Dairyman Milks Cows Five Times Every Two Days

Dairyman milks cows five times every two days LIVESTOCK Dairy (17) 11-4-25 Washington dairyman Keith Boon, of Sumas, milks his 230-cow herd five times every two days. "The advantage is that we get about the same production increase as milking three times a day but with one less milking. Plus, the cows seem to like the schedule real well," says Boon, whose herd average is 20,000 lbs. of milk with 700 lbs. of fat. On day one, cows are milked at 4:30 am., 2 p.m., and midnight. On the second day, they're milked at 9:30 am. and 7 p.m. Boon started the herd on the new schedule on March 1st. Prior to then, he milked twice a day. He reports that expenses increased 7%, due to higher electric, labor and feeding costs, but milk production increased about 14%.

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