Barns

3 things you need to know about bedding with manure solids

rschrift@mclanahan.com — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Sand is the ideal dairy bedding source, but it is not always feasible for every farm. Recycled manure solids can be a viable alternative for a mix of practical, economic and operational reasons.

Building sorting gate systems to optimize labor and ROI

evan.platte@merck.com — Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Sorting gates are gaining traction on dairies and continue to grow in popularity. Sorting gate success and return on investment depends on a well-designed system that matches the specific needs of the operation.

Free cow traffic in automated milking systems

ppeetz@lely.com — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The introduction of automated milking systems nearly 30 years ago raised a key question: When should cows be milked?

Beyond the gate: What really drives sorting efficiency?

jamie.fox@gea.com — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Sort gates require proper installation, regular maintenance and care to perform optimally and meet expected sort percentages. Even small adjustments – like fine-tuning the antenna read range or resolving data integration issues – can significantly improve performance and cow management.

Spring checklist: Preparing your dairy’s ventilation system for warmer weather

marmstrong@canarm.ca — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

As warmer weather approaches, preparing fans and ventilation systems should be a top priority for dairy producers. Heat stress can begin at relatively mild temperatures, especially when humidity is high, and its impact on intake, reproduction and health can linger long after temperatures cool.

Maternity barn: Setting the stage for healthy beginnings

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Many dairy operations are reexamining their maternity barns and calf holding areas. In this article, we will explore five benefits of modernizing these facilities and the positive outcome improvements can bring for both your calves and your entire dairy operation.

Powering the farm through winter: Why generator services are essential for modern agriculture

grant@criticalpowerservicesllc.com — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

When a winter storm knocks out the grid, even for a few hours, it can put livestock health, milk quality and business operations at serious risk.

Are your cows sports cars or farm trucks?

clemence.nash@novusint.com — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 23:00:00 -0500

Dream of a high-performance sports car and a Corvette or Camaro may come to mind. In many ways, dairy cows are high-performance machines too. However, some dairy producers may still treat their top-performing “cowmaros” like their old, trusty farm trucks, which may not allow the cows to reach their full genetic potential. Just like a sports car, cows require maintenance and upkeep. By treating your cows like top performers instead of old farm trucks, you can increase cow productivity and maximize profitability.

Water quality: Easy to overlook, costly to ignore

NAndrew@zinpro.com — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

A plentiful supply of good clean water is essential for normal digestion and metabolism, including rumen fermentation, proper movement of feed through the intestinal tract and effective nutrient absorption.

Winterizing ventilation fans in dairy barns

kristin.brommer@ves-artex.com — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

As the colder months approach, it is crucial to prepare dairy barns for winter conditions. A major component of this preparation is winterizing the ventilation system. This includes completing maintenance tasks and covering unused equipment.

Ohio State University to transform dairy education with new, fully autonomous dairy

kimmi@agproud.com — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

A modern dairy building with automated systems and a viewing corridor will soon replace the aging dairy facilities built in 1972 at Waterman Dairy at Ohio State University in Columbus. Initial conversations about renovating the facilities began in 2019 while working on the master strategic plan for the college.

Innovation and efficiency considered hallmarks of nation’s largest research dairy at the University of Idaho

kimmi@agproud.com — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Construction continues at the Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Idaho CAFE), a University of Idaho-led facility in Rupert, Idaho, that will include the nation’s largest research dairy. Phase II is currently underway and includes construction of a commodity barn, a calving and research barn and a classroom building.

Negative-pressure and positive-pressure ventilation systems

courtney.halbach@wisc.edu — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Mechanical ventilation systems rely on controlled inlets and outlets to exchange air in the barn, with a goal of providing a minimum of four to eight air changes per hour (ACH) in winter and 40 to 60 ACH in summer. These mechanical ventilation systems are categorized as positive-, negative- or neutral-pressure systems, with the main differences being how fans are used to bring air into or out of the barn for ventilation purposes.

How to transition from a parlor to robots

antti.puuri@4dbarn.com — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 07:57:35 -0400

The transition from a traditional milking to automated milking is not always straightforward. In this article, we’ll look at some of the most important factors to address when planning the shift from a parlor to an automated milking system.

The 10 myths of managing heat stress

gmaldini@diamondv.com — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Every dairy in the U.S. has experienced the effects of heat stress on dairy cows. There are a variety of management practices dairy producers can use to proactively address heat stress before it happens or support the herd to lessen the impact once it arrives. Yet with all that we know about managing and mitigating heat stress, there are still misconceptions.

Essential tips to optimize cow comfort in the holding area

shaun@futurecow.com — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In our operations, holding area management and the proper use of a crowd gate play a crucial role in promoting a cow’s comfort and ensuring an optimal milk harvest experience during her daily parlor visits. While these tasks may seem straightforward, they require much more than just moving cows and running them through a parlor.

Michigan State University dairy nears completion

kimmi@agproud.com — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Cows are scheduled to start moving into new facilities at the Michigan State University (MSU) Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center on south campus in East Lansing, Michigan, by Aug. 1, with the entire project expected to be completed by the end of 2025. At capacity, the dairy herd will expand from the previous herd size of 220 up to 550.

New barn at University of Maine research dairy highlights robotics and technology

kimmi@agproud.com — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Replacing labor-intensive tasks with technology was one of the goals when building a new three-row freestall barn with 50 stalls to replace the older tiestall barn at the University of Maine’s Witter Farm in Old Town. The new barn features one DeLaval VMS Series V300 robot for the 61-cow herd (30 lactating as of May 2025) as well as automatic ventilation.

Renovations update youngstock, close-up and research areas at WSU’s Knott Dairy Center

kimmi@agproud.com — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The newest addition to Washington State University’s (WSU) Knott Dairy Center (KDC) is a flexible, compost-bedded pack barn that houses developmental and pregnant heifers, dry cows and has space for a pen of research animals. Construction began in July 2024 and was completed in June 2025.

Plans to update K-State dairy on hold due to funding

kimmi@agproud.com — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Plans to replace aging dairy facilities at the Kansas State University dairy farm in Manhattan, Kansas, are still in the funding stages. They are currently working to fund the project through state appropriations, which is a joint effort championed by the Kansas dairy industry with the support of the university. Kansas dairy producers are encouraged to reach out to their legislators about the importance of this project.

Planning your automated milking barn: Essential considerations

dmeihak@lely.com — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The decision to invest in a new automated milking barn represents a significant step toward modernizing your operation. With it comes the opportunity for enhanced efficiency, improved cow welfare and higher revenues. The success of a project hinges on meticulous planning that considers the intricate interplay among numerous factors.

The ‘toll’ of an automated milking barn design

keith.ortiz@delaval.com — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The dairy industry has spent the last few decades designing barns for automated milking – resulting in hundreds of different configurations – all of which have been a variation of two robots layouts: perpendicular and tollbooth.

Fine sawdust as dairy bedding: Benefits and key considerations

rebecca@ecostrat.com — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

When it comes to bedding for dairy farms, choosing the right material can have a significant impact on both the health of the cows and the overall efficiency of the farm.

3 critical components of ventilation for milking parlors and holding areas

kristin.brommer@ves-artex.com — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Proper airflow in milking parlors and holding areas is essential for the well-being of the herd and the efficiency of dairy operations. By effectively removing heat, moisture, odors and contaminants produced by the cows, proper ventilation ensures the cows' comfort, prevents heat stress, maintains good air quality and supports animal health overall.

The transforming power of technology: Ninnemann Enterprises Inc.

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

For Aaron Ninnemann, his family’s dairy farm is a classic example of a generationally run business whose family members have worked diligently for decades, making a name for themselves within the dairy industry. The Ninnemanns embraced automated milking in a tiestall barn retrofit to keep dairying alongside a growing cash crop operation.

11 steps to prepare for the summer heat

dillg@standardnutrition.com — Mon, 26 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Being prepared for the heat will result in the least amount of stress on the cows and the people dealing with these animals. The environment where the cows reside is the critical area of the barn to evaluate. Keep the ventilation system, including doors and fans, set to where the system was designed. These actions will allow cooler heads (and cows) to prevail.

Reclaimed sand is a proven bedding resource

rschrift@mclanahan.com — Wed, 14 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Cow comfort and herd health are essential factors to achieve higher milk quality and production. Bedding plays a critical role in both, which is why many dairy farms have long relied on sand as their go-to bedding. However, questions sometimes arise as to which bedding is better – fresh or recycled sand?

Nexus awards: New sort gate runs quieter on just electromagnets and springs

walt.cooley@agproud.com — Mon, 05 May 2025 06:10:13 -0400

A new back-of-the-barn innovation sorts cows more quietly and reliably in all dairy environments. The Sort my Cow Sort Gate from CowManager runs on electromagnets and springs instead of compressors and pneumatics, making less noise during operation and working consistently, even during extreme weather.

How to support cows through the marathon of heat stress

matt_dodd@diamondv.com — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Even with all the available information, the challenges around heat stress still exist, and each summer we see cows struggling to maintain production and reproductive health through high temperatures and humidity across the U.S. While we know a lot about heat stress, there are still areas of learning to lean into and help support herds throughout the summer heat and humidity.

Are you focusing on these cow comfort essentials?

kristin.brommer@ves-artex.com — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Ventilation, cooling, bedding, lighting, feed and water access are the main foundations of cow comfort. Focusing on these aspects when designing and building your dairy barn will greatly enhance cow comfort, leading to better milk production, reduced health issues and overall improved welfare.