Barn Planning and Freestall Barn Planning

Simple changes can greatly reduce odor and pollution while improving the cow environment and preserving the nutrient value of manure.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) requests assistance in preventing deaths of farm workers in manure pits. An urgent need exists to inform farm owners and workers about the dangers of enter such pits, where oxygen-deficient, toxic and/or explosive atmospheres often result from fermentation of the wastes in confined areas.

Donald Vallée, from the Valdo Farm in St-Thuribe, in the Portneuf area of Quebec, will be participating in a filtering-swamp pilot project to deal with dairy waste water. This will have an environmental bonus, helping with the revitalization of the Niagarette River.

An article published in the Journal of Agromedicine provides a summary of the frequency and characteristics of death related to on-farm manure storage and handling facilities for the period 1975-2004. Sources included published government reports, national and local media, online searches, published farm fatality reports and prior litigation.

There is tremendous interest in “floor-tube” alley scraper systems. In these systems the wet, sloppy manure that normally accumulates in front of a scraper blade falls through a 2” wide slot and into a sub-floor tube running under the center of each alley.

For the Howes of Vankleek Hill, Ontario, using local contractors was the key to a successful barn construction project. And the many visitors that came to see it were also impressed.

Escalating commodity prices are increasing overall feed costs for dairies. In addition, the increase in competition for cropland is driving up the cost of silage

There are several sources of dry-matter loss in silage. The most obvious is silage that has spoiled and is not fed. This is typically found at the end or top of piles.

Most feed prices are nearly double their historical averages. And there’s plenty of debate about whether these prices will ever return to those levels and when, if not, we can expect any reduction at all and how much this reduction is likely to be.

For more than a decade, it has been possible for livestock operations to generate carbon offsets for methane reduction when they replace their open manure lagoon systems.

Manure is not only a valuable resource in its liquid form- Innovative dairy farmers are now reclaiming some of the best bedding material available from the undigested fibers in the manure produced by their own animals.

A small El Paso startup company has a plan that could upend the dairy industry, making it one of the most green businesses on the planet.

America faces a serious challenge due to its dependence on oil- and petroleum-based energy sources. Billions of dollars go out of the country and the economy suffers as energy costs keep going up, with no end in sight. Fortunately, communities with large animal farm-based businesses have an enormous untapped resource to help solve the energy problem in a collective manner.

Using separated dairy solids for bedding can prove economically advantageous and offer a comfortable surface for your cows. So if some farmers in North America are using them, why can’t we?

When a cow rises from a resting position, she lunges forward. In a pasture, the animal naturally has a lot of space. In a freestall barn, a cow should have the same ability to lunge, but because of small space, she has more difficulty getting to her feet.

In a barn, long and narrow like a greenhouse, tunnel ventilation brings comfort and handles the milk production of the cows during the hot summer, if the speed of the wind is adequate.

Technological developments in recent years have developed new tendencies when it comes to animal comfort. Even in the mechanical and electronic fields, it continues to grow.

When it comes to natural ventilation, the importance should be placed on the size of the lateral opening. The main rule should be a ratio of 1: 10. For a building that is 10m wide, there should be a 1m opening.