When it comes to designing and furnishing a barn, cows and people are the top priority. Want to know more about the barn equipment solutions by Royal de Boer?
When it comes to designing and furnishing a barn, cows and people are the top priority. The cows should be able to display their natural behaviour comfortably and without any stress. In order to allow a cow to age productively, it is important to prevent any disturbing factors.
The same goes for people, really. The barn is a daily workplace in which you should be able to efficiently and effectively perform any jobs that may occur, in a pleasant and healthy manner.
What does a cow require from her barn? She really wants nothing more than the opportunity to display her natural behaviour; feeding, drinking, walking, lying down and maintaining social contacts.
A natural environment for the cow has the following main characteristics:
No two barns are the same, so it appears there is no single correct way to build a barn. Livestock farmers constantly make different decisions. In our sector, there is no objective way of measuring the added value of a product or system. In the end, it is not the product itself, but the interplay between all factors that determines the final result.
The choice of cubicle type and bedding material is important, but this is not the most difficult deliberation. That would be the setup of the accommodation for the period before and after calving and the cow handling/segregation process.
Attention provided during the dry, calving and starting period pays itself back in the rest of the lactation cycle in the form of healthy animals that can handle adversity and require less individual attention. By using the tools required to offer the animals a smooth transition, livestock farmers can make the transition, as well as the rest of the lactation cycle of the animals, easier for themselves.
You should be able to single-handedly separate and treat a cow, no matter whether this concerns an individual or group treatment. Make sure to keep this in mind when assessing the barn design and the equipment.
Consider the barn design from the cow's perspective. Set up the barn in such a way that the lowest animal in the hierarchy can behave naturally without having to make too many compromises to give way to or avoid animals that are higher up in the hierarchy. If the lowest cow in the hierarchy is doing well, the rest is doing great.
Consider the barn climate: adequate ventilation and temperature control are important for a healthy, durable cow.
And the cubicle? Our product range does not contain any bad systems, although there are systems that offer additional benefits. Consider what suits your management style and your budget, and you are sure to make the right choice.
