CASE STUDY ONE. 
DUTCH ROAD DAIRY.
Interviews From: Matt Beckerink and Ben Knickerson
By: Angelina Bertino
Date: 7/20/12
WHO:
Matt Beckerink is a second-generation dairy farmer from New York. During his time in New York, he and his father owned two dairies. One was a 700 cow dairy being milked on a double 14 parallel and the other was a 300 cow dairy being milked on a double 12 parallel parlor.
After tiring of the cold and wanting a fresh start in a warmer climate, he packed up 700 of his cows and moved his family to Muleshoe, Texas. In 2009, he bought a two-year-old dairy and named it Dutch Road Dairy. With the help of his father, wife, and 4 children, Dutch Road has become more efficient by raising all of their heifers on-site and they do all of their own farming on the premises.
WHAT:
The research was completed for Dutch Road Dairy. Their parlor includes a Westfalia Surge double 30 parallel parlor that was built in 2007. Depending upon the season, the dairy milks between 1,800 to 2,000 cows. Their staff consists of 20 employees and they operate 24 hours a day to make sure the dairy runs smoothly and efficiently. In the parlor, there are 2 employees that are milking the cows 3 times per day and 1 pusher. They bed their cows on dry manure solids in an open lot.
In July of 2010, Dutch Road Dairy installed The FutureCow™Teatscrubber and since then, it has provided numerous advantages to their every day quality of milk.
WHY:
Dutch Road Dairy initially invested in The FutureCow™Teatscrubber to reduce the amount of labor needed in their pit. In 2010, they had 4 people in the pit and 1 pusher. After installing the teatscrubber, they were able to eliminate 3 full-time positions which totaled an annual savings of $100,000. In addition, they removed their towel service, washers and dryers and were able to get an immediate return on their investments.
In addition to the monetary value they received from the teatscrubber, the research also proved that the dairy’s overall average somatic cell counts have continuously decreased.
| Date | 6 Month Average |
|---|---|
| 1/10 – 6/10 | 249,000 |
| 7/10 – 1/11 | 194,000 |
| 1/11 – 7/11 | 143,000 |
| 7/11 – 1/12 | 137,000 |
| 1/12 – 7/12 | 119,000 |
In addition to their reduction in somatic cell counts, they also realized a significant improvement in their mastitis outbreaks since 2010 until today.
| Date | New Cases | Total Cases |
|---|---|---|
| 7/09 – 7/10 | 627 | 991 |
| 7/10 – 7/11 | 446 | 611 |
| 7/11 – 7/12 | 369 | 479 |
The research also indicated that the dairy reduced their hospital pen from 2% to less than 1%. This also lowered their vet bills and antibiotics needed to treat infections.
According to Matt, The FutureCow™Teatscrubber is a wise investment for any dairy farmer and he would highly recommend it. It is easy to operate, excellent for cow comfort, and overall, works significantly better than the manual prep with let-down and stimulation.