The Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association Summer Tour made many stops throughout the day including a seedstock cattle farm and a hoop barn designed to feed Holstein calves. The tour also stopped at Chokio, Minnesota, where the Blackwelder Family operates County Line Dairy. Four years ago, the family was faced with the decision to either upgrade the barn or get out of the business.”Labor was also a struggle, so we decided to install robotic milkers,” says Brett Blackwelder. “We went from five employees down to two and the cows are so much calmer with the robotics now.” The 320 cows at County Line Dairy are milked by six robotic milkers, and an automatic feeder pusher ensures the cattle have unlimited feed access. Other tour highlights included a mono-slope barn set up and a 4,000 head custom cattle feedlot. Listen to the story.
