Flexible milking is a term for milking practices that fall between the traditional once-a-day (OAD) or twice-a-day (TAD) milking.

Regular service and maintenance of your milking machine will help ensure that the speed and completeness of milking is maintained, and the risk of mastitis due to milking machine faults is minimised.

Early lactation once-a-day (OAD) milking is a short-term strategy used during the calving period. Understanding the benefits and trade-offs helps you make informed decisions for your herd and business.

An Automatic Milking System (AMS) lets cows choose when to be milked by a robotic system without human help. It has a robotic arm and an identification system. When a cow enters, it's checked if she's due for milking.

Drenching is a method you can use during your milking routine to balance your dairy cows' diet and safeguard against metabolic diseases.

Once-a-day (OAD) milking is a practice adopted by dairy farmers to manage their herds during late lactation, particularly from Christmas onwards.

Tauranga farmers Nick and Mary Dowson initially decided to give flexible milking a go from Christmas onwards as a strategy to cope with dry summers.

Taranaki has long been a centre for dairy science with research and demonstration farms in Stratford, Hawera and Waimate West.

Improving milking efficiency is one of the great wins for dairy farmers.

The page covers a farmer's experience with a flexible milking schedule, milking 10 times in seven days (10-in-7), which has led to improved animal health, profitability, and staff retention.

Angela Reid manages North South Farms, a property under FarmRight management in Northern Southland.

Three, two, done For most people, three doesn’t go into two. But for Taranaki farmers Daryl and Karyn Johnson, that formula has proven to be a winner, helping them improve herd health, staff wellbeing and farm profitability.

DairyNZ's research farms are an important industry resource that provide 'real farm' platforms with associated science resources, enabling pasture and animal trials to be carried out.

Frustrated that milking wasn’t more enjoyable for his team, Bay of Plenty farmer Gordon McFetridge decided it was high time to seek help from milking expert Josh Wheeler.

DairyNZ works with Northland dairy farmers on a range of projects to ensure regionally-relevant information is available and farmers have access to forums to discuss issues unique to Northland.

Ben Wilson contract milks two family-owned dairy farm properties near Kirwee, Canterbury. The farms are owned in an equity partnership between Ben, his parents and his brother.

Craigmore Farms’ Oamaru pod manager, Ed von Randow oversees five dairy farms in North Otago. In the 2020/21 season, Waiareka farm will be making the shift to full season 3-in-2 milking. We will be following Waiareka farm as part of the project.

Leo Vollebregt wanted a thriving dairy farm, but faced challenges with staff retention and cow health. Then, he had an insight during a 2007 trip to Canterbury.

How do we reduce methane emissions from cattle within our pasture-based farming system? And when will farmers have solutions ready to use on-farm?

The Contract Milker Premium Calculator compares the profitability of contract milking with managing a farm.