Tru Test Electronic Automated Milk Recording System

System components There are 2 basic components to the new €DIY system;

 

1. Data Handler (DH) 2	Tru Test Electronic Milk Meter (TTEMM)

Cows’ IDs loaded direct from database 

•  Meter Records Milk Volume Electronically
•  Meter automatically agitates & takes sample
•  Bar-coded vial, no writing, more accurate
•  Milk Yields electronically loaded to database
•  Lab results electronically loaded to database
•  Meters delivered - No Capital Purchase required

 

Operational model

The country is divided geographically into milk recording “cells”. Each cell can contain between 150 – 180 herds.  At the centre of the cell is the DIY technician who services these 150 clients. He is deployed with a customised van stocked with 72 meters and 7 data handlers and a schedule list of clients. His job is to train & support the milk recording clients in his cell, to deliver and pick up meters/samples, download herd ID info and upload recording results to database. The technician organises visit schedules by area, by number units in the parlour and by visit scheme. By clustering farmers by area a technician can do four to five farmers a day. The technician is given a laptop and access to the ICBF intranet to upload and download to and from the database. All meters are put through an annual calibration check by ICBF.

 

Uptake and Summary

 

In March 2006 ICBF and Irish Service Providers had eleven electronic DIY cells in operation. These eleven cells serviced 1,000 herds or approx 60,000 cows. It is planned that these eleven cells will fill out to 1400 herds before end of the year (some 80,000 cows).  It is significant that some 40% of the 1,000 herds that signed up were new to recording. This is exactly the result we need to help us increase our level of Milk Recording. Looking forward to 2007 and beyond we see this approach as the main mechanism by which we can achieve our goal of 60% Irish cows (600,000 cows) recording by 2011.