King Dairy Farm at a Glance
King Dairy Farm operates as a mid-scale dairy enterprise focused on milk production, herd health, and feed management. The farm supplies fluid milk and dairy ingredients to processors and retailers across its region, balancing seasonal demand with a rotating herd of Holsteins and crossbred cattle. Its layout follows a conventional freestall barn design with parlor milking, and its management team tracks output through daily lactation records and bulk tank sampling.
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Herd Management and Daily Operations
The farm's milking schedule centers on twice-daily sessions in a parallel parlor, with cows grouped by lactation stage to optimize throughput. Nutritionists formulate rations based on local corn, alfalfa, and soybean meal, adjusting for spring flush and winter forage stocks. Veterinarians conduct routine reproductive checks, hoof trimming, and mastitis prevention protocols, while cow comfort is managed through stall bedding, ventilation, and shade structures during summer months.
Breeding and Calving Cycles
King Dairy Farm uses a controlled breeding program aligned with a 12- to 13-month calving interval. Semen from proven dairy bulls is selected for production traits and calving ease, and heifers are bred at around 15 months of age. Close monitoring of transition cows in the 21 days before and after calving helps reduce metabolic disorders and early lactation culling rates.
Milk Quality and Testing
Bulk tank milk is tested for somatic cell count, bacteria levels, and antibiotic residues before pickup. The farm maintains a herd health plan that includes regular pathogen screening, dry-cow therapy protocols, and equipment sanitation schedules. These practices are designed to meet the regulatory standards of the regional dairy processor and to keep cell counts within the contractual thresholds that affect milk price.
Record Keeping and Compliance
Daily logs capture milk volumes, feed inventories, veterinary treatments, and cull decisions. Digital management software ties these records to individual cow identifiers, allowing managers to spot production dips or health trends early. Environmental compliance includes manure storage and nutrient management planning, with records reviewed during periodic agency inspections.
Economic Role and Market Relationships
As a supplier within the regional dairy corridor, King Dairy Farm participates in a marketing system that ties raw milk pricing to component levels and processor demand. The operation works with a single primary handler, which arranges pickup and transport to a regional processing facility. Feed costs, herd size, and milk per-cow output are the main levers the farm adjusts in response to margin pressure, and management discusses these variables with a cooperative extension advisor twice a year.
Workforce and Labor Structure
A core crew of full-time employees manages milking, feeding, and calf-rearing duties, with seasonal hired hands assisting during peak fieldwork and harvest periods. Labor schedules are organized around the milking parlor and the need for consistent cow handling, and the farm relies on a local equipment dealer for field service and repair.
What Sets King Dairy Farm Apart
Compared to larger confinement operations, King Dairy Farm maintains a herd size that allows close individual animal monitoring without the complexity of automated milking systems. The operation's focus on consistent forage quality and a straightforward breeding program keeps management decisions transparent and auditable, which can matter to buyers and inspectors alike.
Outlook and Seasonal Considerations
Milk production typically peaks in late spring and early summer when pasture intake rises and days are longer, then moderates through winter as stored forages dominate the ration. Management plans for these cycles by adjusting grain levels, maintaining dry-cow body condition, and scheduling heifer replacements well in advance. The farm's financial stability depends on holding milk production steady across these seasonal shifts while managing feed costs through on-farm forage storage.