Fewer and fewer dairy farms in Western Australia

@JudyEv (365055)
Rockingham, Australia
November 8, 2025 6:31pm CST
I’m still stymied when it comes to adding a photo but this one doesn’t rely on images for whatever impact it might have. An interesting article on our news last night informed us that Western Australia has less than 100 dairy farms. During the segment, we were shown the latest innovations regarding dairy farming. There is a huge building with no humans in sight. The cows come and go as they please. Driven either by hunger or full udders of milk, they walk into the shed where gates guide them into a stall. Information on their electronic collars triggers the release of feed structured for each cow’s individual requirements. Cups are automatically placed on the teats. When the cow has been milked and she has finished her food, she is released into another area. The cows can come into the shed at any time during the day or night. Economic difficulties has seen many of the smaller dairying farms sold off.
15 people like this
12 responses
DE
@DaddyEvil (161373)
• United States
9 Nov
Automation is getting rid or all the smaller farms of whatever type. I remember being a teenager and milking our cattle twice a day before breakfast and as soon as I got home from school. I hated days when I had to go out in the pasture and bring the cows in for milking, especially in the mornings. I wasn't really awake but still had to go round them up and bring them in. My older brothers hated that mom bought a milking machine for me to use. I had arthritis in my hands even back then and my hands would lock around the cows' teats when I was milking by hand. Mom always told them to mind their own business when they'd start griping that she was coddling me.
2 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (161373)
• United States
9 Nov
@JudyEv You're lucky she didn't make butter in her udders by the time you got her home.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (365055)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov
@DaddyEvil I was in so much trouble. I've never forgotten that little incident from my childhood.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (365055)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Nov
I got into a lot of trouble when I had to bring the milking cow home. I was cross and ran her all the way home so of course then she wouldn't let down her milk. And we needed the milk for her calf, pet lambs, etc.
1 person likes this
George B Vieto
@Deepizzaguy (115950)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
10 Nov
Sorry to learn that economic conditions in your area are in bad shape.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (365055)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov
With the world as it is, we need to be producing as much of our own food as we can.
1 person likes this
George B Vieto
@Deepizzaguy (115950)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
11 Nov
@JudyEv You are right.
1 person likes this
ShannyBananny
@shaggin (74465)
• United States
9 Nov
Wow that is really interesting how the cows just kind of wind up going when they need milking. Imagine farmers of a 100 years ago hearing this they’d never be able to believe it. I had trouble adding a photo earlier I had to upload it at the smallest size. Ive never had to make it reduced that small before. I was going to report that posting photos wasn’t working until that last thing did work .
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (365055)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov
It seems to be back to normal now which is a good thing.
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (486886)
• Italy
9 Nov
We have those "authomatic" farms also here in Italy. People drink less and less milk, now there are those milk substitute made with almond, soy, oat. It's a fad and it will pass. They are not healthier than milk and can be unhealthy because of their high content of sugar and additives.
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (486886)
• Italy
11 Nov
@JudyEv - You are so right. Those big companies convinced people that those horrible fake milks are healthier and better, they are not healthy at all, they lack nutrients and proteins and they are full of sugar and fats. It is incredible how people are gullible.
RasmaSandra
@RasmaSandra (90705)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
10 Nov
That certainly is a shame,
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (365055)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov
I think so too. We need to be producing as much as possible ourselves so we're not dependent on world situations.
1 person likes this
LindaOH
@LindaOHio (205648)
• United States
9 Nov
That seems so sterile and robotic to have no human contact. I don't like it.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (365055)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov
I don't either but I guess it saves them money.
1 person likes this
LindaOH
@LindaOHio (205648)
• United States
11 Nov
@JudyEv I do like the fact that they can wander about.
1 person likes this
Amber
@AmbiePam (106058)
• United States
9 Nov
That’s pretty interesting. Very efficient.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (365055)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Nov
It's amazing that they don't need any humans at all in the actual shed.
1 person likes this
snowy
@snowy22315 (198597)
• United States
9 Nov
Same here
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (365055)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov
I hate seeing the small family farms (and businesses) disappear.
Ptrikha_2
@ptrikha_2 (48634)
• India
9 Nov
While automating this whole dairy process does takes away jobs, at least what all is done is hygienic and good for cows. I have seen videos of not so well managed farms here, where hygiene is poor and cows are treated very badly. Many fall ill due to infections and many die as well. May be some of the cows in these automated farms are later killed or sent to slaughter houses for Beef but at least for many years they might be living well off. I hope the image issue is solved well in time.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (365055)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov
The cows are well treated that's for sure. When we had dairy cows they were fed very well. If you didn't feed them well, then you didn't get much milk from them.
Eva James
@wolfgirl569 (124809)
• Marion, Ohio
9 Nov
That is a good way to do the milking but smaller farms can't afford it so go out of business
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (365055)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov
True. They get bought out by the bigger conglomerates.
1 person likes this
Dena Miller
@Dena91 (17031)
• United States
9 Nov
It's sad to see smaller dairy farmers being sold off. I understand progress and technology, that they can be beneficial, but at the expense of taking peoples livelihoods away, that's just wrong, no matter what the job is.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (365055)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Nov
That's so true. I see it happening here all the time. It's just awful.
1 person likes this
Amj Reyes
@Soobinah (201)
•
9 Nov
I felt sad when i read that the huge building with no humans in sight, this would affect labor force of the people. if all labor force will be replaced by machines, then what will happened to their economy? the people relying to the private companies?
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (365055)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Nov
Yes, it's very sad to see some many losing their jobs due to automation.