Skyline Dairy Awarded Best Milk Quality in Manitoba

Skyline Dairy Ltd., a customer of DeLaval dealer Tristar Ag, was recognized as Grand Champion of the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba’s (DFM) Milk Quality awards at an event in December. The farm, which achieved an average somatic cell count (SCC) of 57,000, is the first robotic dairy in the province to win such high honors. The farm in Grunthal milks with four DeLaval VMS™ V300 units installed in the spring of 2022 after using VMS Classic robots since 2008.

According to Jarryd Preston, dairy herd advisor for Tristar Ag, Skyline’s success is rooted in the strong farm management of owners and brothers David and Charles Wiens. “The team at Skyline has great managers, very forward thinking. They prioritize using the best solutions with the best practices to help them reach their goals,” said Jarryd.

David Wiens said the farm is motivated to achieve excellence in dairy because it aligns with other industry partners and because it is what the consumer expects and deserves. "Continual focus on the details and improvements for the cows—from diet to comfort and environment—are contributing factors," noted Wiens. “Our staff is also of great importance to achieving this!"

According to Doug Priest, Skyline Dairy’s herdsman, building an excellent farm reputation required a multi-prong approach. “We began with reducing mastitis treatment, and as that got better, so did our quality,” said Doug. “We also switched our SOP to include pre and post dip rather than just post dip and saw sustained improvements. Lastly, a new bedding system of finer straw helped improve animal health and environment.”

Seven out of the 10 farms recognized by DFM for excellence in Milk Quality were Tristar Ag customers. Reutter Dairy, also of Grunthal, was awarded fifth place milking with nine DeLaval VMS V300 robots milking more than 450 cows. They averaged an SCC of under 77,000 and a plate count of under 8,000. Reutter Dairy also topped Lactanet’s latest report for best overall farm for SCC in Manitoba. 

“At Tristar, we are committed to the farmers we serve,” affirmed Jarryd. “Their goals are our goals, and with a winning combination of advisory, service and solution assortment, we are proud to play a part in their success.”

Wiens confirmed the critical role Tristar and DeLaval played in helping them achieve their milk quality goals. "The service and support from Tristar and DeLaval have been extremely important to us,” he said. “They have helped us keep the condition and standards of the equipment high that way we can reach our standards."