An Economic Evaluation of Three Times Daily Milking of Dairy Cows

Abstract A budgeting procedure using a micro-computer spreadsheet was used to compare the income over feed and variable costs of cows milked thrice and twice daily. Various percentage increases in milk yield, production per cow, milk and feed prices, and labor requirements were tested. With low feed prices, a 50% increase in labor requirements, and $12/ 45.4 kg milk, a 15.7% increase in milk yield was required for a herd producing 7727 kg milk per cow/yr for the income over feed and variable costs of thrice daily milking to equal that of twice daily milking. The percentage increases required for income over feed and variable costs of thrice daily milking to equal that of twice daily milking were lowered with a decreased labor requirement, lowered feed prices, and increased herd production. Small breeds required a larger increase in production from thrice daily milking to be as profitable as twice daily milking.