Voluntary disposals for better dairy herd performance

When dairy farms get so productive that they reach their 10-day limit of overproduction credits, it opens the door to a new and potentially money-saving management strategy: voluntary disposals.

What are voluntary disposals?

Voluntary disposals are when you remove the least profitable cows—ones with low milk production, SCC issues, reduced reproduction or mobility, etc.—to improve overall herd performance.

It’s just like hockey—if you want to win the Stanley Cup, you need to pick the best players.

Why are voluntary disposals good for herds?

Rather than lowering productivity per cow to stay within quota—which might be your first instinct—voluntary disposals keep your herd efficient, with high productivity and fewer cows. And fewer cows means cutting down on the variable costs that come with them.

Voluntary disposals can help you save on insemination costs, vet fees, bedding, hoof trimming, and more.

It also lowers the number of replacement heifers you need to keep on hand.

Once you’ve removed your most costly cows from the herd, you can move on to buying additional quota without having to expand your farming operation. It’s the ultimate way to “work smarter, not harder.”

Keeping your foot on the gas and removing your lowest-performing cows will increase your average milk production per cow and your annual margin. And you can do it all with lower variable costs and the same fixed costs and labour.

How do I do it?

Before you start voluntary disposals, you’ll need to:

• Get your peak milk up: Peak lactation accounts for 80% of a cow’s total milk production. To get high peak milk yields, you’ll need to work on herd management, cow comfort, and feed during the critical dry-off/calving preparation/early lactation phase.

• Focus on your weak spots: Identify the limiting factors on your farm and work on them to increase productivity per cow. For you, that might be ventilation, breeding management, cow comfort, or something else. Whatever your weak spots, your agri-advisor can help you identify them and set clear goals for improving them.

You won’t necessarily see instant results—it can take a bit of time for your herd to respond. But once the next peak rolls around, your cows should be set to show you what they can do.

As with anything, there’s no magic bullet for farm profitability. Take the time to sit down with your agri‑advisor and go over your technical and financial data—like costs and margins per cow—in Lactascan. Then, you can home in on ways to improve and set specific goals for yourself.