An examination of labor time-use on spring-calving dairy farms in Ireland

Abstract

The seasonal workload associated with pasture-based dairy farms, combined with increasing herd sizes, has led to a renewed focus on labor time-use and efficiency on dairy farms. The objective of this study was to examine labor time-use on pasture-based dairy farms in the spring and summer seasons. A total of 82 spring-calving Irish dairy farms completed the study from February 1 to June 30, 2019 (150 d). Each farmer recorded their labor input on one alternating day each week using a smartphone app. Any labor input by farm workers not using the app was recorded through a weekly online survey. Farms with data for each month (n = 76) were classified into 1 of 4 herd size categories (HSC) for analysis: farms with 50 to 90 cows (HSC 1); 91 to 139 cows (HSC 2); 140 to 239 cows (HSC 3); and ≥240 cows (HSC 4). Total hours of labor input was similar on HSC 1 (1,821 h) and HSC 2 (2,042 h) farms, but predictably as HSC increased further, total hours of labor input increased (HSC 3: 2,462 h, HSC 4: 3,040 h). On a monthly basis, labor input peaked in February (15.4 h/d) and March (15.7 h/d). The farmer worked on average 60.0 h/wk over the duration of the study period. Hired labor and contractors completed a greater amount of work as HSC increased. Labor efficiency, as measured by hours/cow, improved as HSC increased (HSC 1: 26.3 h/cow, HSC 2: 17.7 h/cow, HSC 3: 14.3 h/cow, HSC 4: 10.9 h/cow), though there were large variations in labor efficiency within HSC. Milking was the most time-consuming task, representing 31% of farm labor input making it an important focus for potential improvements in efficiency. The next 5 most time-consuming tasks were calf care (14%), grassland management (13%), cow care (10%), repairs and maintenance (10%), and administration/business (8%). This study contributes to the understanding of labor use during the busiest (most labor demanding) time of the year on pasture-based dairy farms and points to areas where labor efficiency improvements can be made on farms. The considerable variation in farm labor efficiency observed within HSCs emphasizes the necessity for a greater focus on knowledge transfer of methods to achieve improved labor efficiency and a better work-life balance on many dairy farms. As the 2 busiest months on most dairy farms, February and March require the most focus for identification of potential labor savings.

Estimating the effect of different work practices and technologies on labor efficiency within pasture-based dairy systems

“…In general, labor-saving ideas for the cow care task have not been identified by previous literature, despite it consuming 11% of total labor input during calving and breeding periods (Hogan et al, 2021). One technology that has been identified for its time-saving potential is automated heat detection (Adenuga et al, 2020), and this was one of the 12 work practices and technologies highlighted in this study for cow care.…”

“…Evidence-based research is a key consideration for farmers when deciding to adopt new work practices and technologies (Borchers and Bewley, 2015), and there is a lack of evidence to-date of the time-saving potential of different labor-efficient work practices and technolo-gies. Using detailed information regarding labor input, and work practice and technology implementation on 76 dairy farms, this study identified 12 key laborefficient work practices and technologies (Tables 5 to 8) across the 4 most time-consuming farm tasks from February to June (Hogan et al, 2021), and estimated their potential labor-savings during the peak periods of workload for spring-calving dairy farms. Improved labor efficiency can enhance many key aspects of dairy farming including: reducing work hours (Deming et al, 2018), and improving health and safety for farm operators (Osborne et al, 2010); creating more attractive workplaces (Eastwood et al, 2020) and increasing farm profitability as influenced by labor costs (Hemme et al, 2014).…”

“…That study aimed to quantify labor input and efficiency on spring-calving dairy farms during the spring and summer seasons. As outlined in detail in Hogan et al (2021), 82 farmers completed the time-use study between February 1 and June 30, 2019. This present study used only complete sets of farm labor input data (i.e., those with data recorded for each month), which included 76 farms.…”

“…Data on time-use were collected using a smartphone app (developed by Acorn Agricultural Research). A description of the app, and its functionality are described in Deming et al (2018) and Hogan et al (2021). Briefly, the app's design allowed farmers to record their labor data in real time by starting and stopping a stopwatch function on the app as each designated task was commenced and completed.…”

Prevalence of respiratory disease in Irish preweaned dairy calves using hierarchical Bayesian latent class analysis

“…Spring calving dairy herds are managed to synchronize the highest demand for feed (peak lactation) with the highest availability of grazed grass ( 33 ). This production system allows for farms to maintain higher levels of profitability due to the lower production costs of grass ( 34 ). It is recommended that 90% of the milking herd be calved within the first 6 weeks of the calving season ( 35 ).…”