 1/4 turn.  It should be on solid.