A compelling success story from Progressive Dairy Solutions consultant Bryan Soares demonstrates how two dairy operations achieved remarkable milk production increases—3 pounds per cow daily for a Jersey herd and 6 pounds for Holsteins—without spending a penny more on feed. Working alongside Amelicor’s help desk specialist Ashley, Soares uncovered how seemingly minor feed management issues were significantly impacting production, and how data-driven solutions transformed both operations.
The journey began when Ashley guided these dairies through an upgrade to EZfeed tablet software, revealing critical feed management challenges that had gone unnoticed. At the first dairy, what appeared to be a software recording issue turned out to be a classic case of miscommunication—feeders were experiencing equipment problems but, wanting to prove their reliability, were mixing rations from memory rather than reporting the issues. At the second dairy, well-intentioned feeders were attempting to boost production by increasing feed volumes, but their percentage-based approach created wild inconsistencies, with cows receiving too much feed some days and not enough on others.
The breakthrough came when Bryan Soares applied his nutritional expertise to the data insights from EZfeed, discovering that these dairies didn’t need more feed—they needed the right feed in the right amounts, delivered consistently. By addressing the root causes—fixing equipment issues, providing proper software training, and implementing daily data reviews—both operations saw immediate results. The article emphasizes a crucial lesson for the industry: fostering a culture of openness where feeders feel comfortable reporting problems, combined with intelligent data application, can unlock significant productivity gains. For the complete story, including specific strategies for implementing data-driven feed management and creating accountability in your operation, read the full article at amelicor.com