Additional Dairy Farm Information

Improvements
The subject property has an extensive set of improvements that center around a 1,350 head dairy operation built in 1999. All of the barns located within the property lines of the subject property.
The subject property has two approaches coming off County Hwy #2. The main road is in the north side of the property. You head south towards the main dairy facilities. It continues south to the forage pad, shop, five feed tanks and then on to the lagoon. Off of this road, there are spurs that go up to all the buildings and to the areas in between the buildings. There is also a road that comes in on the east side of all the buildings. These roads are all graveled and in good condition.

The subject property is comprised of three main buildings. There are two free stall barns, with one on the south and north sides. There is also a dairy center in the middle with the dairy parlor, holding area, hospital room and some free stall space. I will describe the improvements beginning with the south barn, which was first constructed. Then I will describe the north free stall barn. Lastly, I will describe the center structure.

South Free Stall Barns
The south free stall barn is 484’ long east to west by 110’ wide north to south. This is a six-row dairy free stall barn.

Exterior: The subject property is a steel framed constructed building with large steel frames supporting the roof and sides. The exterior of the building has a colored metal roof. The roof has a 24’’ opening at the top to allow fresh air to leave the barn. The barn has curtain side walls. There are 5 overhead doors on the east side for entry and 5 overhead doors on the west side for entry. There is a 10’ overhead door on the south side. There is a door leading north from this building through a alleyway to the crowd room and milking parlor. The landscaping around the building is adequate. The barn has a lot of perimeter tile and surface intakes to remove surplus water from around the barn.

Interior:
The barn is a 6 row barn with a full concrete floor. The barn has a 16’ alleyway running down the center of the barn, the entire length of the barn, in an east to west fashion. On the sided of the feed alley, there is a raised concrete stemwall. The feed is deposited next to the stemwall, and the milk cows eat off this feed alley floor. This barn has 110 headlocks along the feed alley
There are four pens in this barn, in the northwest, southwest, southeast and northeast quadrants.
Being that this is a six row barn, each pen has three rows of free stalls for the cows to loaf on. There is a row of free stalls along the curtain wall, then there is a small standing alleyway.

Progressing towards the feed alleyway, there are two rows of free stalls where the lay and face each other. The free stalls are 44’’ apart. They are 9’ long. These interior free stalls are divided into two sections. On the far end of each section, there is a waterer and there is a waterer in the middle for the cows to get water. In between the four pens, there is an alleyway running to the north.
The cows leave the pens and move to the north through the alleyway to the crowd room and into the milking parlor. The ceilings in the barn are insulated, although the insulation is in poor condition. The curtains appear to be in good condition. This barn has 30 overhead halogen lights for supplying supplemental light. The barn has several new circulating fans with misters for keeping the cows cool during the warm summer months.

Ventilation: This is a curtain ventilated barn, with curtains on the south and north side. There is a 24’’ ceiling vent for allowing air to exhaust through the roof. This barn has a total of 30-48’’ circulating fans to keep air moving throughout the building. There are misters on all the circulating fans to keep the animals cool during the hot summer days. The two west pens in this barn each have 110 neck rails along the feed alley for handling livestock.

Feed and Water: As previously mentioned, the feed is deposited next to each pen as the feed wagon drives down the feed alley. Each pen has a total of three floor waterers for watering the livestock. This barn has a total capacity of about 592 free stalls.

North Free Stall Barn:
The north free stall barn measures484’ long by 110’ wide. It also was constructed in an east to west fashion. The design of this building is almost identical to the design of the south barn. I t is a six row barn. There are four pens. This building was constructed one year prior to the south barn. It has a little larger capacity. This barn is capable of holding about 662 free stalls. This barn has 460 headlocks along the feed alley.
Both barns are in good physical condition. Both barns have good ventilation. The manure handling appears to be very good. These are labor efficient barns. - Dairy Farm data last updated: 7/27/2008

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