Is your farming operation looking to expand? Are you currently milking in a tiestall barn and looking to upgrade into a freestall barn with a milking parlor? Or, maybe your current barn and parlor need updated. Completely changing your facilities and day-to-day operations can be very overwhelming. You’re so used to doing things a certain way, at least twice a day, and although it might be labor intensive, switching to something more labor friendly might seem daunting. If so, there are some key features I feel are of utmost importance when looking into building or upgrading a freestall barn and parlor.

Maintaining dry, clean corrals requires a lot of work, but it is very important for the cow. Whether you have open drylots or freestalls with or without exercise pens – dry, clean corral conditions are imperative for optimal cow health.

When building a new freestall barn, what seems like a small decision in the designing phase can make or break efficiency later on. On the other hand, a few simple tweaks can save time and stress after the barn is built.