Lighting

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.

Preparing for winter at Brigeen Farms, Castonguay Ayrshires

kimmi@agproud.com — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

While Maine is well known for lobster, lighthouses and its scenic North Atlantic coastline, the state is also home to 140 licensed dairy farms, including Brigeen Farms in Turner and Castonguay Ayrshires in Livermore. As the leaves fall and the crisp autumn air turns to icy conditions, snowstorms and frigid temperatures across the Northeast, cow comfort, herd health and safety are top of mind for these two dairy farms as they prepare their facilities and animals for inclement weather.

Selecting the proper lighting for your barn

bradley.biehl@amsgalaxyusa.com — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

As you evaluate lighting options, there are several important considerations to think about. For example, will these lights be located inside or outside of the barn? Do you plan to have them turn off/on automatically or will they be manually operated? What ceiling height will you mount lights from? Knowing where and how the lights will be placed can help direct you to find the right fit for your facilities.

7 ways to improve energy efficiency in your dairy barn

kristin.brommer@ves-artex.com — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In an era where sustainability and efficiency are paramount, dairy farmers are increasingly seeking ways to reduce their energy consumption while maintaining optimal production levels. One significant area of focus is the dairy barn, where numerous opportunities exist to improve energy efficiency.

Heifers and long-day lighting: What we know so far

mario.mondaca@ves-artex.com — Fri, 03 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Long-day lighting for heifers follows the same recommendations as lactating cows. The goal is to provide constant and evenly distributed light levels for a period of 16 to 18 hours of light and six to eight hours of darkness in the barn.

The ‘now and then’ of long-day lighting

mario.mondaca@ves-artex.com — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Long-day lighting has shown – both in research and real-world settings – that it can provide increased milk production for a lactating herd. It will require an investment and a commitment to manage the system to see its benefits.

Increase early lactation milk production with short-day lighting during the dry period

Mike.Wolf@ves-artex.com — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Considerations for a short-day photoperiod (SDPP) during the dry period have also been studied, and we will review some of this research and the measures required to optimize the effects of a SDPP.

What are the 6 freedoms of a cow?

amelie_mainville@cargill.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 18:02:32 -0500

The six freedoms of a cow outlined by a dairy farming training organization are space, rest, water, air, light and feed. These freedoms have aligned benchmarking goals to help producers realize higher returns on current and future farm investments.

Equipment visibility: See and be seen

aoverbay@vt.edu — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 13:00:01 -0400

As I get older, my eyesight gets more and more of my attention. I was the only member of my family who never needed corrective eyewear – and because of that, I took my good eyesight for granted.

How to cut costs and labor for dairy barn lighting

chrisa@ensave.com — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 14:00:01 -0500

Lighting often represents one of the best opportunities to reduce electricity use on dairy farms, and lighting retrofits typically have shorter paybacks than other energy-efficiency upgrades.

Barn lights: The overlooked expense

james@geobulb.com — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 07:00:00 -0400

Dairymen and dairywomen tend to lead busy lives. Some piece of equipment is always misbehaving; there is another hole in the fence somewhere, or someone left the gate open again. With this in mind, I have found out what equipment on the dairy is commonly overlooked – the lighting.