The wintering shed/cow barn was firstly seen as a positive means of wintering the dairy herd while eliminating the on-going challenges and costs of wintering their dairy herd. Using a cow barn means the dairyman can eliminate many costs and risks associated with traditional dairy herd wintering practices.

With the dairy herd at home of the pasture the dairyman can better manage the dairy herds health and condition, and eliminate the inherent risks and costs of off farm grazing and the associated  transport costs, while extracting more value by further utilising their own plant and equipment. Preserves the pasture and soil structures from pugging and removes the costs of pasture remediation and risk of surface water run off for environmental compliance by collecting the valuable effluent. And with the dairy herd being fed on permanent surface in a dry environment, winter feed waste is almost halved. But things are changing.

Now farmers are looking at the cow barn as means of directly producing milk. Because the dairy cows are staying on the farm the dairyman can milk into the shoulders of the milking season therefore optimising their farming opportunity as producers of milk.

As New Zealand dairymen learn how to better manage their cow barns they are further utilising there investment, with this is a shift in performance expectations from the cow barns and the cows inside them. Typically the dairy herd is housed upto 3 months, this is increasing to 4-6 months, which equates to an increase in use of 30% -100%; and even longer in some cases as the cow barn provides a means to increase milk production.

So now the cow barn is being seen as part of the milk production system, verses a highly functional stand-off pad, and this creates a different set of farming expectations in terms of performance from the cow and barns performance. And if the cow barn is not set up correctly for the cows benefit, this extra use can have dire consequences on your dairy herd and the up and coming season’s production. The cow barn is an opportunity to recharge the dairy herd for the best production results possible in the following season.

If you are considering a cow barn for your farming business, it pays to look at the opportunity from all farming angles. With your new insight now consider the best building options that can best support your unique farming situation. With the right barn design and building you are increasing the maximum value from your long term investment.

Call AGRIPRO to discuss barn planning and building options today on 0800 48 36 36.

Inadequately designed and equipped free stall cubicles are doing more damage than good to the dairy cow’s welfare and their potential milk production. One farmer quoted” I have to let the cows out of the cow barn onto the pasture, every third day, so they can recover from being housed in here.” At this stage the farmer is considering what retro fitting options are available to remedy the problem and get the dairy herd back into shape and bring potential production back into sight. And as the farmer say’s “the sooner the better.”

Existing problems are fixable and avoidable. 
The problems while they are fixable, are also avoidable, in this case they stem from inadequate stall dimensions being compounded by the cubicles being equipped with poor cow bedding and stall dividing products. Needless to say this is preventable and less expensive by getting it right in the beginning. A cow barn should protect your livestock and increase your profits for the long term.

Barn planning and retro fitting options available here.
AGRIPRO supplies world leading products for cow barn structures and cow comfort, and has an extensive supplier network to assist your latest dairy housing developments. Talk to AGRIPRO about your new cow barn planning, design, product options, and upgrading your existing cow barns fit-out.

Call AGRIPRO to discuss your cow barn needs today on 0800 48 36 36.

 “There’s nothing more important to the cow’s comfort in terms of her environment than her lying surface.” Rick Grant, president of the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, says.

There are several indices/guides currently used to determine how comfortable the cows are in relation to their housing environment. Grant points out that three of the principal indices are the cow comfort index, the stall standing index and the stall use index. In addition to consultants and nutritionists, Grant recommends producers take part in monitoring cow comfort using these indices.

“The farmer should be very aware of the indices because they are a good signal as to whether or not their stalls are well designed and comfortable to the point where cows are using them,” he says.

Cow Comfort Index.
The Cow Comfort Index (CCI) determines the proportion of cows in contact with a stall that are lying down. Grant explains that out of the three indices, this one is the most commonly used. “It was developed in the ’90s but, throughout the last 10 to 20 years, people have used it quite extensively,” he adds.

Grant explains that the phrase ‘in contact with a stall’ is interpreted to mean that the cows are actively in contact with the stall, either lying in or standing with two or four feet of the stall. The benchmark for this index in a well-managed system is 85 percent or more, he says.

An advantage of the CCI is that it estimates the motivation of cows to enter a freestall and lie down. On the other hand, a disadvantage of the index is that it does not measure the amount of time a cow spends lying down.

Grant adds that a study conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada measured CCIs on several farms while also monitoring the cows’ resting activity (lying down time) in a 24-hour period. “The study found that there is little correlation between the cow comfort index and how many hours a day a cow lies in the stall,” Grant says.

He explains that even though the CCI is only a snapshot, it is a very useful one and a starting point in gauging the comfort of the stall. He also advises that these indices should be measured more than just one time in order to obtain more accurate results.

“If you have a higher number, that means that the stalls are well designed and comfortable to the cow, and then you presume that because they are comfortable to the cows, they are getting adequate rest,” Grant says.

Stall Standing Index.
The Stall Standing Index (SSI), developed by researchers from the University of Wisconsin’s School of Veterinary Medicine, determines the proportion of cows in contact with a stall that are standing. This index, which is not as commonly used as the CCI, helps assess a cow’s standing time. Excessive standing time is normally associated with higher incidences of lameness and other related health and productive issues.

Grant explains that a well-managed herd ought to have a SSI of less than 15 percent and for sure less than 20 percent.

“A higher SSI is actually associated with a greater daily standing time, so from that perspective it’s a pretty useful tool,” Grant says. “When you see 30 to 40 percent of the cows standing in the stall, that’s a pretty good indicator that you have excessive standing time.”

Grant explains that if cows are perching, in addition to the standing time, they are also not using their stalls correctly.

“This provides a clue signaling something could be wrong with the stall design or that there is something in the cow’s stall environment encouraging her to perch rather than lie down,” he says.

Stall Use Index.
Grant points out that the Stall Use Index (SUI), developed by University of California – Davis, has not been used as often as the other indices, even though it has been around since 2003. As opposed to the other indices, the SUI places a specific focus in situations where pens are overcrowded.

“We did some research here at the Miner Institute a few years ago and compared all three of the indices,” Grant says. “They’re all useful, but if you really want to gauge the overall effect on a cow’s well being by not just the stall but the fact that she is overcrowded, we found that the Stall Use Index is especially useful.”

With the SUI, “What you are doing is factoring out the cows that are productively using their time so that even if they are not lying down, at least they are not wasting their time,” Grant says.

He explains that removing these cows from the equation creates a scenario where the number of cows lying down in the stalls is divided by the number of cows that are wasting their time standing around. Grant says the SUI is useful in these situations because the cows that are standing are usually waiting for a stall to open up. The benchmark for the SUI in well-managed herds is usually 75 percent or greater, he says. “Our research shows that the SUI begins to go down remarkably at a stocking density of 120 or 130 percent or more on a stall basis,” he says. “As the stocking density goes up, the SUI goes down.”

Other significant factors.
There are other factors that play a role in the outcome of the index measurements. The time of day in which the measurements are taken is one of these factors. “The key is that you have to take your snapshot or scan of the herd at a time when the cows are highly motivated to lie down,” Grant says.

What he means by this is that because cows are on different feeding and milking schedules across different dairies, adjustments should be made so the measurements are taken when cows are most likely to lie down and rest. “It’s recommended to do this one to two hours after the cows return from the parlor or at least two hours before exiting to the parlor,“ he says.

A potential slant in measurements could also occur when indices are assessed at different times of the year, such as the summer months. Grant explains that, with heat stress being a factor, there will be a lower CCI because more cows are going to be standing, but not necessarily because the stalls are uncomfortable.

“Cows do stand up much more when they are heat-stressed because they are trying to create more surface area to dissipate heat and lower their body temperature,” Grant says. “The stalls could be just as comfortable as they were in February but the cows are not using the stalls as much now because they are heat-stressed.”

The setup and amount of ventilation available to the cows are other factors that can affect index measurements.

Although dairy producers do not use these indices widely, Grant points out that the indices will help them better assess the comfort of their freestalls. However, he does point out that using these indices does not replace the detailed analysis of stall design.  PD

Written by PD Editor Dario Martinez
Tuesday, 26 June 2012

Request your Cow Comfort Indices through our Contact form.

On December 11, 2012, Jeffrey Bewley and Joseph Taraba from the University of Kentucky led a webinar on the topic of compost bedded pack barns. Throughout the hour-and-a-half long presentation, the presenters covered different areas relating to this type of system, such as the benefits, design considerations and costs.

> Click here to view the compost bedded pack barn webinar video.

• Wait for the Adobe Connect Suite to connect and load
• Got to the bottom right hand corner and click on Compost Design Management file to activate

The idea.
Bewley explains the idea behind this type of system came from Virginia dairy farmers looking for a different way of managing their animals. The concept of this system is that it provides a loose housing environment where the animals have a large, open resting area and a softer lying surface. At the same time, the system also follows an intensively managed compost process.

It’s important to recognize upfront that the management of the system is the most important part to its success,” Bewley, assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, says.

The research.
He explains that when he first looked into the idea of a compost bedded pack barn system, he was hesitant that it would work for dairy cows. “I’ve changed my mind in the last few years, having worked with farmers that manage this system and manage it very well,” he says. “Like every housing system, it can be managed properly and create a great environment for cows and farmers, but I also think that if it’s mismanaged, it can be a very poor environment for cows.”

Summary of some factors that can contribute to the failure of compost bedded pack barns:

• Flaws in barn designl
• Stocking density
• Inadequate or ineffective stirring
• Insufficient bedding volume
• Type of material used
• Compaction from tractors

Management Considerations.
To start a compost bedded pack, Bewley explains that 1.5 to two feet of bedding are required. The total amount of sawdust used to start a pack will depend on the size of the barn. It’s a significant investment just to get the sawdust in these barns in the beginning, he says.

Bewley recommends for producers to add new bedding every, one to eight weeks, or when the pack starts looking moist. More pack is added when it is wet and during the wintertime, as less heat is generated in the compost in these instances. He explains that the pack should also be cleaned out at least one to two times per year.

“A lot of the success of the barn hinges on the availability and the cost of bedding,” Bewley adds.

Alternative bedding.
Taraba reviewed alternative sources that could be used in a compost bedded pack. Sawdust is one the most commonly used bedding sources due to its ability to absorb more water. Taraba explains that a mixture of sawdust and shavings is ideal for a compost bedded pack.

When stirring the bedding material, Taraba explains that it is better to pull the tillage tool rather that push it, if a front-end loader is used. This reduces the compaction of the bedding and helps avoid lower temperature in the bedding.

“One of things we want to do is generate sufficient heat,” Taraba says. The heat generated in the compost helps dry the bedding, controlling the moisture level of the pack. Three factors that can influence moisture level are the stirring of the bedding, the type of bedding used and the particle size of the bedding. He adds that the pack needs to have a high porosity, in order for the oxygen level of the bedding to sustain the compost process.

Bewley also provided details from a compost study conducted from October 2010 to March 2011 on 43 dairy farms in Kentucky. He explains that feedback received from producers on compost bedded pack barn systems includes that the barns improved cow comfort and cow cleanliness, and that it was a low-maintenance system. PD

Written by PD Editor Dario Martinez
Friday, 18 January 2013

> Click here to view the compost bedded pack barn webinar video.

Promat® achieved this with the unrivalled Pasture Gel Mattress®. Chris receives sales inquiries and invitations from dairy farmers and corporations from around the world for advice on cow comfort. Chris travels the world to meet these farmers whose dairy herd volumes range from 30 to 30,000 cows. Chris combines client meetings with product promotions and overseeing the installation of the Promat® Pasture Mat®, and the world’s best cow mattress system; the revolutionary Promat® Pasture Gel Mattress®.

The Pasture Gel Mattress® is the benchmark for all future cow bedding systems. Late last year I had the pleasure of showing Chris around some existing cow barns and met with some clients in the cow barn planning phase in the lower South Island. Chris’ global involvement with new cow barn designs, large scale dairy developments, and cow barn retro fitting projects in every type of environment throughout the world meant Chris could provide realistic advice for all levels of questioning; making him an invaluable partner.

Chris looks forward to revisiting New Zealand, if you would like to meet with Chris or have any questions for him, or would like a product demonstration call AGRIPRO today.

Call AGRIPRO to discuss the worlds best cow bedding system today on 0800 48 36 36.

Click on the video below to see Chris introduce the worlds best cow mattress.