FACILITIES & EQUIPMENT

If you have been actively farming for as long as I have, you have seen more than a few changes in the machinery we use. Today’s farm machinery is more powerful, faster, “smarter” and more comfortable than ever before.

One of the jobs I enjoyed most as I traveled throughout eastern North America was visiting customers. These visits helped me to understand better how they were using their mixers, and on almost every visit I left with new knowledge I could share with others down the road.

Maintaining your equipment is key to maximizing its longevity. More often than not, maintenance of milking parlour stalls and gates is forgotten until something breaks down.

Bedded pack barns – either deep-bedded or compost bedded – allow cows to freely roam and lie down in any configuration they prefer.

Whether you are building a new barn or retrofitting an existing structure, deciding on the proper robot layout is a critical yet enjoyable process.

Ventilation systems are divided into two main types: natural and mechanical ventilation systems. These are then subdivided into four types: natural, tunnel (where the air flows parallel to feedlane), hybrid (typically a tunnel-barn design with the option to naturally ventilate in the winter) and cross-ventilation (where the air flows perpendicular to the feedlane).