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.

If you’re anything like me, sometimes farming can consume you. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but farming has a tendency to throw us challenges, long hours and a long list of to dos. It seems as if there is always something else that can be done.

When I started college as a freshman eight years ago, I never expected to be farming full time after graduation. My junior year of college, I had the opportunity to relief milk in a newly constructed parlor six miles from home.

Evening chore time rolls around once again, just like every other night. I put on my boots and head out to the barn. The bigger calves and heifers get their hay and grain, and then I start to mix up milk replacer for the baby calves. Upon entering the calf pens, I immediately know something isn’t right.