Cow barns

Free keeping of cows in barns with appropriate microclimate is one of the key factors for producing high-quality milk.

The enterprise has five cow barns constructed as light-type structures.

The barns are designed for 4164 stalls provided with modern equipment made in Canada and France. The expertly designed units are always dry, well illuminated, filled with fresh clean air. Thanks to open walls the animals get the same sunlight dose as they would on a pasture.

The loose system of cattle keeping is used in these barns. They are divided into sections each of which has an individual exit into a common cattle driving gallery. Inside each section a cow has a free round-the-clock access to a feeding table, drinking troughs and places of rest. While moving from a feeding table to a drinking trough, to a place of rest, to a milking platform and back a cow makes 2-3 km a day without any stress which helps to maintain good tonus in animals.

Cow barns	General view of a cow barn	“Texas” gates

The so-called “Texas gates” are made among sections which prevent cows from contacting each other, but which, nevertheless, are not a hindrance for a mechanic to distribute feed not leaving a tractor through the whole barn. The equipment for stalls is French made. A separate pen is provided to each cow which design satisfies the biomechanics and physiology of a cow giving it, at the same time, a feeling of freedom and comfort.

The feeding tables in three barns are provided with headlocks that help to fix the head of an animal and to perform veterinary and sanitary works without incurring unnecessary stress which eases the work of specialists greatly.

Headlocks	Pens for cows	Automatic drinking bowl

Feeds are distributed by automatic feed mixing dispensers with computer-controlled feed loading and dosing. This permits to control the process of forage mix preparation. A great volume of a mixing dispenser helps to give feed to 400-500 cows during one round.

The cow barns are provided with drinking troughs with automatic monitoring of water level in them. To create favorable conditions for animals in a cold season a system of water heating is provided using the waste heat generated at milk cooling.

Mechanized mixing dispenser of feed	Mechanized mixing dispenser of feed	Cows