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Tickety Moo, Northern Ireland

I thought I was impressed with a nearly-automatic milking parlor. But nothing, my friends, can compare to the full-automated milking parlor I saw today at a charming little family-run business called Tickety Moo.

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Besides having some of the freshest ice cream I’ve ever tasted, Tickety Moo is unique in that it houses a Voluntary Milking System (VMS) which allows the cows at Tickety Moo to decide when they want to be milked, and how frequently. If this system wasn’t amazing enough, the technology that goes into creating a happy, healthy environment for these cows involves a free feed silage system, padded “cow beds” and even a giant, spinning brush that the cows massage themselves with. The words “Cow Spa” come to mind when you see the parlor at its full potential.

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A giant catwalk extends over a large portion of the parlor, allowing visitors to get a full view of the Jersey Cows of Tickety Moo going about their cow-business on a daily basis. It is truly a sight to behold.

One is first shocked at the cleanliness of the large space. Manure is swept into the drop-down floorboards by a squeegee robot which operates hourly. The water trough is automated to dump daily, resulting in a constant stream of fresh water. Green grass is cut and brought indoors for the cows, (think the largest salad bar you’ve ever seen) and silage too, is constantly offered.

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The milking machine is a laser-precise mechanism that applies the cluster of teat cups via a robotic arm that is also in charge of sterilizing the udder. After the cow is milked, the door to the parlor opens and she is free to carry on with her day. In this way, the cow is able to produce the maximum amount of quality milk, without the stress of waiting for a farmer to milk. The average Jersey is milked 3 times per day, but some prefer up to 5. Can you imagine that…a cow preferring one frequency to another!

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After seeing the care and forethought put into this milking barn, I cannot help but think that sustainable farming is coming to a head. If chicken and pig farming can reach this level of sustainability and animal comfort, we will truly be creating a world where animals and humans can come together in the best, most humane way possible.

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