Dairies and auction marts
Aug. 20th, 2008 05:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blue_lotus13Today I went on a media tour to two dairies and the Ponoka auction mart. I've been in auction marts before, but never one this size. At one point, we stood on this platform over a holding area where cows were being sorted. I could see cows as far as the eye could see. Apparently, we were standing over about 5,000 cattle, which is the largest number of cows I've ever seen at one time. They were all getting herded into various pens by people on horseback.
Following this, we went to a dairy where we saw a robotic milking system. The robot sits in the corner, and the cows line up and use the machine when they want to be milked. Tags attached to the cows store all the info about where the cows' teats are, milk production, etc. We then got to play with the calves, and tour the operation. Following this, we went to another dairy, where people are needed to hook the cows up to the milking machine twice a day.
This was my first experience with dairy cows.
It was a fun day, and I got to meet a lot of agricultural writers and supporters in the area. I found out that one of the girls from Alberta Agricultural is also a poet and writer, like me, and that another guy moonlights as a restaurant reviewer. He told me some good restaurants to check out in the Edmonton area and I finally found out where I should go for dim sum.
Now I'm exhausted and am going to put on my pyjamas because my pants have calf slobber on them. Heading off to Rocky Mountain House tomorrow. Apparently that area of the province is supposed to be beautiful.
Following this, we went to a dairy where we saw a robotic milking system. The robot sits in the corner, and the cows line up and use the machine when they want to be milked. Tags attached to the cows store all the info about where the cows' teats are, milk production, etc. We then got to play with the calves, and tour the operation. Following this, we went to another dairy, where people are needed to hook the cows up to the milking machine twice a day.
This was my first experience with dairy cows.
It was a fun day, and I got to meet a lot of agricultural writers and supporters in the area. I found out that one of the girls from Alberta Agricultural is also a poet and writer, like me, and that another guy moonlights as a restaurant reviewer. He told me some good restaurants to check out in the Edmonton area and I finally found out where I should go for dim sum.
Now I'm exhausted and am going to put on my pyjamas because my pants have calf slobber on them. Heading off to Rocky Mountain House tomorrow. Apparently that area of the province is supposed to be beautiful.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-08-30 04:59 pm (UTC)I prefer calf slobber to puppy slobber any day.